A Study on Superconducting Coils for Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) Applications

Part 15: Energy TransformationInternational audienceSuperconducting coils (SC) are the core elements of Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) systems. It is thus fundamental to model and implement SC elements in a way that they assure the proper operation of the system, while complying with design specifications. As a part of a larger model, a coil design model is here presented and verified with tests made in a laboratory prototype. The limitations of the superconducting tape used, namely the negative effect of magnetic field components on its critical current value, are also verified and a possible solution to avoid that effect is studied

Energy-storage technologies and electricity generation

As the contribution of electricity generated from renewable sources (wind, wave, solar) grows, the inherent intermittency of supply from such generating technologies must be addressed by a step-change in energy storage. Furthermore, the continuously developing demands of contemporary applications require the design of versatile energy-storage/power-supply systems offering wide ranges of power density and energy density. As no single energy-storage technology has this capability, systems will comprise of combinations of technologies such as electrochemical supercapacitors, flow batteries, Lithium-ion batteries, superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) and kinetic energy storage. The evolution of the electrochemical supercapacitor is largely dependent on the development of optimised electrode materials (tailored to the chosen electrolyte) and electrolytes. Similarly, the development of Lithium-ion battery technology requires fundamental research in materials science aimed at delivering new electrodes and electrolytes; Lithium-ion technology has significant potential and a step-change is required in order to promote the technology from the portable electronics market into high-duty applications. Flow-battery development is largely concerned with safety and operability. However, opportunities exist to improve electrode technology yielding larger power densities. The main barriers to overcome in terms of the development of SMES technology are those related to high-temperature superconductors in terms of their granular, anisotropic nature. Materials development is essential for the successful evolution of flywheel technology. Given the appropriate research effort, the key scientific advances required in order to successfully develop energy-storage technologies generally represent realistic goals which may be achieved by 2050

Multilevel Robust Design Optimization of a Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage Based on a Benchmark Study

© 2016 IEEE. Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) systems with different superconducting materials are attracting great attentions and funding from the governments around the world because they are promising large-scale energy storage devices for future smart grid. Due to the high cost of SMES, its manufacturing quality and operation reliability have to be investigated in the design optimization stage. This paper presents a robust design optimization method to solve this issue based on a benchmark problem, TEAM problem 22. The proposed method is based on a technique called design for Six Sigma. Meanwhile, a three-level optimization framework is employed to reduce the computation cost of a finite-element analysis due to high-dimensional design space and Monte-Carlo analysis. As shown, the manufacturing reliability and quality of the investigated SMES after robust optimization have been increased greatly

Superconductivity and their applications

Trabalho apresentado em International Conference on Renewable Energies and Power Quality (ICREPQ’17), 4 a 6 de Abril de 2017, Málaga, EspanhaThe research in the field of superconductivity has led to the synthesis of superconducting materials with features that allow you to expand the applicability of this kind of materials. Among the superconducting materials characteristics, the critical temperature of the superconductor is framing the range and type of industrial applications that can benefit from them. Some examples of industrial applications incorporating superconducting materials stand out in this paper. Among other possibilities, the nuclear magnetic resonance, the magnetic levitation train, the transport processing of electrical energy (motors, generators, transformers and power lines) and superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) systems are already solutions contributing to the nowadays daily life, but more than that, are solutions that will contribute to improve the quality of life of many human beings in the near future. In addition to these solutions, in this paper are presented and discussed the pros and cons of a solution designed for the fast field cycling nuclear magnetic resonance technique that benefits of the usage of superconducting blocks.N/