U.P. Trociewitz

Isotropic round-wire multifilament cuprate superconductor for generation of magnetic fields above 30 T

Magnets are the principal market for superconductors, but making attractive conductors out of the high-temperature cuprate superconductors (HTSs) has proved difficult because of the presence of high-angle grain boundaries that are generally believed to lower the critical current density, J(c). To minimize such grain boundary obstacles, HTS conductors such as REBa2Cu3O(7-x) and (Bi, Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O(10-x) are both made as tapes with a high aspect ratio and a large superconducting anisotropy. Here we report that Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8-x) (Bi-2212) can be made in the much more desirable isotropic, round-wire, multifilament form that can be wound or cabled into arbitrary geometries and will be especially valuable for high-field NMR magnets beyond the present 1 GHz proton resonance limit of Nb3Sn technology. An appealing attribute of this Bi-2212 conductor is that, being without macroscopic texture, it contains many high-angle grain boundaries but nevertheless attains a very high J(c) of 2,500 A mm(-2) at 20 T and 4.2 K. The large potential of the conductor has been demonstrated by building a small coil that generated almost 2.6 T in a 31 T background field. This demonstration that grain boundary limits to high Jc can be practically overcome underlines the value of a renewed focus on grain boundary properties in non-ideal geometries.

High Field Magnets With HTS Conductors

Development of high-field magnets using high temperature superconductors (HTS) is a core activity at the NHMFL. Magnet technology based on both YBCO-coated tape conductors and Bi-2212 round wires is being pursued. Two specific projects are underway. The first is a user magnet with a 17 T YBCO coil set which, inside an LTS outsert, will generate a combined field of 32 T. The second is a 7 T Bi2212 demonstration coil set to be operated in a large bore resistive magnet to generate a combined magnetic field of 25 T. Owing to the substantial technological differences of the two conductor types, each project faces different conductor and magnet technology challenges. Two small coils have been tested in a 38-mm cold bore cryostat inserted in a 31 T resistive magnet: a Bi2212 round-wire layer-wound insert coil that generated 1.1 T for a total of 32.1 T and a YBCO double-pancake insert that generated 2.8 T for a total central field of 33.8 T. Four larger layer-wound coils have been manufactured and tested in a 20 T, 186-mm cold bore resistive magnet: a sizeable Bi-2212 coil and three thin large-diameter YBCO coils. The test results are discussed. The current densities and stress levels that these coils tolerate underpin our conviction that >30 T all-superconducting magnets are viable.

High Field Superconducting Solenoids Via High Temperature Superconductors

High-field superconducting solenoids have proven themselves to be of great value to scientific research in a number of fields, including chemistry, physics and biology. Present-day magnets take advantage of the high-field properties of Nb3Sn, but the high-field limits of this conductor are nearly reached and so a new conductor and magnet technology is necessary for superconducting magnets beyond 25 T. Twenty years after the initial discovery of superconductivity at high temperatures in complex oxides, a number of high temperature superconductor (HTS) based conductors are available in sufficient lengths to develop high-field superconducting magnets. In this paper, present day HTS conductor and magnet technologies are discussed. HTS conductors have demonstrated the ability to carry very large critical current densities at magnetic fields of 45 T, and two insert coil demonstrations have surpassed the 25 T barrier. There are, however, many challenges to the implementation of HTS conductors in high-field magnets, including coil manufacturing, electromechanical behavior and quench protection. These issues are discussed and a view to the future is provided.

35.4 T field generated using a layer-wound superconducting coil made of (RE)Ba2Cu3O7−x (RE = rare earth) coated conductor

To explore the limits of layer wound (RE)Ba2Cu3O7-x (REBCO, RE = Rare Earth) coils in a high magnetic field environment > 30 T, a series of small insert coils have been built and characterized in background fields. One of the coils repeatedly reached 35.4 T using a single ~100 m length of REBCO tape wet wound with epoxy and nested in a 31 T background magnet. The coil was quenched safely several times without degradation. Contributing to the success of this coil was the introduction of a thin polyester film that surrounded the conductor. This approach introduces a weak circumferential plane in the coil pack that prevents conductor delamination that has caused degradation of several epoxy impregnated coils previously made by this and other groups.

Normal zone propagation experiments on HTS composite conductors

Abstract As high temperature superconductor magnet applications become a reality due to increases in conductor performance, it is important to understand the behavior of normal zones in conductors and magnets in order to design safe magnet systems. Here we study the effects of localized heat pulses in Ag-alloy sheathed Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O x powder-in-tube conductors and Ni-alloy substrated YBa 2 Cu 3 O x coated conductor tapes cooled by N 2 gas. A heater was used to initiate a normal zone. The experimental setup to measure the energy required such that the normal zone propagates and the normal zone propagation velocity in the longitudinal direction is described. Results for both conductor architectures are presented.

Near-adiabatic quench experiments on short YBa2Cu3O7−δ coated conductors

Minimum quench energy and normal zone propagation velocity are measured on short YBa2Cu3O7−δ coated conductors in self-field at temperatures ranging from 40to77K. The sample is cooled via a cryocooler with a cryostat pressure of ∼10−4Pa, creating a nearly adiabatic environment. A normal zone is created by pulsing a heater that is attached to the sample surface with a thin layer of alumina-filled epoxy. The minimum quench energy is determined by identifying the minimum heater energy that creates a propagating normal zone, and the propagation velocity is determined from the time delay between voltage signals in voltage taps distributed along the length of the conductor. It is found that the minimum quench energy is on the order of 1J and the normal zone propagation velocity ranges from 1–40mm∕s. These results are compared to similar measurements on other coated conductor architectures and geometries and to the classical adiabatic quench propagation model.

Normal zone initiation and propagation in Y-Ba-Cu-O coated conductors with Cu stabilizer

In the ongoing effort to investigate the normal zone behavior of coated conductors, the effects of a localized, pulsed heat disturbance on a YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub x//Ni-alloy conductor with Cu stabilizer was investigated. The sample was conduction cooled by a GM cryocooler in a vacuum environment, establishing nearly adiabatic conditions. A NiCr wire heater mounted on the sample was used to provide the heat pulse that initiated the normal zone. Consecutive voltage taps along the length of both sides of the sample monitored the propagation of the normal zone. Several thermocouples were glued on both sides of the sample to measure the temperature profile of the conductor. The minimum quench energies and normal zone propagation velocities were measured at ambient temperatures from 58 K to 79 K and transport current ranging from 30% to 90% of I/sub c/. The voltage and temperature profiles are presented and discussed.

Filament to filament bridging and its influence on developing high critical current density in multifilamentary Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox, round wires

Increasing the critical current density (Jc) of the multifilamentary round wire Ag/Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox(2212) requires understanding its complicated microstructure, in which extensive bridges between filaments are prominent. In this first through-process quench study of 2212 round wire, we determined how its microstructure develops during a standard partial-melt process and how filament bridging occurs. We found that filaments can bond together in the melt state. As 2212 starts to grow on subsequent cooling, we observed that two types of 2212 bridges form. One type, which we call Type-A bridges, forms within filaments that bonded in the melt; Type-A bridges are single grains that span multiple bonded filaments. The other type, called Type-B bridges, form between discrete filaments through 2212 outgrowths that penetrate into the Ag matrix and intersect with other 2212 outgrowths from adjacent filaments. We believe the ability of these two types of bridges to carry inter-filament current is intrinsically different: Type-A bridges are high- Jc inter-filament paths whereas Type-B bridges contain high-angle grain boundaries and are typically weak linked. Slow cooling leads to more filament bonding, more Type-A bridges and a doubling of Jc without changing the flux pinning. We suggest that Type-A bridges create a 3D current flow that is vital to developing high Jc in multifilamentary 2212 round wire.

Perspective on a Superconducting 30 T/1.3 GHz NMR Spectrometer Magnet

The COHMAG report of the National Academy of Sciences provides an assessment of high field magnet science and technology in the United States, and identifies possible new initiatives for future high field magnets. Regarding NMR, the report identifies high resolution NMR spectrometers in the range of 30 T/1.3 GHz as having great scientific interest. This paper discusses technology issues associated with 30 T superconducting magnets. The enabling technology is HTS conductors and coil technology. Significant issues remain for application of HTS conductors to large coils, including long length quality, heat treatment, anisotropy and strain dependence. The outer LTS coil sections are large, with high stress and stored energy. Structural issues, including high strength conductor and reinforcement, and quench protection issues are significant. The status of technology required for a 30 T NMR magnet is examined. A preliminary conceptual design of the 30 T magnet is presented

High Field Insert Coils From Bi-2212/Ag Round Wires

Bi-2212/Ag round wire is a promising and practical material for extending high field superconducting magnets beyond the limits of Nb3Sn. Efforts to develop superconducting magnets in the 25 to 30 T range include fabrication and test of practical size insert coils using this wire. Recent studies have focused on improvements in wire performance, wire insulation, and coil fabrication for wind-and-react coils. Continued improvements in the engineering critical current density (JE) and the critical current density (Jc) performance have been achieved by optimizing the starting precursor composition, and the heat treatments. The highest Je of 1580 A/mm2 at 4.2 K, 0 T and 420 A/mm2 at 4.2 K, 31 T were obtained in 0.81 mm wire. In particular, significant progress on braided insulation has been made for enabling a robust procedure for wind-and-react Bi-2212 solenoid coils. Performance of three of these coils has been measured in background fields up to 19 T, showing good prospects for high field magnet application of this conductor.