Analysis of AC loss in superconducting power devices calculated from short sample data

A method to calculate the AC loss of superconducting power devices from the measured AC loss of a short sample is developed. In coils and cables the magnetic field varies spatially. The position dependent field vector is calculated assuming a homogeneous current distribution. From this field profile and the transport current, the local AC loss is calculated. Integration over the conductor length yields the AC loss of the device. The total AC loss of the device is split up in different components. Magnetization loss, transport current loss and the loss due to the combined action of field and current all contribute to the AC loss of the device. Because ways to reduce the AC loss depend on the loss mechanism it is important to know the relative contribution of each component. The method is demonstrated on a prototype transformer coil wound from Bi/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub x//Ag superconducting tape. Differences between the model assumptions and devices are pointed out. Nevertheless, within the uncertainty margins the calculated AC loss is in agreement with the measured loss of the coil

An engineering formula to describe the AC loss of BSCCO/Ag tape

An engineering function to describe the AC loss of BSCCO/Ag tape conductors is developed. For a wide range of transport currents and magnetic fields (with different orientation) the loss is described with an uncertainty of 10%. The equation is based on the analytical expressions available, BSCCO/Ag tapes used in power applications at liquid nitrogen temperature are fed with an AC transport current and exposed to an AC magnetic field. The magnetic field in a device has different orientations with respect to the position of the conductor in the device. In this contribution, AC loss measurements for simultaneously applied magnetic field (with different orientation) and transport current are presented for a high quality tape conductor that is used in a transformer coil. The results are separated into a magnetic and a transport current loss componen

Magnetisation and transport current loss of a BSCCO/Ag tape in an external AC magnetic field carrying an AC transport current

In practical applications, BSCCO/Ag tapes are exposed to external AC magnetic field and fed with an AC transport current. The total AC loss can be separated in two contributions: first, the transport current loss influenced by an external AC magnetic field, and second, the magnetisation loss that depends on the transport current running through the conductor. In this paper the total AC loss is considered and the role of the electric and magnetic components is compared. This comparison is made with an available analytical model for the AC loss in an infinite slab and verified experimentally for a BSCCO/Ag tape conductor. For small transport currents the magnetisation loss dominates the total loss. When the current increases, a field dependent crossover occurs, after which the transport current loss also plays a role. Qualitatively the measurements can be described well in terms of the critical state model. For magnetic field parallel to the wide side of the conductor the CSM for an infinite slab describes the measurements also quantitativel

Characterisation of a high-Tc coil using short sample data

Characteristics of a circular superconducting coil made with BSCCO-2223/Ag tape depend on the amplitude and direction of the magnetic field in the windings. The effect can be estimated by studying a short sample of the same tape. However, the loss voltage-current and the frequency characteristics of a coil deviate considerably from those that are measured on a short sample. In order to estimate the deviation, the authors compared measured characteristics of a few small coils employing up to ~10 m of tape with those calculated from the short samples data. The comparison includes several arrangements of coils and field shaping elements around the coil edges and is performed in the frequency and temperature range typical for power applications (1-100 Hz and 64-78 K respectively). The results are applied to the design of a 100 kVA-50 Hz resonator coil with a high quality facto

Modeling the current distribution in HTS tapes with transport current and applied magnetic field

A numerical model is developed for the current distribution in a high temperature superconducting (HTS) tape, (Bi,Pb)2Sr2 Ca2Cu3Ox-Ag, subjected to a combination of a transport current and an applied magnetic field. This analysis is based on a two-dimensional formulation of Maxwell's equations in terms of an integral equation for the current density J. The finite thickness of the conductor and an arbitrary voltage-current relation (e.g. n-power relation, magnetic field dependency) for the conductor are included in the model. Another important feature is that the model also covers an applied magnetic field in arbitrary directions and a rotating field perpendicular to the conductor, which is of great interest for analyzing the AC loss of HTS (transformer) coils or three-phase electric power cables. A comparison is made with transport current loss measurements on an HTS tape with an AC applied fiel