The feasibility of high field magnet applications of the twisted stacked-tape cabling method with 2G YBCO tapes has been investigated. An analysis of torsional twist strains of a thin HTS tape has been carried out taking into account the internal shortening compressive strains accompanied with the lengthening tensile strains due to the torsional twist. The model is benchmarked against experimental tests using YBCO tapes. The critical current degradation and current distribution of a four-tape conductor was evaluated by taking account of the twist strain, the self-field and the termination resistances. The critical current degradation for the tested YBCO cables can be explained by the perpendicular self-field effect. It is shown that the critical current of a twisted stacked-tape conductor with a four-tape cable does not degrade with a twist pitch length as short as 120 mm. Current distribution among tapes and hysteresis losses are also investigated. A compact joint termination method for a 2G YBCO tape cable has been developed. The twisted stacked-tape conductor method may be an attractive means for the fabrication of highly compact, high current cables from multiple flat HTS tapes.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-2048/25/1/014011/pdf

HTS twisted stacked-tape cable conductor

Energy applications employing high-temperature superconductors (HTS), such as motors/generators, transformers, transmission lines and fault current limiters, are usually operated in the alternate current (AC) regime. In order to be efficient, the HTS devices need to have a sufficiently low value of AC loss, in addition to the necessary current-carrying capacity. Most applications are operated with currents beyond the current capacity of single conductors and consequently require cabled conductor solutions with much higher current carrying capacity, from a few kA to up to 20-30 kA for large hydro-generators. A century ago, in 1914, Ludwig Roebel invented a low-loss cable design for copper cables, which was successively named after him. The main idea behind Roebel cables is to separate the current in different strands and to provide a full transposition of the strands along the cable direction. Nowadays, these cables are commonly used in the stator of large generators. Based on the same design concept of their conventional material counterparts, HTS Roebel cables from REBCO coated conductors were first manufactured at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and have been successively developed in a number of varieties that provide all the required technical features such as fully transposed strands, high transport currents and low AC losses, yet retaining enough flexibility for a specific cable design. In the past few years a large number of scientific papers have been published on the concept, manufacturing and characterization of such cables. Times are therefore mature for a review of those results. The goal is to provide an overview and a succinct and easy-to-consult guide for users, developers, and manufacturers of this kind of HTS cables.

Roebel cables from REBCO coated conductors: a one-century-old concept for the superconductivity of the future

The electromechanical properties of YBa2Cu3O7−δ coated conductors under high axial compressive strain are measured; they show no irreversible degradation in critical current up to −2% strain. The high degree of elasticity of the ceramic layers in these conductors is beneficial when used in high-field applications, but has not been fully exploited. The results presented here lead to the introduction of a new method of producing YBa2Cu3O7−δ coated conductor cabling for use in low ac-loss and high-field magnet applications, where coated conductors are wound around a former with a relatively small diameter. This concept allows for full transposition of the conductors, a high cable critical current, low inductance, and a relatively high engineering current density. The feasibility of the concept is demonstrated by constructing several prototype cables and by comparing the cable critical current to that of a straight sample under axial compression.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-2048/22/6/065013/pdf

YBa2Cu3O7―δ coated conductor cabling for low ac-loss and high-field magnet applications

Energy applications employing high-temperature superconductors (HTS), such as motors/generators, transformers, transmission lines and fault current limiters, are usually operated in the alternate current (ac) regime. In order to be efficient, the HTS devices need to have a sufficiently low value of ac loss, in addition to the necessary current-carrying capacity. Most applications are operated with currents beyond the current capacity of single conductors and consequently require cabled conductor solutions with much higher current carrying capacity, from a few kA up to 20–30 kA for large hydro-generators. A century ago, in 1914, Ludwig Roebel invented a low-loss cable design for copper cables, which was successively named after him. The main idea behind Roebel cables is to separate the current in different strands and to provide a full transposition of the strands along the cable direction. Nowadays, these cables are commonly used in the stator of large generators. Based on the same design concept of their conventional material counterparts, HTS Roebel cables from REBCO coated conductors were first manufactured at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and have been successively developed in a number of varieties that provide all the required technical features such as fully transposed strands, high transport currents and low ac losses, yet retaining enough flexibility for a specific cable design. In the past few years a large number of scientific papers have been published on the concept, manufacturing and characterization of such cables. Therefore it is timely for a review of those results. The goal is to provide an overview and a succinct and easy-to-consult guide for users, developers, and manufacturers of this kind of HTS cable.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-2048/27/9/093001/pdf

Taking advantage of the large experience of the ENEA Superconducting Laboratory in the manufacture and characterization of large scale superconducting systems, a project was launched, aimed at using High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) 2G wires for the manufacture of a cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC). In particular, the main aim was the definition of a conductor design fully compatible with existing cabling technologies, to be promptly transferred to an industrial scale production. The considered layout is based on 150 HTS tapes, arranged as five layered structures of twisted tapes wound on a helically slotted core with external round jacket. All manufacturing steps (slotted core production, tape stacking and insertion into the ducts, external wrapping and jacketing) are fulfilled by using equipments and technologies available at TRATOS Cavi S.p.A. These CICCs are intended for operation using forced flow of Helium. A 2D local thermal model has been developed for the optimization of the cooling configuration. This conductor is designed to target 20 kA at 4.2 K and 15 T (or, alternatively, higher temperature, in self-field and LN2 cooling) corresponding to a Je of about 55 A/mm2. The production of a short dummy sample revealed that the exploited industrial production process is very promising for the development of HTS CICC.

Design of an Industrially Feasible Twisted-Stack HTS Cable-in-Conduit Conductor for Fusion Application

RBCO (R = Y or rare earth element) coated conductors (CC) are the most promising HTS materials for future high field coils operated at moderately high temperature (40-50 K). Coils are planned for the second generation of fusion reactors (DEMO, "DEMOnstrator") and beyond. A ROEBEL bar concept for a high current (kA-class) low AC loss cable is the most suitable assembling technique for conductors in magnet windings due to the flat rectangular cross section. The presented RACC-cable technique (RACC=ROEBEL assembled coated conductors) works with pre-shaping of tapes into strands with the ROEBEL specific meander geometry. The usually very good bending properties of the CC support the assembling procedure of the RACC-cable. We report on a 16 strand RACC-cable with 19 cm transposition length made from CC material from the commercial supplier SuperPower which reached 1020 A transport critical current at 77 K (Jeng = 11.3 kAcm-2). The basic properties of the virgin YBCO tapes and the shaped strands like orientation and field dependent transport currents, current homogeneity and bending effects, were investigated and correlated with the measured properties of the RACC-cable. Calculation of the self field effects by means of a model adapted to the specific RACC-cable geometry and in particular taking into account the current distribution in the cable, explained the 30% current reduction in the cable quantitatively.

K.-R. Weiss

Papers

ROEBEL Assembled Coated Conductors (RACC): Preparation, Properties and Progress

Behaviour of transport critical currents under various mechanical stresses in coated conductors