arXiv subjects

Francesco Grilli

Publications and source records attributed to Francesco Grilli.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Determination of I-V Curves of HTS Tapes From The Frequency Dependent AC Transport Loss

The current-voltage characteristics of superconductors are commonly determined by means of a standard 4-probe DC measurement technique. In coated conductors, however, one often encounters problems due to weak or no stabilization and in such case, when the risk of burning the tape is high, the 4-probe approach can fail. In other cases such as in HTS cable structures, besides vulnerability and high risk of damage, it may also be difficult to achieve a high critical current level with a power supply that is normally used to characterize single strands. We therefore investigated an alternative method to determine the DC I-V curve, based on measuring the AC transport loss as a function of frequency in overcritical current range. In the AC regime, both the hysteretic loss component and the joule dissipation are present for applied transport currents exceeding the critical current Ic. In this work, AC loss measurements at different frequencies are related to different electric fields in DC and a curve similar to the DC I-V is obtained. From this curve, the power index N and Ic values are estimated. AC regime operation can be more beneficial for two reasons: firstly, because very high currents can be achieved easily by using a transformer; secondly, because the effective joule heat dissipation with overcritical AC currents is much lower than that with DC of the same amplitudes. In the experiment, we used a 4 mm wide YBCO reference tape with 20 μm of Cu-stabilization. For the comparison with AC transport loss, the sample was measured with the standard 4-probe technique and remained stable even in overload condition. To support our study, numerical simulations, reproducing both transient and stationary operation conditions, were performed. A similar relation between the AC current transport loss and the I-V curves was also observed in the simulations.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Design and Comparison of a 1 MW / 5s HTS SMES with Toroidal and Solenoidal Geometry

The design of a HTS SMES coil with solenoidal and toroidal geometry is carried out based on a commercially available 2G HTS conductor. A SMES system of practical interest (1 MW / 5 s) is considered. The comparison between ideal toroidal and solenoidal geometry is first discussed and the criteria used for choosing the geometrical parameters of the coils' bore are explained. The design of the real coil is then carried out and the final amount of conductor needed is compared. A preliminary comparison of the two coils in terms of AC loss during one charge discharge cycle is also discussed.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2015

Simulation of High Temperature Superconducting Bulks Magnetized by Pulsed Field Magnetization with an Electromagnetic-Thermal Coupled Model

High temperature superconducting (HTS) bulks can be magnetized to become powerful trapped field magnets (TFMs), which are promising for high-performance electrical applications. To magnetize such TFMs, pulsed field magnetization (PFM) is supposed to substitute field cooling (FC) to provide in situ magnetization. However, the heat generation during PFM, which reduces the trapped field has always been an issue, so numerical simulation of the process is important to provide optimal magnetization strategies. In this paper, HTS bulks magnetized by PFM are simulated with an axisymmetric electromagnetic-thermal coupled model based on H-formulation. Influences of important yet difficult-to-characterize parameters of HTS bulks including n values in the E-J Power Law and B0 in the Kim's Law are investigated. Furthermore, controlled magnetic density distribution coils (CMDCs) which generate a non-uniform field are suggested to further improve the trapped field of HTS bulks compared to split coils proposed previously.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Estimation of Self-Field Critical Current and Transport-Magnetization AC Losses of Roebel Cables

Roebel cables made of HTS coated conductors are regarded as promising cables for winding applications in virtue of their large engineering current density and low losses. The composing meander-shaped strands are assembled very tightly into the cable, which results in a strong electromagnetic interaction between them. This interaction profoundly influences the effective self-field critical current ($I_c$) of the cable, which is much lower than the sum of the $I_c$s of the composing strands. Also the AC losses are influenced by the material's properties and by the geometrical configuration of the cable. Being able to predict the effective critical current and AC losses of such cables is very important for a proper design of applications: due to the complexity of the cable's geometry and of the material's properties, this prediction can only be performed with advanced numerical tools. In this contribution we use finite-element-based models to compute the effective $I_c$ and the AC losses of Roebel cables composed of 31 strands using tapes from two manufacturers. The AC losses are analyzed in the simultaneous presence of transport current and background perpendicular field proportional to the current, which mirrors the situation occurring in a winding. Our models include the angular dependence of $J_c(B,θ)$ at~77 K, which is very different for the two materials. By means of a successful comparison of the simulation results to experimental data obtained with a calorimetric method measuring the evaporation of liquid nitrogen, this work confirms the applicability and efficiency of our numerical techniques for simulating the electromagnetic behavior of Roebel cables and devices thereof.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Numerical models for AC loss calculation in large-scale applications of HTS coated conductors

Numerical models are powerful tools to predict the electromagnetic behavior of superconductors. In recent years, a variety of models have been successfully developed to simulate high-temperature-superconducting (HTS) coated conductor tapes. While the models work well for the simulation of individual tapes or relatively small assemblies, their direct applicability to devices involving hundreds or thousands of tapes, as for example coils used in electrical machines, is questionable. Indeed the simulation time and memory requirement can quickly become prohibitive. In this article, we develop and compare two different models for simulating realistic HTS devices composed of a large number of tapes: 1) the homogenized model simulates the coil using an equivalent anisotropic homogeneous bulk with specifically developed current constraints to account for the fact that each turn carries the same current; 2) the multi-scale model parallelizes and reduces the computational problem by simulating only several individual tapes at significant positions of the coil's cross-section using appropriate boundary conditions to account for the field generated by the neighboring turns. Both methods are used to simulate a coil made of 2000 tapes, and compared against the widely used H-formulation finite element model that includes all the tapes. Both approaches allow speeding-up simulations of large number of HTS tapes by 1-3 orders of magnitudes, while keeping a good accuracy of the results. Such models could be used to design and optimize large-scale HTS devices.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Simulation of Stacks of High Temperature Superconducting Coated Conductors Magnetized by Pulsed Field Magnetization Using Controlled Magnetic Density Distribution Coils

High temperature superconducting (HTS) stacks of coated conductors (CCs) can work as strong trapped field magnets (TFMs) and show potential in electrical applications. Pulsed field magnetization (PFM) is a practical method to magnetize such TFMs, but due to heat generation during the dynamic process, it cannot achieve a trapped field as high as field cooling can. In this work, we construct a 2D electromagnetic-thermal coupled model to simulate stacks of HTS CCs with realistic laminated structures magnetized by PFM. The model considers temperature and anisotropic magnetic field dependent Jc of HTS and other temperature dependent thermal and electrical material properties. Based on the model, a configuration of controlled magnetic density distribution coils is suggested to improve the trapped field compared to that obtained by ordinary solenoids.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Open Source Codes for Computing the Critical Current of Superconducting Devices

In order to transport sufficiently high current, high-temperature superconductor (HTS) tapes are assembled in cable structures of different forms. In such cables, the tapes are tightly packed and have a strong electromagnetic interaction. In particular, the generated self-field is quite substantial and can give an important contribution in reducing the maximum current the cable can effectively carry. In order to be able to predict the critical current of said cable structures, a static numerical model has been recently proposed. In this contribution, we present in detail the implementation of such models in different programming environments, including finite-element-based and general numerical analysis programs, both commercial an open-source. A comparison of the accuracy and calculation speed of the different implementations of the model is carried out for the case of a Roebel cable. The model is also used to evaluate the importance of choosing a very accurate description of the angular Jc(B) dependence of the superconductor as input for the material's property. The numerical codes, which are open-source, are made freely available to interested users.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

Estimation of hysteretic losses for MgB2 tapes under the operating conditions of a generator

Hysteretic losses in MgB2 wound superconducting coils of a 500 kW synchronous hybrid generator were estimated as part of the European project SUPRAPOWER led by the Spanish company Tecnalia Research and Innovation. Particular interest was given to the losses found in tapes in the superconducting rotor caused by the magnetic flux ripples originating from the conventional stator during nominal operation. To compute the losses, a 2D Finite Element Method was applied to solve the H-formulation of Maxwell's equations considering the nonlinear properties of both the superconducting material and its surrounding Ni matrix. To be able to model all the different turns composing the winding of the superconducting rotor coils, three geometrical models of single tape cross section of decreasing complexity were studied: 1) the first model reproduced closely the actual cross section obtained from micrographs, 2) the second model was obtained from the computed elastoplastic deformation of a round Ni wire, 3) the last model was based on a simplified elliptic cross section. The last geometry allowed validating the modeling technique by comparing numerical losses with results from well-established analytical expressions. Additionally, the following cases of filament transpositions were studied: no, partial and full transposition. Finally, choosing the right level of geometrical details to predict the expected behavior of individual superconducting tapes in the rotor, the following operational regimes were studied: Bias-DC current, ramping current under ramping background field, and magnetic flux ripples under DC background current and field.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

A self-consistent model for estimating the critical current of superconducting devices

Nowadays, there is growing interest in using superconducting wires or tapes for the design and manufacture of devices such as cables, coils, rotating machinery, transformers and fault current limiters among others. Their high current capacity has made them the candidates of choice for manufacturing compact and light cables and coils that can be used in the large scale power applications described above. However, the performance of these cables and coils is limited by their critical current, which is determined by several factors, including the conductor's material properties and the geometric layout of the device itself. In this work we present a self-consistent model for estimating the critical current of superconducting devices. This is of large importance when the operating conditions are such that the self-field produced by the current is comparable to the overall background field. The model is based on the asymptotic limit when time approaches infinity of Faraday's equation written in terms of the magnetic vector potential. It uses a continuous E-J relationship and takes the angular dependence of the critical current density on the magnetic flux density into account. The proposed model is used to estimate the critical current of superconducting devices such as cables, coils, and coils made of transposed cables with very high accuracy. The high computing speed of this model makes it an ideal candidate for design optimization.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Self-field Effects and AC Losses in Pancake Coils Assembled from Coated Conductor Roebel Cables

In this contribution we develop a refined numerical model of pancake coils assembled from a coated conductor Roebel cable, which includes the angular dependence of the critical current density $J_c$ on the magnetic field and the actual (three-dimensional) shape of the current lead used to inject the current. Previous works of ours indicate that this latter has an important influence on the measured value of the AC losses. For the simulation of the superconductor, we used two alternative models based on different descriptions of the superconductor's properties and implemented in different mathematical schemes. For the simulation of the current lead we use a full three-dimensional finite-element model. The results of the simulation are compared with measurements and the main issues related to the modeling and the measurement of Roebel coils are discussed in detail.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Self-consistent Modeling of the $I_c$ of HTS Devices: How Accurate do Models Really Need to Be?

Numerical models for computing the effective critical current of devices made of HTS tapes require the knowledge of the Jc(B,theta) dependence, i.e. of the way the critical current density Jc depends on the magnetic flux density B and its orientation theta with respect to the tape. In this paper we present a numerical model based on the critical state with angular field dependence of Jc to extract the Jc(B,theta) relation from experimental data. The model takes into account the self-field created by the tape, which gives an important contribution when the field applied in the experiments is low. The same model can also be used to compute the effective critical current of devices composed of electromagnetically interacting tapes. Three examples are considered here: two differently current rated Roebel cables composed of REBCO coated conductors and a power cable prototype composed of Bi-2223 tapes. The critical currents computed with the numerical model show good agreement with the measured ones. The simulations reveal also that several parameter sets in the Jc(B,theta) give an equally good representation of the experimental characterization of the tapes and that the measured Ic values of cables are subjected to the influence of experimental conditions, such as Ic degradation due to the manufacturing and assembling process and non-uniformity of the tape properties. These two aspects make the determination of a very precise Jc(B,theta) expression probably unnecessary, as long as that expression is able to reproduce the main features of the angular dependence. The easiness of use of this model, which can be straightforwardly implemented in finite-element programs able to solve static electromagnetic problems, is very attractive both for researchers and devices manufactures who want to characterize superconducting tapes and calculate the effective critical current of superconducting devices.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Critical state solution of a cable made of curved thin superconducting tapes

In this paper we develop a method based on the critical state for calculating the current and field distributions and the AC losses in a cable made of curved thin superconducting tapes. The method also includes the possibility of considering spatial variation of the critical current density, which may be the result of the manufacturing process. For example, rare-earth based coated conductors are known to have a decrease of the transport properties in near the edges of the tape: this influences the way current and field penetrate in the sample and, consequently, the AC losses. We demonstrate that curved tapes arranged on a cylindrical former behave as an infinite horizontal stack of straight tapes, and we compare the AC losses in a variety of working conditions, both without and with the lateral dependence of the critical current density. This model and subsequent similar approaches can be of interest for various applications of coated conductors, including power cables and conductor-on-round-core (CORC) cables.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

3-D modeling and simulation of 2G HTS stacks and coils

Use of 2G HTS coated conductors in several power applications has become popular in recent years. Their large current density under high magnetic fields makes them suitable candidates for high power capacity applications such as stacks, coils, magnets, cables and current leads. For this reason, modeling and simulation of their electromagnetic properties is very desirable in the design and optimization processes. For many applications, when symmetries allow it, simple models consisting of 1D or 2D representations are well suited for providing a satisfying description of the problem at hand. However, certain designs such as racetrack coils and finite-length or non-straight stacks, do pose a 3D problem that cannot be easily reduced to a 2D configuration. Full 3-D models have been developed, but their use for simulating superconducting devices is a very challenging task involving a large-scale computational problem. In this work, we present a new method to simulate the electromagnetic transient behavior of 2G HTS stacks and coils. The method, originally used to model stacks of straight superconducting tapes or circular coils in 2D, is now extended to 3D. The main idea is to construct an anisotropic bulklike equivalent for the stack or coil, such that the geometrical layout of the internal alternating structures of insulating, metallic, superconducting and substrate layers is reduced while keeping the overall electromagnetic behavior of the original device. Besides the aforementioned interest in modeling and simulating 2G HTS coated conductors, this work gives a further step towards efficient 3D modeling and simulation of superconducting devices for large scale applications.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Critical state solution and AC loss computation of polygonally arranged thin superconducting tapes

The current density and field distributions in polygonally arranged thin superconducting tapes carrying AC current are derived under the assumption of the critical state model. Starting from the generic Biot-Savart law for a general polygonal geometry, we derive a suitable integral equation for the calculation of the current density and magnetic field in each tape. The model works for any transport current below $I_c$, which makes it attractive for studying cases of practical interest, particularly the dependence of AC losses on parameters such as the number of tapes, their distance from the center, and their separation.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Computation of Losses in HTS Under the Action of Varying Magnetic Fields and Currents

Numerical modeling of superconductors is widely recognized as a powerful tool for interpreting experimental results, understanding physical mechanisms and predicting the performance of high-temperature superconductor (HTS) tapes, wires and devices. This is especially true for ac loss calculation, since a sufficiently low ac loss value is imperative to make these materials attractive for commercialization. In recent years, a large variety of numerical models, based on different techniques and implementations, have been proposed by researchers around the world, with the purpose of being able to estimate ac losses in HTSs quickly and accurately. This article presents a literature review of the methods for computing ac losses in HTS tapes, wires and devices. Technical superconductors have a relatively complex geometry (filaments, which might be twisted or transposed, or layers) and consist of different materials. As a result, different loss contributions exist. In this paper, we describe the ways of computing such loss contributions, which include hysteresis losses, eddy current losses, coupling losses, and losses in ferromagnetic materials. We also provide an estimation of the losses occurring in a variety of power applications.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

The critical state in thin superconductors as a mixed boundary value problem: analysis and solution by means of the Erdélyi-Kober operators

With this paper we provide an effective method to solve a large class of problems related to the electromagnetic behavior of thin superconductors. Here all the problems are reduced to finding the weight functions for the Green integrals that represent the magnetic field components; these latter must satisfy the mixed boundary value conditions that naturally arise from the critical state assumptions. The use of the Erdélyi-Kober operators and of the Hankel transforms (and mostly the employment of their composition properties) is the keystone to unify the method toward the solution. In fact, the procedure consists always of the same steps and does not require any peculiar invention. For this reason the method, here presented in detail for the simplest cases that can be handled in analytical way (two parts boundary), can be directly extended to many other more complex geometries (three or more parts), which usually will require a numerical treatment. In this paper we use the operator technique to derive the current density and field distributions in perfectly conducting and superconducting thin discs and tapes subjected to a uniform magnetic field or carrying a transport current. Although analytical expressions for the field and current distributions have already been found by other authors in the past by using several other methods, their derivation is often cumbersome or missing key details, which makes it difficult for the reader to fully understand the derivation of the analytical formulas and, more importantly, to extend the same methods to solve similar new problems. On the contrary, the characterization of these cases as mixed boundary conditions has the advantage of referring to an immediate and naïve translation of physics into a consistent mathematical formulation whose possible extension to other cases is self-evident.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Integral Equations for Computing AC Losses of Radially and Polygonally Arranged HTS Thin Tapes

In this paper we derive the integral equations for radially and polygonally arranged high-temperature superconductor thin tapes and we solve them by finite-element method. The superconductor is modeled with a non-linear power law, which allows the possibility of considering the dependence of the parameters on the magnetic field or the position. The ac losses are computed for a variety of geometrical configurations and for various values of the transport current. Differences with respect to existing analytical models, which are developed in the framework of the critical state model and only for certain values of the transport current, are pointed out.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2013

Superconductor/ferromagnet heterostructures exhibit potential for significant reduction of hysteretic losses

First experimental observations of the ferromagnetic shielding effect in high-Tc superconducting coated conductors were carried out. Experimental results were compared to simulations calling upon finite-element calculations based on the H-formulation of Maxwell equations to model superconducting strips with ferromagnetic shields. Samples of copper-stabilized coated conductors were electroplated with nickel shields and afterwards characterized. Both externally applied oscillating transverse magnetic fields as well as transport currents were studied. Having observed promising gains with respect to the reduction of ac losses in both cases, we further investigated the potential of ferromagnetic shielding. The numerical model was able to reproduce and also predict experimental results very well and will serve as an indispensable tool to determine the potential of soft ferromagnetic materials to significantly reduce hysteretic losses.

cond-mat.supr-con↗