Levitation properties of superconducting magnetic bearings using superconducting coils and bulk superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arai, Yuuki; Seino, Hiroshi; Nagashima, Ken

2010-01-01

We have been developing a flywheel energy storage system (FESS) with 36 MJ energy capacity for a railway system with superconducting magnetic bearings (SMBs). We prepared two kinds of models using superconducting coils and bulk superconductors (SCs). One model demonstrated SMB load capacity of 20 kN and the other model proved non-contact stable levitation and non-contact rotation with SMBs. Combining these results, the feasibility of a 36 MJ energy capacity FESS with SMBs completely inside a cryostat has been confirmed. In this paper, we report the levitation properties of SMBs in these models.

Bulk viscosity of spin-one color superconducting strange quark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xinyang; Shovkovy, Igor A.

2010-01-01

The bulk viscosity in spin-one color superconducting strange quark matter is calculated by taking into account the interplay between the nonleptonic and semileptonic week processes. In agreement with previous studies, it is found that the inclusion of the semileptonic processes may result in non-negligible corrections to the bulk viscosity in a narrow window of temperatures. The effect is generally more pronounced for pulsars with longer periods. Compared to the normal phase, however, this effect due to the semileptonic processes is less pronounced in spin-one color superconductors. Assuming that the critical temperature of the phase transition is much larger than 40 keV, the main effect of spin-one color superconductivity in a wide range of temperatures is an overall increase of the bulk viscosity with respect to the normal phase. The corresponding enhancement factor reaches up to about 9 in the polar and A phases, about 25 in the planar phase, and about 29 in the color-spin-locked (CSL) phase. This factor is determined by the suppression of the nonleptonic rate in color superconducting matter and, therefore, may be even larger if all quark quasiparticles happen to be gapped.

The decay properties of the trapped magnetic field in HTS bulk superconducting actuator by AC controlled magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S.B.; Uwani, Y.; Joo, J.H.; Kawamoto, R.; Jo, Y.S.

2011-01-01

The electric device applications of a high temperature superconducting (HTS) bulk magnet, having stable levitation and suspension properties according to their strong flux pinning force, have been proposed and developed. We have been investigating a three-dimensional (3-D) superconducting actuator using HTS bulks to develop a non-contract transportation device which moves freely in space. It is certain for our proposed 3-D superconducting actuator to be useful as a transporter used in a clean room where silicon wafers, which do not like mechanical contact and dust, are manufactured. The proposed actuator consists of the trapped HTS bulk as a mover and two-dimensionally arranged electromagnets as a stator. Up to now, the electromagnets consisted with iron core and copper coil were used as a stator, and each electromagnet was individually controlled using DC power supplies. In our previous work, the unstable movement characteristics of HTS bulk were observed under the DC operation, and the AC electromagnets driven with AC controlled current was proposed to solve these problems. In general, the trapped magnetic field in HTS bulk was decayed by a time-varying external magnetic field. Thus, it needs to optimize the shapes of AC electromagnets and operating patterns, the decay properties of the trapped magnetic field in the HTS bulk mover by the AC magnetic field should be cleared. In this paper, the influences of the frequency, the overall operating time, the strength of magnetization field and drive current against the decay of trapped magnetic field were experimentally studied using the fabricated AC electromagnets.

Magnetic shielding of an inhomogeneous magnetic field source by a bulk superconducting tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hogan, K; Fagnard, J-F; Wéra, L; Vanderheyden, B; Vanderbemden, P

2015-01-01

Bulk type-II irreversible superconductors can act as excellent passive magnetic shields, with a strong attenuation of low frequency magnetic fields. Up to now, the performances of superconducting magnetic shields have mainly been studied in a homogenous magnetic field, considering only immunity problems, i.e. when the field is applied outside the tube and the inner field should ideally be zero. In this paper, we aim to investigate experimentally and numerically the magnetic response of a high-T c bulk superconducting hollow cylinder at 77 K in an emission problem, i.e. when subjected to the non-uniform magnetic field generated by a source coil placed inside the tube. A bespoke 3D mapping system coupled with a three-axis Hall probe is used to measure the magnetic flux density distribution outside the superconducting magnetic shield. A finite element model is developed to understand how the magnetic field penetrates into the superconductor and how the induced superconducting shielding currents flow inside the shield in the case where the emitting coil is placed coaxially inside the tube. The finite element modelling is found to be in excellent agreement with the experimental data. Results show that a concentration of the magnetic flux lines occurs between the emitting coil and the superconducting screen. This effect is observed both with the modelling and the experiment. In the case of a long tube, we show that the main features of the field penetration in the superconducting walls can be reproduced with a simple analytical 1D model. This model is used to estimate the maximum flux density of the emitting coil that can be shielded by the superconductor. (paper)

Mechanical improvement of metal reinforcement rings for a finite ring-shaped superconducting bulk

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chen-Guang; Zhou, You-He

2018-03-01

As a key technique, reinforcement of type-II superconducting bulks with metal rings can efficiently improve their mechanical properties to enhance the maximum trapped field. In this paper, we study the magnetostrictive and fracture behaviors of a finite superconducting ring bulk reinforced by three typical reinforcing structures composed of metal rings during the magnetizing process by means of the minimization of magnetic energy and the finite element method. After a field-dependent critical current density is adopted, the magnetostriction, pinning-induced stress, and crack tip stress intensity factor are calculated considering the demagnetization effects. The results show that the mechanical properties of the ring bulk are strongly dependent on the reinforcing structure and the material and geometrical parameters of the metal rings. Introducing the metal ring can significantly reduce the hoop stress, and the reduction effect by internal reinforcement is much improved relative to external reinforcement. By comparison, bilateral reinforcement seems to be the best candidate structure. Only when the metal rings have particular Young's modulus and radial thickness will they contribute to improve the mechanical properties the most. In addition, if an edge crack is pre-existing in the ring bulk, the presence of metal rings can effectively avoid crack propagation since it reduces the crack tip stress intensity factor by nearly one order of magnitude.

High-temperature superconducting fault-current limiter - optimisation of superconducting elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

This report summarises the findings of a study initiated to continue the work of a DTI-LINK Collaborative Research Programme 'Enhancing the Properties of Bulk High Temperature Superconductors and their Potential Application as Fault Current Limiters (FCL). Details are given of computer modelling of the quenching process involving the transition from superconducting to normal conducting states undergone by the material when large currents are present. The design of compound elements, and a multi-element model are described along with FCL design covering distribution bus-coupler, embedded generator connection, larger generator connection, hazardous area safety, and interconnection to fault-prone network. The evaluation of thermal loss, test equipment and schedule, the optimised element, installed cost data, and the UK market are considered

Elastic properties of superconducting bulk metallic glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hempel, Marius

2015-01-01

Within the framework of this thesis the elastic properties of a superconducting bulk metallic glass between 10 mK and 300 K were first investigated. In order to measure the entire temperature range, in particular the low temperature part, new experimental techniques were developed. Using an inductive readout scheme for a double paddle oscillator it was possible to determine the internal friction and the relative change of sound velocity of bulk metallic glasses with high precision. This allowed for a detailed comparison of the data with different models. The analysis focuses on the low temperature regime where the properties of glassy materials are governed by atomic tunneling systems as described by the tunneling model. The influence of conduction electrons in the normal conducting state and quasiparticles in the superconducting state of the glass were accounted for in the theoretical description, resulting in a good agreement over a large temperature range between measured data and prediction of the tunneling model. This allowed for a direct determination of the coupling constant between electrons and tunneling systems. In the vicinity of the transition temperature Tc the data can only be described if a modified distribution function of the tunneling parameters is applied.

The impedance of inductive superconducting fault current limiters operating with stacks of thin film Y123/Au washers or bulk Bi2223 rings as secondaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, J A Lorenzo; Osorio, M R; Toimil, P; Ferro, G; Blanch, M; Veira, J A; Vidal, F

2006-01-01

Inductive fault current limiters operating with stacks of various small superconducting elements acting as secondaries were studied. The stacks consist of Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ thin film washers or Bi 1.8 Pb 0.26 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10+x bulk rings. A central result of our work is an experimental demonstration that the limiting capability of the device is strongly reduced when several bulk rings are stacked, whereas it remains almost unchanged for thin film washers. The use of thin films should therefore allow us to build more efficient high power inductive limiters based on stacks of small washers

Superconducting current in a bisoliton superconductivity model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ermakov, V.N.; Kruchinin, S.P.; Ponezha, E.A.

1991-01-01

It is shown that the transition into a superconducting state with the current which is described by a bisoliton superconductivity model is accompanied by the deformation of the spectrum of one-particle states of the current carriers. The deformation value is proportional to the conducting current force. The residuaby resistance in such state is absent

Switching Magnetism and Superconductivity with Spin-Polarized Current in Iron-Based Superconductor.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Seokhwan; Choi, Hyoung Joon; Ok, Jong Mok; Lee, Yeonghoon; Jang, Won-Jun; Lee, Alex Taekyung; Kuk, Young; Lee, SungBin; Heinrich, Andreas J; Cheong, Sang-Wook; Bang, Yunkyu; Johnston, Steven; Kim, Jun Sung; Lee, Jhinhwan

2017-12-01

We explore a new mechanism for switching magnetism and superconductivity in a magnetically frustrated iron-based superconductor using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SPSTM). Our SPSTM study on single-crystal Sr_{2}VO_{3}FeAs shows that a spin-polarized tunneling current can switch the Fe-layer magnetism into a nontrivial C_{4} (2×2) order, which cannot be achieved by thermal excitation with an unpolarized current. Our tunneling spectroscopy study shows that the induced C_{4} (2×2) order has characteristics of plaquette antiferromagnetic order in the Fe layer and strongly suppresses superconductivity. Also, thermal agitation beyond the bulk Fe spin ordering temperature erases the C_{4} state. These results suggest a new possibility of switching local superconductivity by changing the symmetry of magnetic order with spin-polarized and unpolarized tunneling currents in iron-based superconductors.

Numerical studies on the force characteristic of superconducting linear synchronous motor with HTS bulk magnet

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Junjie; Li, Jing; Li, Xiang; Han, Le

2018-03-01

High temperature superconductor (HTS) bulks have significant potential use in linear motor application act as quasi-permanent magnet to replace traditional magnets. Force characteristic between HTS bulk magnet and traveling magnetic field was investigated with numerical simulation and experimental measurement in this paper. Influences of bulk height and number on the force characteristic were studied by the finite element model considering the nonlinear E-J relationship. Study was also made on addition of a back iron plate to the bulk magnet. Besides, force characteristic of bulk was compared with the permanent magnet results. The small initial decrease of the thrust could be explained by inside superconducting current redistribution. It was found that efficiency of linear motor did not increase by adding more bulk magnets. The bulk magnet will be remagnetized instead of erasing trapped field with the increase of the traveling magnetic field strength. The conclusions are helpful in prediction and design the linear motor with HTS bulk magnet.

Experimental Observation of Non-'S-Wave' Superconducting Behavior in Bulk Superconducting Tunneling Junctions of Yba2Cu3O7-δ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandro Jose Guerra

1998-06-01

Full Text Available Evidence of non-s-wave superconductivity from normal tunneling experiments in bulk tunneling junctions of YBa2Cu3O7-δ is presented. The I-V and dI/dV characteristics of bulk superconducting tunneling junctions of YBa2Cu3O7-δ have been measured at 77.0K and clear deviation from s-wave superconducting behavior has been observed. The result agrees with d-wave symmetry, and interpreting the data in this way, the magnitude of the superconducting energy gap, 2Δ, is found to be (0.038 ± 0.002 eV. Comparing this energy gap with Tc (2Δ/kB Tc = 5.735, indicates that these high-Tc superconductors are strongly correlated materials, which in contrast with BCS-superconductors are believed to be weakly correlated.

Superconducting current generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genevey, P.

1970-01-01

After a brief summary of the principle of energy storage and liberation with superconducting coils,two current generators are described that create currents in the range 600 to 1400 A, used for two storage experiments of 25 kJ and 50 kJ respectively. The two current generators are: a) a flux pump and b) a superconducting transformer. Both could be developed into more powerful units. The study shows the advantage of the transformer over the flux pump in order to create large currents. The efficiencies of the two generators are 95 per cent and 40 to 60 per cent respectively. (author) [fr

Study on magnetic separation system using high Tc superconducting bulk magnets for water purification technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oka, T; Kanayama, H; Tanaka, K; Fukui, S; Ogawa, J; Sato, T; Ooizumi, M; Yamaguchi, M; Yokoyama, K; Noto, K

2009-01-01

The application of superconducting bulk magnets to the magnetic separation techniques has been investigated for the Mn-bearing waste water drained from the university laboratories. The research has been conducted in comparison with the electromagnets, and the cryo-cooled superconducting solenoid magnet. The separation ratios of ferrite precipitates including Mn element in the waste slurry were estimated by means of the high gradient magnetic separation method with ferromagnetic iron filters in the water channel and open gradient magnetic separation without them. As the magnetic force acting on the particles is given by the product of a magnetization of particles and a gradient of magnetic field, and a superconducting bulk magnet shows a sharp gradient of the magnetic field on the surface, the performances of the bulk magnet system were almost equivalent to those of the superconducting solenoid magnet with wide bore with respect to the magnetic separation ratios. The separation ratios for Mn have reached over 80 % for HGMS and 10 % for OGMS under the flow rates less than 3 liter/min.

Bulk superconducting gap of V_3Si studied by low-energy ultrahigh-resolution photoemission spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, T.; Souma, S.; Nakayama, K.; Sugawara, K.; Toyota, N.; Takahashi, T.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We report ultrahigh-resolution photoemission spectroscopy of A15 compound V_3Si. • We found a sharp quasiparticle peak due to superconducting-gap opening. • The surface metallic component is negligibly small in the bulk-sensitive measurement. • We show that V_3Si is a single-gap s-wave superconductor. - Abstract: We have performed low-energy ultrahigh-resolution photoemission spectroscopy (PES) of A15 compound V_3Si with a xenon-plasma discharge lamp to elucidate the bulk superconducting gap. Below the superconducting transition temperature (T_c = 15.9 K), we found a sharp quasiparticle peak at the Fermi level in the PES spectrum. The gap spectrum is well fitted by a single s-wave superconducting-gap function together with a dip structure at ∼30 meV suggestive of a strong electron-phonon coupling. The anomalous in-gap state previously observed in the PES measurement with high-energy photons is absent or negligibly small in the present bulk-sensitive measurement. The present PES result shows that V_3Si is a single-gap s-wave superconductor.

A superconducting conveyer system using multiple bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductors and permanent magnets

Science.gov (United States)

Kinoshita, T.; Koshizuka, N.; Nagashima, K.; Murakami, M.

Developments of non-contact superconducting devices like superconducting magnetic levitation transfer and superconducting flywheel energy storage system have been performed based on the interactions between bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductors and permanent magnets, in that the superconductors can stably be levitated without any active control. The performances of noncontact superconducting devices are dependent on the interaction forces like attractive forces and stiffness. In the present study, we constructed a non-contact conveyer for which the guide rails were prepared by attaching many Fe-Nd-B magnets onto an iron base plate. Along the translational direction, all the magnets were arranged as to face the same pole, and furthermore their inter-distance was made as small as possible. The guide rail has three magnet rows, for which the magnets were glued on the iron plate such that adjacent magnet rows have opposite poles like NSN. At the center row, the magnetic field at zero gap reached 0.61T, while the field strengths of two rows on the side edges were only 0.48T due to magnetic interactions among permanent magnets. We then prepared a cryogenic box made with FRP that can store several bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductors 25 mm in diameter cooled by liquid nitrogen. It was found that the levitation forces and stiffness increased with increasing the number of bulk superconductors installed in the box, although the levitation force per unit bulk were almost the same. We also confirmed that these forces are dependent on the configuration of bulk superconductors.

Development of a 20kA current feedthrough using YBCO bulk conductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maehata, Keisuke; Ishibashi, Kenji; Shintomi, Takakazu; Iwamoto, Akifumi; Maekawa, Ryuji; Mito, Toshiyuki

2004-01-01

In the phase II experiment of the Large Helical Device (LHD) of the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), it is planned to operate the helical coils at 1.8 K by employing pressurized superfluid cooling to raise the magnetic field to 4 T with 17.3 kA. It is important to develop a 20kA-class current feedthrough into the 1.8 K region, but it must have a high current capacity and low heat leakage in the maximum magnetic leakage field of 1 T. Rectangle-shaped YBCO bulk conductors measuring 20 mm wide, 140 mm long and 10 mm thick were manufactured from square-pillar-shaped YBCO bulk materials for a 20 kA current. To check the quality of the bulk conductors, internal defects or cracks were detected by carrying out a precise survey of trapped magnetic flux. An assembled 20 kA current feedthrough was mounted in the λ-plate of a pressurized superfluid cooling cryostat. Experiments of current feeding into the 1.8 K region were carried out by operating the 20 kA current feedthrough. In the experiments, the transport current was kept at 20 kA for longer than 1,200 s. During the 20 kA operation, the current transport section of the YBCO bulk conductors remained in the superconducting state and the voltage drop between the YBCO bulk conductors and the copper electrode was observed to be constant. A contact resistance and the Joule heat generation in the joint region between the YBCO bulk conductors and the copper electrode were obtained as 1.45 nΩ and 0.72 W, respectively in the 20 kA operation. We have demonstrated the feasibility of using a 20 kA current feedthrough for the phase II experiment of the LHD. (author)

Superconducting fault current-limiter with variable shunt impedance

Science.gov (United States)

Llambes, Juan Carlos H; Xiong, Xuming

2013-11-19

A superconducting fault current-limiter is provided, including a superconducting element configured to resistively or inductively limit a fault current, and one or more variable-impedance shunts electrically coupled in parallel with the superconducting element. The variable-impedance shunt(s) is configured to present a first impedance during a superconducting state of the superconducting element and a second impedance during a normal resistive state of the superconducting element. The superconducting element transitions from the superconducting state to the normal resistive state responsive to the fault current, and responsive thereto, the variable-impedance shunt(s) transitions from the first to the second impedance. The second impedance of the variable-impedance shunt(s) is a lower impedance than the first impedance, which facilitates current flow through the variable-impedance shunt(s) during a recovery transition of the superconducting element from the normal resistive state to the superconducting state, and thus, facilitates recovery of the superconducting element under load.

Study of flow fractionation characteristics of magnetic chromatography utilizing high-temperature superconducting bulk magnet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoshi Fukui, Yoshihiro Shoji, Jun Ogawa, Tetsuo Oka, Mitsugi Yamaguchi, Takao Sato, Manabu Ooizumi, Hiroshi Imaizumi and Takeshi Ohara

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We present numerical simulation of separating magnetic particles with different magnetic susceptibilities by magnetic chromatography using a high-temperature superconducting bulk magnet. The transient transport is numerically simulated for two kinds of particles having different magnetic susceptibilities. The time evolutions were calculated for the particle concentration in the narrow channel of the spiral arrangement placed in the magnetic field. The field is produced by the highly magnetized high-temperature superconducting bulk magnet. The numerical results show the flow velocity difference of the particle transport corresponding to the difference in the magnetic susceptibility, as well as the possible separation of paramagnetic particles of 20 nm diameter.

Study of flow fractionation characteristics of magnetic chromatography utilizing high-temperature superconducting bulk magnet.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukui, Satoshi; Shoji, Yoshihiro; Ogawa, Jun; Oka, Tetsuo; Yamaguchi, Mitsugi; Sato, Takao; Ooizumi, Manabu; Imaizumi, Hiroshi; Ohara, Takeshi

2009-02-01

We present numerical simulation of separating magnetic particles with different magnetic susceptibilities by magnetic chromatography using a high-temperature superconducting bulk magnet. The transient transport is numerically simulated for two kinds of particles having different magnetic susceptibilities. The time evolutions were calculated for the particle concentration in the narrow channel of the spiral arrangement placed in the magnetic field. The field is produced by the highly magnetized high-temperature superconducting bulk magnet. The numerical results show the flow velocity difference of the particle transport corresponding to the difference in the magnetic susceptibility, as well as the possible separation of paramagnetic particles of 20 nm diameter.

Bulk superconducting gap of V{sub 3}Si studied by low-energy ultrahigh-resolution photoemission spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, T., E-mail: t-sato@arpes.phys.tohoku.ac.jp [Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan); Souma, S. [WPI Research Center, Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Nakayama, K. [Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan); Sugawara, K. [WPI Research Center, Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Toyota, N. [Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan); Takahashi, T. [Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan); WPI Research Center, Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan)

2016-04-15

Highlights: • We report ultrahigh-resolution photoemission spectroscopy of A15 compound V{sub 3}Si. • We found a sharp quasiparticle peak due to superconducting-gap opening. • The surface metallic component is negligibly small in the bulk-sensitive measurement. • We show that V{sub 3}Si is a single-gap s-wave superconductor. - Abstract: We have performed low-energy ultrahigh-resolution photoemission spectroscopy (PES) of A15 compound V{sub 3}Si with a xenon-plasma discharge lamp to elucidate the bulk superconducting gap. Below the superconducting transition temperature (T{sub c} = 15.9 K), we found a sharp quasiparticle peak at the Fermi level in the PES spectrum. The gap spectrum is well fitted by a single s-wave superconducting-gap function together with a dip structure at ∼30 meV suggestive of a strong electron-phonon coupling. The anomalous in-gap state previously observed in the PES measurement with high-energy photons is absent or negligibly small in the present bulk-sensitive measurement. The present PES result shows that V{sub 3}Si is a single-gap s-wave superconductor.

Test equipment for a flywheel energy storage system using a magnetic bearing composed of superconducting coils and superconducting bulks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogata, M; Matsue, H; Yamashita, T; Hasegawa, H; Nagashima, K; Maeda, T; Matsuoka, T; Mukoyama, S; Shimizu, H; Horiuchi, S

2016-01-01

Energy storage systems are necessary for renewable energy sources such as solar power in order to stabilize their output power, which fluctuates widely depending on the weather. Since ‘flywheel energy storage systems’ (FWSSs) do not use chemical reactions, they do not deteriorate due to charge or discharge. This is an advantage of FWSSs in applications for renewable energy plants. A conventional FWSS has capacity limitation because of the mechanical bearings used to support the flywheel. Therefore, we have designed a superconducting magnetic bearing composed of a superconducting coil stator and a superconducting bulk rotor in order to solve this problem, and have experimentally manufactured a large scale FWSS with a capacity of 100 kWh and an output power of 300 kW. The superconducting magnetic bearing can levitate 4 tons and enables the flywheel to rotate smoothly. A performance confirmation test will be started soon. An overview of the superconducting FWSS is presented in this paper. (paper)

Superconducting current transducer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuchnir, M.; Ozelis, J.P.

1990-10-01

The construction and performance of an electric current meter that operates in liquid He and mechanically splits apart to permit replacement of the current carrying conductor is described. It permits the measurement of currents induced in a loop of superconducting cable and expeditious exchange of such loops. It is a key component for a short sample cable testing facility that requires no high current power supplies nor high current leads. Its superconducting pickup circuit involves a non-magnetic core toroidal split-coil that surrounds the conductor and a solenoid whose field is sensed by a Hall probe. This toroidal split-coil is potted inside another compensating toroidal split-coil. The C shaped half toroids can be separated and brought precisely together from outside the cryostat. The Hall probe is energized and sensed by a lock-in amplifier whose output drives a bipolar power supply which feeds the compensating coil. The output is the voltage across a resistor in this feedback circuit. Currents of up to 10 kA can be measured with a precision of 150 mA. 3 refs., 4 figs

Current leads for superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishibashi, Kenji

1989-01-01

Current leads for superconducting magnets have been studied since 1960's. The technology of current leads may seem to have been established both in theory and experiment before the middle of 1970's. Nevertheless, a wide variety of superconducting magnets have been introduced in the last 15 years, and the demands for special current leads have increased in accordance to the variety. A steady advance has been made in the design theory and fabrication of current leads. This paper describes the recent current lead technology regarding the design theory, safety in accidents, and high current capability. (author)

Superconducting fault current limiter for railway transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisher, L. M., E-mail: LMFisher@niitfa.ru; Alferov, D. F.; Akhmetgareev, M. R.; Budovskii, A. I.; Evsin, D. V.; Voloshin, I. F.; Kalinov, A. V. [National Technical Physics and Automation Research Institute (Russian Federation)

2015-12-15

A resistive switching superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) for DC networks with voltage of 3.5 kV and nominal current of 2 kA is developed. The SFCL consists of two series-connected units: block of superconducting modules and high-speed vacuum breaker with total disconnection time not more than 8 ms. The results of laboratory tests of superconducting SFCL modules in current limiting mode are presented. The recovery time of superconductivity is experimentally determined. The possibility of application of SFCL on traction substations of Russian Railways is considered.

Superconducting fault current limiter for railway transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, L. M.; Alferov, D. F.; Akhmetgareev, M. R.; Budovskii, A. I.; Evsin, D. V.; Voloshin, I. F.; Kalinov, A. V.

2015-01-01

A resistive switching superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) for DC networks with voltage of 3.5 kV and nominal current of 2 kA is developed. The SFCL consists of two series-connected units: block of superconducting modules and high-speed vacuum breaker with total disconnection time not more than 8 ms. The results of laboratory tests of superconducting SFCL modules in current limiting mode are presented. The recovery time of superconductivity is experimentally determined. The possibility of application of SFCL on traction substations of Russian Railways is considered

Evidence of a Normal-State Pseudogap in Bulk Superconducting Tunneling Junctions of YBa2Cu3O7-δ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandro Guerra

1999-12-01

Full Text Available Planar contact tunneling experiments have been performed on bulk superconducting tunneling junctions of YBa2Cu3O7-δ in the temperature range 77 -295K. A clear depression in the conductance curves measured, attributed to the pseudogap, has been observed in temperatures above Tc (approx. 90K determined from dc resistivity measurements before disappearing at T*=275K. The width of the pseudogap has been quantitatively measured as Dps, ave = 25.6meV from the differential conductance plots. These results agree with the current understanding of the phenomenology and nature of this pseudogap, namely: (I the pseudogap value is relatively temperature-independent; (2 the superconducting gap and the pseudogap have the same d-wave nature; and (3 the superconducting gap evolves from the pseudogap.

Superconductivity, intergrain, and intragrain critical current densities of materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, J.R.; Brynestad, J.; Kroeger, D.M.; Kim, Y.C.; Sekula, S.T.; Christen, D.K.; Specht, E.D.

1989-01-01

Bulk sintered and powdered samples of the high-temperature superconductive compounds Tl 2 Ca 2 Ba 2 Cu 3 O/sub 1+//sub δ/ (Tl-2:2:2:3) and Tl 2 Ca 2 Ba 2 Cu 2 O/sub 8+//sub δ/ (Tl-2:1:2:2) have been synthesized with phase purity of approximately 90%. The materials were characterized by x-ray-diffraction, metallographic, and electron microprobe analyses. The electronic and superconductive properties were investigated through measurement of the electrical resistivity and the critical current density J/sub c/ using transport methods and by extensive magnetization measurements. Primary results and conclusions are that (1) the intragrain J/sub c/ values were large, much larger than the transport values; (2) both sintered and powdered materials exhibited large flux creep; (3) and the J/sub c/ decreased exponentially with temperature. These features are qualitatively very similar to those found in the corresponding YBa 2 Cu 3 O/sub z/ (with z≅7) series of compounds

Use of high-temperature superconducting films in superconducting bearings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cansiz, A.

1999-01-01

We have investigated the effect of high-temperature superconductor (HTS) films deposited on substrates that are placed above bulk HTSs in an attempt to reduce rotational drag in superconducting bearings composed of a permanent magnet levitated above the film/bulk HTS combination. According to the critical state model, hysteresis energy loss is inversely proportional to critical current density, J c , and because HTS films typically have much higher J c than that of bulk HTS, the film/bulk combination was expected to reduce rotational losses by at least one order of magnitude in the coefficient of fiction, which in turn is a measure of the hysteresis losses. We measured rotational losses of a superconducting bearing in a vacuum chamber and compared the losses with and without a film present. The experimental results showed that contrary to expectation, the rotational losses are increased by the film. These results are discussed in terms of flux drag through the film, as well as of the critical state model

Stable superconducting magnet. [high current levels below critical temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Boom, R. W. (Inventor)

1967-01-01

Operation of a superconducting magnet is considered. A method is described for; (1) obtaining a relatively high current in a superconducting magnet positioned in a bath of a gas refrigerant; (2) operating a superconducting magnet at a relatively high current level without training; and (3) operating a superconducting magnet containing a plurality of turns of a niobium zirconium wire at a relatively high current level without training.

A current controlled variable delay superconducting transmission line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anlage, S.M.; Snortland, H.J.; Beasley, M.R.

1989-01-01

The authors present a device concept for a current-controlled variable delay for superconducting transmission line. The device makes use of the change in kinetic inductance of a superconducting transmission line under the application of a DC bias current. The relevant materials parameters and several promising superconducting materials have been identified

Pulsed field magnetization strategies and the field poles composition in a bulk-type superconducting motor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Zhen, E-mail: zhen.huang@sjtu.edu.cn [Academy of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 (China); Ruiz, H.S., E-mail: dr.harold.ruiz@le.ac.uk [Department of Engineering, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); Coombs, T.A., E-mail: tac1000@cam.ac.uk [Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom)

2017-03-15

Highlights: • Different compositions of the magnetic poles have been obtained depending on the relative orientation of the magnetizing coil and the surfaces of the columns of bulks that conform a magnetic pole. • Two bidimensional models accounting for the electromagnetic response of the top and lateral cross sections of three columns of HTS bulks subjected to multiple pulsed magnetic fields have been created. • An extended PFM strategy has been proposed by considering the magnetization of at least three successive columns of HTS bulks per pole. In the extended PFM strategy the area of each one of the poles can be seen increased by a factor of 200%-400% - Abstract: High temperature superconducting (HTS) bulks offer the potential of trapping and maintaining much higher magnetic loading level compared with the conventional permanent magnets used in rotary machines, although the effective magnetization of multiple HTS bulks with different relative orientations over the surface of cylindrical rotors creates new challenges. In this paper, we present the design and numerical validation of the Pulse Field Magnetization (PFM) strategy considered for the magnetization of the four-pole synchronous fully superconducting motor developed at the University of Cambridge. In a first instance, singular columns of up to five HTS bulks aligned over the height of the rotor were subjected to up to three magnetic pulses of 1.5 T peak, and the experimental results have been simulated by considering the electrical and thermal properties of the system in a 2D approach. The entire active surface of the rotor is covered by HTS bulks of approximately the same dimensions, resulting in an uneven distribution of pole areas with at least one of the poles formed by up to 3 columns of magnetized bulks, with relatively the same peaks of trapped magnetic field. Thus, in order to effectively use the entire area of the superconducting rotor, multiple pulsed fields per column have been applied

Pulsed field magnetization strategies and the field poles composition in a bulk-type superconducting motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Zhen; Ruiz, H.S.; Coombs, T.A.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Different compositions of the magnetic poles have been obtained depending on the relative orientation of the magnetizing coil and the surfaces of the columns of bulks that conform a magnetic pole. • Two bidimensional models accounting for the electromagnetic response of the top and lateral cross sections of three columns of HTS bulks subjected to multiple pulsed magnetic fields have been created. • An extended PFM strategy has been proposed by considering the magnetization of at least three successive columns of HTS bulks per pole. In the extended PFM strategy the area of each one of the poles can be seen increased by a factor of 200%-400% - Abstract: High temperature superconducting (HTS) bulks offer the potential of trapping and maintaining much higher magnetic loading level compared with the conventional permanent magnets used in rotary machines, although the effective magnetization of multiple HTS bulks with different relative orientations over the surface of cylindrical rotors creates new challenges. In this paper, we present the design and numerical validation of the Pulse Field Magnetization (PFM) strategy considered for the magnetization of the four-pole synchronous fully superconducting motor developed at the University of Cambridge. In a first instance, singular columns of up to five HTS bulks aligned over the height of the rotor were subjected to up to three magnetic pulses of 1.5 T peak, and the experimental results have been simulated by considering the electrical and thermal properties of the system in a 2D approach. The entire active surface of the rotor is covered by HTS bulks of approximately the same dimensions, resulting in an uneven distribution of pole areas with at least one of the poles formed by up to 3 columns of magnetized bulks, with relatively the same peaks of trapped magnetic field. Thus, in order to effectively use the entire area of the superconducting rotor, multiple pulsed fields per column have been applied

Critical current enhancement driven by suppression of superconducting fluctuation in ion-gated ultrathin FeSe

Science.gov (United States)

Harada, T.; Shiogai, J.; Miyakawa, T.; Nojima, T.; Tsukazaki, A.

2018-05-01

The framework of phase transition, such as superconducting transition, occasionally depends on the dimensionality of materials. Superconductivity is often weakened in the experimental conditions of two-dimensional thin films due to the fragile superconducting state against defects and interfacial effects. In contrast to this general trend, superconductivity in the thin limit of FeSe exhibits an opposite trend, such as an increase in critical temperature (T c) and the superconducting gap exceeding the bulk values; however, the dominant mechanism is still under debate. Here, we measured thickness-dependent electrical transport properties of the ion-gated FeSe thin films to evaluate the superconducting critical current (I c) in the ultrathin FeSe. Upon systematically decreasing the FeSe thickness by the electrochemical etching technique in the Hall bar-shaped electric double-layer transistors, we observed a dramatic enhancement of I c reaching about 10 mA and corresponding to about 107 A cm‑2 in the thinnest condition. By analyzing the transition behavior, we clarify that the suppressed superconducting fluctuation is one of the origins of the large I c in the ion-gated ultrathin FeSe films. These results indicate the existence of a robust superconducting state possibly with dense Cooper pairs at the thin limit of FeSe.

Fluctuation current in superconducting loops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, Jorge

2012-01-01

A superconducting loop that encloses noninteger flux holds a permanent current. On the average, this current is also present above T c , and has been measured in recent years. We are able to evaluate the permanent current within the TDGL or the Kramer-Watts-Tobin models for loops of general configuration, i.e., we don't require uniform cross section, material or temperature. We can also consider situations in which the width is not negligible in comparison to the radius. Our results agree with experiments. The situations with which we deal at present include fluctuation superconductivity in two-band superconductors, equilibrium thermal fluctuations of supercurrent along a weak link, and ratchet effects.

Fault-current limiter using a superconducting coil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boenig, H.J.; Paice, D.A.

1982-01-01

A novel circuit, consisting of solid-state diodes and a biased superconducting coil, for limiting the fault currents in three-phase ac systems is presented. A modification of the basic circuit results in a solid-state ac breaker with current-limiting features. The operating characteristics of the fault-current limiter and the ac breaker are analyzed. An optimization procedure for sizing the superconducting coil is derived

Superconducting bulk magnet for maglev vehicle: Stable levitation performance above permanent magnet guideway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Z.; Zheng, J.; Li, J.; Ma, G.; Lu, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Wang, S.; Wang, J.

2008-01-01

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) maglev vehicle is well known as one of the most potential applications of bulk high-temperature superconductors (HTSCs) in transported levitation system. Many efforts have promoted the practice of the HTS maglev vehicle in people's life by enhancing the load capability and stability. Besides improving the material performance of bulk HTSC and optimizing permanent magnet guideway (PMG), magnetization method of bulk HTSC is also very effective for more stable levitation. Up to now, applied onboard bulk HTSCs are directly magnetized by field cooling above the PMG for the present HTS maglev test vehicles or prototypes in China, Germany, Russia, Brazil, and Japan. By the direct-field-cooling-magnetization (DFCM) over PMG, maglev performances of the bulk HTSCs are mainly depended on the PMG's magnetic field. However, introducing HTS bulk magnet into the HTS maglev system breaks this dependence, which is magnetized by other non-PMG magnetic field. The feasibility of this HTS bulk magnet for maglev vehicle is investigated in the paper. The HTS bulk magnet is field-cooling magnetized by a Field Control Electromagnets Workbench (FCEW), which produces a constant magnetic field up to 1 T. The levitation and guidance forces of the HTS bulk magnet over PMG with different trapped flux at 15 mm working height (WH) were measured and compared with that by DFCM in the same applied PMG magnetic field at optimal field-cooling height (FCH) 30 mm, WH 15 mm. It is found that HTS bulk magnet can also realize a stable levitation above PMG. The trapped flux of HTS bulk magnet is easily controllable by the charging current of FCEW, which implies the maglev performances of HTS bulk magnet above PMG will be adjustable according to the practical requirement. The more trapped flux HTS bulk magnet will lead to bigger guidance force and smaller repulsion levitation force above PMG. In the case of saturated trapped flux for experimental HTS bulk magnet, it is

Superconducting bulk magnet for maglev vehicle: Stable levitation performance above permanent magnet guideway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deng, Z.; Zheng, J.; Li, J.; Ma, G.; Lu, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Wang, S. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Wang, J. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China)], E-mail: jsywang@home.swjtu.edu.cn

2008-06-15

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) maglev vehicle is well known as one of the most potential applications of bulk high-temperature superconductors (HTSCs) in transported levitation system. Many efforts have promoted the practice of the HTS maglev vehicle in people's life by enhancing the load capability and stability. Besides improving the material performance of bulk HTSC and optimizing permanent magnet guideway (PMG), magnetization method of bulk HTSC is also very effective for more stable levitation. Up to now, applied onboard bulk HTSCs are directly magnetized by field cooling above the PMG for the present HTS maglev test vehicles or prototypes in China, Germany, Russia, Brazil, and Japan. By the direct-field-cooling-magnetization (DFCM) over PMG, maglev performances of the bulk HTSCs are mainly depended on the PMG's magnetic field. However, introducing HTS bulk magnet into the HTS maglev system breaks this dependence, which is magnetized by other non-PMG magnetic field. The feasibility of this HTS bulk magnet for maglev vehicle is investigated in the paper. The HTS bulk magnet is field-cooling magnetized by a Field Control Electromagnets Workbench (FCEW), which produces a constant magnetic field up to 1 T. The levitation and guidance forces of the HTS bulk magnet over PMG with different trapped flux at 15 mm working height (WH) were measured and compared with that by DFCM in the same applied PMG magnetic field at optimal field-cooling height (FCH) 30 mm, WH 15 mm. It is found that HTS bulk magnet can also realize a stable levitation above PMG. The trapped flux of HTS bulk magnet is easily controllable by the charging current of FCEW, which implies the maglev performances of HTS bulk magnet above PMG will be adjustable according to the practical requirement. The more trapped flux HTS bulk magnet will lead to bigger guidance force and smaller repulsion levitation force above PMG. In the case of saturated trapped flux for experimental HTS bulk

Memory effect in the high-temperature superconducting bulks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xing-Yi; Zhou, Jun; Zhou, You-He

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Effects of temperature cycles on levitation force relaxation are investigated. •Memory effect of the YBCO bulks is observed in experiments. •With an increase of temperature, memory of the superconductor is gradually lost. -- Abstract: We present an experimental investigation of the relaxation of vertical force components in a high-temperature superconducting levitation system with different temperature cycle processes. For a selected ambient temperature (T 1 ) of the system, the experimental results show that the relaxations of the levitation forces are strongly dependent on the initial temperature. When the sample was submitted to temperature jumps around T 1 , the sample temperature was regulated at T 2 , and there were two cases of the experiments, ΔT = T 2 − T 1 0 (positive temperature cycle). It was found that in the case of negative temperature cycle, the superconducting samples have memory effect. And for the positive temperature cycle, with the experimental temperature increase, the memory effect of samples is gradually losing. Additionally, with the increase of temperature, the influences of the negative and positive temperature cycle on the levitation force relaxation are unsymmetrical. All the results are interpreted by using the characteristics of the free energy ‘ground’ plot of the Spin-glasses qualitatively

Study of superconducting magnetic bearing applicable to the flywheel energy storage system that consist of HTS-bulks and superconducting-coils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seino, Hiroshi; Nagashima, Ken; Tanaka, Yoshichika; Nakauchi, Masahiko

2010-01-01

The Railway Technical Research Institute conducted a study to develop a superconducting magnetic bearing applicable to the flywheel energy-storage system for railways. In the first step of the study, the thrust rolling bearing was selected for application, and adopted liquid-nitrogen-cooled HTS-bulk as a rotor, and adopted superconducting coil as a stator for the superconducting magnetic bearing. Load capacity of superconducting magnetic bearing was verified up to 10 kN in the static load test. After that, rotation test of that approximately 5 kN thrust load added was performed with maximum rotation of 3000rpm. In the results of bearing rotation test, it was confirmed that position in levitation is able to maintain with stability during the rotation. Heat transfer properties by radiation in vacuum and conductivity by tenuous gas were basically studied by experiment by the reason of confirmation of rotor cooling method. The experimental result demonstrates that the optimal gas pressure is able to obtain without generating windage drag. In the second stage of the development, thrust load capacity of the bearing will be improved aiming at the achievement of the energy capacity of a practical scale. In the static load test of the new superconducting magnetic bearing, stable 20kN-levitation force was obtained.

Limiting currents in superconducting composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keilin, V.E.; Romanovskii, V.R.

1992-01-01

In this paper the results of numerical and analytical calculations of the process of current charging into a round superconducting composite with properties homogenized over cross-section are presented. In the numerical solution taken was into account a common proceeding of the thermal and electromagnetic processes. A wire with real volt-ampere characteristics approximated by exponential dependence was considered. The calculations carried out at various rates of current charging, voltampere characteristics, matrix materials, heat transfer coefficients and other parameters showed: the existence of characteristic limiting value of current below which the wire remains in a superconducting state if the current charging ceases and above which changes into a normal state; this current is somewhat less than a quench current; the existence of finite value for limiting current at any low heat transfer from a surface. The analytical solution of the problem is given. It permitted to write the stability criterion from which the dependence of limiting currents on initial parameters follows. The wire nonisothermality, its heat capacity, thermal and electric conductivities are taken into account additionally, as compared to results published earlier

Simulation of the d.c. critical current in superconducting sintered ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riedinger, R.; Habig, P.; Hlil, E.K.; Arnaud, M.; Boulesteix, C.

1990-01-01

The new superconducting high-T c sintered ceramics can be described in some case as a lattice of interconnected rods, in other cases as a more or less random packing of parallelepiped crystallites; their size is about a few microns. The d.c. critical current at zero voltage of such a material is not related to the critical current of the bulk material, but to its granular structure. Indeed, the critical current between two adjacent cells is governed by the critical current of the weak link between them; this link behaves within some limits as a Josephson junction, the critical current of which is known. For our present problem, the system can be modeled as a lattice of Josephson junctions. We present here results for the d.c. critical current at zero voltage of lattices of identical Josephson junctions in two dimensions. The influence of the finiteness of size of the sample is examined. The relationship with normal conductivity simulations and percolation is discussed

Fabrication of Bi2223 bulks with high critical current properties sintered in Ag tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takeda, Yasuaki, E-mail: ytakeda@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Shimoyama, Jun-ichi; Motoki, Takanori [Department of Physics and Mathematics, Aoyama Gakuin University, 5-10-1 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5258 (Japan); Kishio, Kohji [Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Nakashima, Takayoshi; Kagiyama, Tomohiro; Kobayashi, Shin-ichi; Hayashi, Kazuhiko [Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. 1-1-3 Shimaya, Konohana-ku, Osaka 554-0024 (Japan)

2017-03-15

Highlights: • Fabrication conditions of Bi2223 bulks was reconsidered in terms of high J{sub c}. • Pressure of uniaxial pressing and heat treatment conditions were investigated. • The best sample showed higher J{sub c} than that of practically used Bi2223 bulks. - Abstract: Randomly grain oriented Bi2223 sintered bulks are one of the representative superconducting materials having weak-link problem due to very short coherence length particularly along the c-axis, resulting in poor intergrain J{sub c} properties. In our previous studies, sintering and/or post-annealing under moderately reducing atmospheres were found to be effective for improving grain coupling in Bi2223 sintered bulks. Further optimizations of the synthesis process for Bi2223 sintered bulks were attempted in the present study to enhance their intergrain J{sub c}. Effects of applied pressure of uniaxial pressing and sintering conditions on microstructure and superconducting properties have been systematically investigated. The best sample showed intergrain J{sub c} of 2.0 kA cm{sup −2} at 77 K and 8.2 kA cm{sup −2} at 20 K, while its relative density was low ∼65%. These values are quite high as for a randomly oriented sintered bulk of cuprate superconductors.

Calculation of alternating current losses in stacks and coils made of second generation high temperature superconducting tapes for large scale applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zermeno, Victor M. R.; Abrahamsen, Asger Bech; Mijatovic, Nenad

2013-01-01

A homogenization method to model a stack of second generation High Temperature Superconducting tapes under AC applied transport current or magnetic field has been obtained. The idea is to find an anisotropic bulk equivalent for the stack such that the geometrical layout of the internal alternatin...

Levitation performance of the magnetized bulk high-T{sub c} superconducting magnet with different trapped fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, W. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University (ASCLab), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); National Laboratory of Rail Transit, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Wang, J.S., E-mail: tonny@mars.swjtu.edu.c [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University (ASCLab), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); National Laboratory of Rail Transit, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Liao, X.L.; Zheng, S.J.; Ma, G.T.; Zheng, J. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University (ASCLab), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); National Laboratory of Rail Transit, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Wang, S.Y. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University (ASCLab), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); National Laboratory of Rail Transit, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China)

2011-03-15

Research highlights: {yields} The different trapped fields bring entirely different levitation performance. {yields} The force relaxation characters is directly bound up with the trapped field. {yields} The higher trapped field not means better levitation performance. {yields} An profitable internal induced current configuration will benefit to suppress flux motion. - Abstract: To a high-T{sub c} superconducting (HTS) maglev system which needs large levitation force density, the magnetized bulk high-T{sub c} superconductor (HTSC) magnet is a good candidate because it can supply additional repulsive or attractive force above a permanent magnet guideway (PMG). Because the induced supercurrent within a magnetized bulk HTSC is the key parameter for the levitation performance, and it is sensitive to the magnetizing process and field, so the magnetized bulk HTSC magnets with different magnetizing processes had various levitation performances, not only the force magnitude, but also its force relaxation characteristics. Furthermore, the distribution and configuration of the induced supercurrent are also important factor to decide the levitation performance, especially the force relaxation characteristics. This article experimentally investigates the influences of different magnetizing processes and trapped fields on the levitation performance of a magnetized bulk HTSC magnet with smaller size than the magnetic inter-pole distance of PMG, and the obtained results are qualitatively analyzed by the Critical State Model. The test results and analyses of this article are useful for the suitable choice and optimal design of magnetized bulk HTSC magnets.

Applied superconductivity. Handbook on devices and applications. Vol. 1 and 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seidel, Paul (ed.) [Jena Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Festkoerperphysik, AG Tieftemperaturphysik

2015-07-01

The both volumes contain the following 12 chapters: 1. Fundamentals; 2. Superconducting Materials; 3. Technology, Preparation, and Characterization (bulk materials, thin films, multilayers, wires, tapes; cooling); 4, Superconducting Magnets; 5. Power Applications (superconducting cables, superconducting current leads, fault current limiters, transformers, SMES and flywheels; rotating machines; SmartGrids); 6. Superconductive Passive Devices (superconducting microwave components; cavities for accelerators; superconducting pickup coils; magnetic shields); 7. Applications in Quantum Metrology (superconducting hot electron bolometers; transition edge sensors; SIS Mixers; superconducting photon detectors; applications at Terahertz frequency; detector readout); 8. Superconducting Radiation and Particle Detectors; 9. Superconducting Quantum Interference (SQUIDs); 10. Superconductor Digital Electronics; 11. Other Applications (Josephson arrays as radiation sources. Tunable microwave devices) and 12. Summary and Outlook (of the superconducting devices).

Applied superconductivity. Handbook on devices and applications. Vol. 1 and 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seidel, Paul

2015-01-01

The both volumes contain the following 12 chapters: 1. Fundamentals; 2. Superconducting Materials; 3. Technology, Preparation, and Characterization (bulk materials, thin films, multilayers, wires, tapes; cooling); 4, Superconducting Magnets; 5. Power Applications (superconducting cables, superconducting current leads, fault current limiters, transformers, SMES and flywheels; rotating machines; SmartGrids); 6. Superconductive Passive Devices (superconducting microwave components; cavities for accelerators; superconducting pickup coils; magnetic shields); 7. Applications in Quantum Metrology (superconducting hot electron bolometers; transition edge sensors; SIS Mixers; superconducting photon detectors; applications at Terahertz frequency; detector readout); 8. Superconducting Radiation and Particle Detectors; 9. Superconducting Quantum Interference (SQUIDs); 10. Superconductor Digital Electronics; 11. Other Applications (Josephson arrays as radiation sources. Tunable microwave devices) and 12. Summary and Outlook (of the superconducting devices).

Design considerations for high-current superconducting ion linacs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delayen, J.R.; Bohn, C.L.; Micklich, B.J.; Roche, C.T.; Sagalovsky, L.

1993-01-01

Superconducting linacs may be a viable option for high-current applications such as fusion materials irradiation testing, spallation neutron source, transmutation of radioactive waste, tritium production, and energy production. These linacs must run reliably for many years and allow easy routine maintenance. Superconducting cavities operate efficiently with high cw gradients, properties which help to reduce operating and capital costs, respectively. However, cost-effectiveness is not the sole consideration in these applications. For example, beam impingement must be essentially eliminated to prevent unsafe radioactivation of the accelerating structures, and thus large apertures are needed through which to pass the beam. Because of their high efficiency, superconducting cavities can be designed with very large bore apertures, thereby reducing the effect of beam impingement. Key aspects of high-current cw superconducting linac designs are explored in this context

Self-triggering superconducting fault current limiter

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Xing [Albany, NY; Tekletsadik, Kasegn [Rexford, NY

2008-10-21

A modular and scaleable Matrix Fault Current Limiter (MFCL) that functions as a "variable impedance" device in an electric power network, using components made of superconducting and non-superconducting electrically conductive materials. The matrix fault current limiter comprises a fault current limiter module that includes a superconductor which is electrically coupled in parallel with a trigger coil, wherein the trigger coil is magnetically coupled to the superconductor. The current surge doing a fault within the electrical power network will cause the superconductor to transition to its resistive state and also generate a uniform magnetic field in the trigger coil and simultaneously limit the voltage developed across the superconductor. This results in fast and uniform quenching of the superconductors, significantly reduces the burnout risk associated with non-uniformity often existing within the volume of superconductor materials. The fault current limiter modules may be electrically coupled together to form various "n" (rows).times."m" (columns) matrix configurations.

Elastic properties of superconducting bulk metallic glasses; Elastische Eigenschaften von supraleitenden massiven metallischen Glaesern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hempel, Marius

2015-07-01

Within the framework of this thesis the elastic properties of a superconducting bulk metallic glass between 10 mK and 300 K were first investigated. In order to measure the entire temperature range, in particular the low temperature part, new experimental techniques were developed. Using an inductive readout scheme for a double paddle oscillator it was possible to determine the internal friction and the relative change of sound velocity of bulk metallic glasses with high precision. This allowed for a detailed comparison of the data with different models. The analysis focuses on the low temperature regime where the properties of glassy materials are governed by atomic tunneling systems as described by the tunneling model. The influence of conduction electrons in the normal conducting state and quasiparticles in the superconducting state of the glass were accounted for in the theoretical description, resulting in a good agreement over a large temperature range between measured data and prediction of the tunneling model. This allowed for a direct determination of the coupling constant between electrons and tunneling systems. In the vicinity of the transition temperature Tc the data can only be described if a modified distribution function of the tunneling parameters is applied.

Titania doping effect on superconducting properties of MgB{sub 2} bulk samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serrano, G; Serquis, A [Institute Balseiro - Centra Atomico Bariloche and CONICET, (8400) S. C. de Bariloche, Rio Negro (Argentina); Bridoux, G, E-mail: serranog@ib.cnea.gov.a [Institute Balseiro - Centra Atomico Bariloche, (8400) S. C. de Bariloche, Rio Negro (Argentina)

2009-05-01

In this work we study the microstructural and superconducting properties of doped and undoped bulk MgB{sub 2} samples prepared by solid-state reaction, with 0 and 2.5 %at. nominal TiO{sub 2} nanotubes contents, annealed at different temperatures in the 750-900 deg. C range. We discuss the T{sub c}, J{sub c} and H{sub c2} performance and their correlation with the different synthesis parameters.

Pinning and irreversibility in superconducting bulk MgB{sub 2} with added nanodiamonds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, Anurag [Superconductivity and Cryogenics Division, National Physical Laboratory (CSIR), New Delhi-110012 (India); Narlikar, A V, E-mail: anurag@mail.nplindia.ernet.i [UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, University Campus, Khandwa Road, Indore-452017, MP (India)

2009-12-15

Resistance, R(T), and magnetization, M(B), studies on superconducting bulk MgB{sub 2} samples containing nanodiamonds (ND) as additives (wt% of ND: x = 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 10%) were recently published in two articles (Vajpayee et al 2007 Supercond. Sci. Technol. 20 S155, Vajpayee et al 2008 J. Appl. Phys. 103 07C708). The main observations reported were significant improvements in the critical current density J{sub c}(B), irreversibility line B{sub irr}(T) and upper critical field B{sub c2}(T) with ND addition. However, a closer look shows that as regards the potential of this technologically important material at higher magnetic fields and temperatures, there is still a lot of room for improvement. With that in mind we revisit the R(T) and M(B) data and analyze them, in the present work. We show that, despite ND addition, J{sub c} depends strongly on B in the high field region and tends to vanish at irreversibility lines that lie deep, i.e. at around 0.3 B{sub c2}(T), in the B-T phase diagram. The irreversibility lines, determined by R(T){yields}0 in the presence of B, are found to lie at around 0.5 B{sub c2}(T) in the phase diagram. These results for pinning and irreversibility lines are discussed in the light of various models such as those of surface sheath superconductivity, magnetically introduced percolation in polycrystalline MgB{sub 2}, thermally assisted flux motion (TAFM) and a modified flux line shear mechanism. Our analysis hints at TAFM and weak pinning channels with distributed superconducting properties percolating in our samples determining the irreversibility and pinning properties.

Spectroscopy of bulk and few-layer superconducting NbSe2 with van der Waals tunnel junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Dvir, T; Massee, F; Attias, L; Khodas, M; Aprili, M; Quay, C H L; Steinberg, H

2018-02-09

Tunnel junctions, an established platform for high resolution spectroscopy of superconductors, require defect-free insulating barriers; however, oxides, the most common barrier, can only grow on a limited selection of materials. We show that van der Waals tunnel barriers, fabricated by exfoliation and transfer of layered semiconductors, sustain stable currents with strong suppression of sub-gap tunneling. This allows us to measure the spectra of bulk (20 nm) and ultrathin (3- and 4-layer) NbSe 2 devices at 70 mK. These exhibit two distinct superconducting gaps, the larger of which decreases monotonically with thickness and critical temperature. The spectra are analyzed using a two-band model incorporating depairing. In the bulk, the smaller gap exhibits strong depairing in in-plane magnetic fields, consistent with high out-of-plane Fermi velocity. In the few-layer devices, the large gap exhibits negligible depairing, consistent with out-of-plane spin locking due to Ising spin-orbit coupling. In the 3-layer device, the large gap persists beyond the Pauli limit.

High temperature interface superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gozar, A.; Bozovic, I.

2016-01-01

Highlight: • This review article covers the topic of high temperature interface superconductivity. • New materials and techniques used for achieving interface superconductivity are discussed. • We emphasize the role played by the differences in structure and electronic properties at the interface with respect to the bulk of the constituents. - Abstract: High-T_c superconductivity at interfaces has a history of more than a couple of decades. In this review we focus our attention on copper-oxide based heterostructures and multi-layers. We first discuss the technique, atomic layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (ALL-MBE) engineering, that enabled High-T_c Interface Superconductivity (HT-IS), and the challenges associated with the realization of high quality interfaces. Then we turn our attention to the experiments which shed light on the structure and properties of interfacial layers, allowing comparison to those of single-phase films and bulk crystals. Both ‘passive’ hetero-structures as well as surface-induced effects by external gating are discussed. We conclude by comparing HT-IS in cuprates and in other classes of materials, especially Fe-based superconductors, and by examining the grand challenges currently laying ahead for the field.

Superconducting-electromagnetic hybrid bearing using YBCO bulk blocks for passive axial levitation

Science.gov (United States)

Nicolsky, R.; de Andrade, R., Jr.; Ripper, A.; David, D. F. B.; Santisteban, J. A.; Stephan, R. M.; Gawalek, W.; Habisreuther, T.; Strasser, T.

2000-06-01

A superconducting/electromagnetic hybrid bearing has been designed using active radial electromagnetic positioning and a superconducting passive axial levitator. This bearing has been tested for an induction machine with a vertical shaft. The prototype was conceived as a four-pole, two-phase induction machine using specially designed stator windings for delivering torque and radial positioning simultaneously. The radial bearing uses four eddy-current sensors, displaced 90° from each other, for measuring the shaft position and a PID control system for feeding back the currents. The stator windings have been adapted from the ones of a standard induction motor. The superconducting axial bearing has been assembled with commercial NdFeB permanent magnets and a set of seven top-seeded-melt-textured YBCO large-grain cylindrical blocks. The bearing set-up was previously simulated by a finite element method for different permanent magnet-superconductor block configurations. The stiffness of the superconducting axial bearing has been investigated by measuring by a dynamic method the vertical and transversal elastic constants for different field cooling processes. The resulting elastic constants show a linear dependence on the air gap, i.e. the clearance between the permanent magnet assembly and the set of superconducting large-grain blocks, which is dependent on cooling distance.

Temperature measurements in small holes drilled in superconducting bulk during pulsed field magnetization

Science.gov (United States)

Fujishiro, H.; Naito, T.; Furuta, D.; Kakehata, K.

2010-11-01

The time dependence of the temperatures T(z, t) has been measured along the thickness direction z in several drilled holes in a superconducting bulk during pulsed field magnetization (PFM) and the heat generation and heat transfer in the bulk have been discussed. In the previous paper [H. Fujishiro, S. Kawaguchi, K. Kakehata, A. Fujiwara, T. Tateiwa, T. Oka, Supercond. Sci. Technol. 19 (2006) S540], we calculated the T(z, t) profiles in the bulk by solving a three-dimensional heat-diffusion equation to reproduce the measured T(t) on the bulk surface; the heat generation took place adiabatically and the calculated T(z, t) was isothermal along the z direction. In this study, the measured T(z, t) at the top surface was higher than that at the bottom surface just after the pulse field application at t < 0.5 s, and then became isothermal with increasing time. These results suggest that the magnetic flux intrudes inhomogeneously into the bulk from the edge of the top surface and the periphery at the early stage. The inhomogeneous magnetic flux intrusion and the flux trap during PFM change depending on the strength of the pulsed field and the pulse number in the successive pulse field application.

Current distribution characteristics of superconducting parallel circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, K.; Suzuki, Y.; Hara, N.; Kitamura, M.; Tominaka, T.

1994-01-01

In order to increase the current carrying capacity of the current path of the superconducting magnet system, the portion of parallel circuits such as insulated multi-strand cables or parallel persistent current switches (PCS) are made. In superconducting parallel circuits of an insulated multi-strand cable or a parallel persistent current switch (PCS), the current distribution during the current sweep, the persistent mode, and the quench process were investigated. In order to measure the current distribution, two methods were used. (1) Each strand was surrounded with a pure iron core with the air gap. In the air gap, a Hall probe was located. The accuracy of this method was deteriorated by the magnetic hysteresis of iron. (2) The Rogowski coil without iron was used for the current measurement of each path in a 4-parallel PCS. As a result, it was shown that the current distribution characteristics of a parallel PCS is very similar to that of an insulated multi-strand cable for the quench process

Characterization of superconducting coil for fault current limitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polasek, Alexander; Dias, Rodrigo; Niedu, Daniel Brito; Ogasawara, Tsuneharu; Oliveira Filho, Orsino Borges de; Serra, Eduardo Torres; Gomes Junior, George; Amorim, Helio Salim

2010-01-01

The increasing power demand has been raising fault currents up to dangerous levels. Superconducting fault current limiters are a promising solution for this problem. In the present work, we studied a superconducting Bi-2212 coil that is used for fault current limitation. Samples were analyzed by XRD, SEM/EDS and measurement of critical temperature (Tc). The Rietveld method was employed for phase quantification. Relatively high Bi-2212 fractions were found. However, Tc varies from a sample to another one. Variations of local Tc are attributed to variations of oxygen content in Bi- 2212 phase. (author)

Hall probe for measuring high currents in superconducting coils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferendeci, A.M.

1986-01-01

Constructional details of a compact Hall probe for measuring high currents in superconducting coils are given. The Hall probe is easy to assemble and can be inserted or removed from the system without breaking the superconducting loop. Upper current limit of the probe can be increased by using larger magnetic core material. Shielding becomes necessary if the probe holder is to be placed near large current dependent magnetic fields

Excessive current in wide superconducting films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volotskaya, V.G.; Sivakov, A.G.; Turutanov, O.G.

1986-01-01

The resistive state of a wide long film due to superconductivity destruction by current is studied. The voltage-independent excess current I 0 is observed on I-V curves at high transport currents. The two-dimensional image of the current-carrying sample obtained by laser scanning technique in this current range indicates that the whole film is in the resistive state. The current I 0 is measured as a function of magnetic field and SHF power

Use of high current density superconducting coils in fusion devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, M.A.

1979-11-01

Superconducting magnets will play an important role in fusion research in years to come. The magnets which are currently proposed for fusion research use the concept of cryostability to insure stable operation of the superconducting coils. This paper proposes the use of adiabatically stable high current density superconducting coils in some types of fusion devices. The advantages of this approach are much lower system cold mass, enhanced cryogenic safety, increased access to the plasma and lower cost

Irreversibility line and magnetic field dependence of the critical current in superconducting MgB sub 2 bulk samples

CERN Document Server

Gioacchino, D D; Tripodi, P; Grimaldi, G

2003-01-01

The third harmonic components of the ac susceptibility of MgB sub 2 bulk samples have been measured as a function of applied magnetic fields, together with standard magnetization cycles. The irreversibility line (IL) of the magnetic field has been extracted from the onset of the third harmonic components. Using a (1 - t) supalpha glass/liquid best fit where alpha 1.27 IL shows a coherent length xi divergence with exponent nu = 0.63, which indicates a 3D behaviour. Moreover, using the numerical solution of the non-linear magnetic diffusion equation, considering the creep model in a 3D vortex glass, a good description of the vortex dynamics has been obtained. The behaviour of the magnetization amplitude (approx Hz) and the ac susceptibility signals (kHz), at different applied magnetic fields, 3.5 T < H sub d sub c < 4.5 T, and at the reduced temperature 0.86 < t < 0.93 (T = 22 K), shows that the superconducting dynamic response of vortices in the MgB sub 2 samples is not evidently dependent on the f...

Quench protection and design of large high-current-density superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, M.A.

1981-03-01

Although most large superconducting magnets have been designed using the concept of cryostability, there is increased need for large magnets which operate at current densities above the cryostable limit (greater than 10 8 Am -2 ). Large high current density superconducting magnets are chosen for the following reasons: reduced mass, reduced coil thickness or size, and reduced cost. The design of large high current density, adiabatically stable, superconducting magnets requires a very different set of design rules than either large cryostable superconducting magnets or small self-protected high current density magnets. The problems associated with large high current density superconducting magnets fall into three categories; (a) quench protection, (b) stress and training, and (c) cryogenic design. The three categories must be considered simultaneously. The paper discusses quench protection and its implication for magnets of large stored energies (this includes strings of smaller magnets). Training and its relationship to quench protection and magnetic strain are discussed. Examples of magnets, built at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and elsewhere using the design guidelines given in this report, are presented

Superconductivity in graphite intercalation compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Robert P.; Weller, Thomas E.; Howard, Christopher A.; Dean, Mark P.M.; Rahnejat, Kaveh C.; Saxena, Siddharth S.; Ellerby, Mark

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Historical background of graphite intercalates. • Superconductivity in graphite intercalates and its place in the field of superconductivity. • Recent developments. • Relevant modeling of superconductivity in graphite intercalates. • Interpretations that pertain and questions that remain. - Abstract: The field of superconductivity in the class of materials known as graphite intercalation compounds has a history dating back to the 1960s (Dresselhaus and Dresselhaus, 1981; Enoki et al., 2003). This paper recontextualizes the field in light of the discovery of superconductivity in CaC 6 and YbC 6 in 2005. In what follows, we outline the crystal structure and electronic structure of these and related compounds. We go on to experiments addressing the superconducting energy gap, lattice dynamics, pressure dependence, and how these relate to theoretical studies. The bulk of the evidence strongly supports a BCS superconducting state. However, important questions remain regarding which electronic states and phonon modes are most important for superconductivity, and whether current theoretical techniques can fully describe the dependence of the superconducting transition temperature on pressure and chemical composition

Superconductivity in graphite intercalation compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Robert P. [Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom); Weller, Thomas E.; Howard, Christopher A. [Department of Physics & Astronomy, University College of London, Gower Street, London WCIE 6BT (United Kingdom); Dean, Mark P.M. [Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973 (United States); Rahnejat, Kaveh C. [Department of Physics & Astronomy, University College of London, Gower Street, London WCIE 6BT (United Kingdom); Saxena, Siddharth S. [Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom); Ellerby, Mark, E-mail: mark.ellerby@ucl.ac.uk [Department of Physics & Astronomy, University College of London, Gower Street, London WCIE 6BT (United Kingdom)

2015-07-15

Highlights: • Historical background of graphite intercalates. • Superconductivity in graphite intercalates and its place in the field of superconductivity. • Recent developments. • Relevant modeling of superconductivity in graphite intercalates. • Interpretations that pertain and questions that remain. - Abstract: The field of superconductivity in the class of materials known as graphite intercalation compounds has a history dating back to the 1960s (Dresselhaus and Dresselhaus, 1981; Enoki et al., 2003). This paper recontextualizes the field in light of the discovery of superconductivity in CaC{sub 6} and YbC{sub 6} in 2005. In what follows, we outline the crystal structure and electronic structure of these and related compounds. We go on to experiments addressing the superconducting energy gap, lattice dynamics, pressure dependence, and how these relate to theoretical studies. The bulk of the evidence strongly supports a BCS superconducting state. However, important questions remain regarding which electronic states and phonon modes are most important for superconductivity, and whether current theoretical techniques can fully describe the dependence of the superconducting transition temperature on pressure and chemical composition.

Thermal instability and current-voltage scaling in superconducting fault current limiters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeimetz, B [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, Cambridge University, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB1 3QZ (United Kingdom); Tadinada, K [Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 1PZ (United Kingdom); Eves, D E [Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 1PZ (United Kingdom); Coombs, T A [Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 1PZ (United Kingdom); Evetts, J E [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, Cambridge University, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB1 3QZ (United Kingdom); Campbell, A M [Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 1PZ (United Kingdom)

2004-04-01

We have developed a computer model for the simulation of resistive superconducting fault current limiters in three dimensions. The program calculates the electromagnetic and thermal response of a superconductor to a time-dependent overload voltage, with different possible cooling conditions for the surfaces, and locally variable superconducting and thermal properties. We find that the cryogen boil-off parameters critically influence the stability of a limiter. The recovery time after a fault increases strongly with thickness. Above a critical thickness, the temperature is unstable even for a small applied AC voltage. The maximum voltage and maximum current during a short fault are correlated by a simple exponential law.

Tetracritical point and current circulations in superconducting state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belyavskij, V.I.; Kopaev, Yu.V.; Smirnov, M.Yu.

2005-01-01

Phase diagram reflecting the key peculiar features of the standard diagram of the cuprate superconductors was studied in terms of the Ginzburg-Landau phenomenology near the tetracritical point resulting from the competition of superconducting and dielectric channels of pairing. Two-component parameter of order the relative phase of which is associated with antiferromagnetic dielectric ordering corresponds to the superconducting pairing at repulsion. In case of slight doping the dielectric order coexists with superconductivity below the temperature of superconducting phase transition and manifests itself as a slight pseudoslit above the mentioned temperature. A segment of pseudoslit region adjacent to the superconducting state corresponds to the matured fluctuations of the order parameter in the form of quasi-stationary states of noncoherent superconducting pairs and may be interpreted as a region of a strong pseudoslit. At increase of doping one observes a phase transition from the coexistence region and the orbital antiferromagnetism to the conventional superconducting state covering the region of matured fluctuations of the order parameter in the form of quasi-stationary states of the noncorrelated orbital circulation currents adjacent to the line of phase transition [ru

Superconductivity in doped Dirac semimetals

Science.gov (United States)

Hashimoto, Tatsuki; Kobayashi, Shingo; Tanaka, Yukio; Sato, Masatoshi

2016-07-01

We theoretically study intrinsic superconductivity in doped Dirac semimetals. Dirac semimetals host bulk Dirac points, which are formed by doubly degenerate bands, so the Hamiltonian is described by a 4 ×4 matrix and six types of k -independent pair potentials are allowed by the Fermi-Dirac statistics. We show that the unique spin-orbit coupling leads to characteristic superconducting gap structures and d vectors on the Fermi surface and the electron-electron interaction between intra and interorbitals gives a novel phase diagram of superconductivity. It is found that when the interorbital attraction is dominant, an unconventional superconducting state with point nodes appears. To verify the experimental signature of possible superconducting states, we calculate the temperature dependence of bulk physical properties such as electronic specific heat and spin susceptibility and surface state. In the unconventional superconducting phase, either dispersive or flat Andreev bound states appear between point nodes, which leads to double peaks or a single peak in the surface density of states, respectively. As a result, possible superconducting states can be distinguished by combining bulk and surface measurements.

High-current applications of superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komarek, P.

1995-01-01

The following topics were dealt with: superconducting materials, design principles of superconducting magnets, magnets for research and engineering, superconductivity for power engineering, superconductivity in nuclear fusion technology, economical considerations

Critical currents and superconductivity ferromagnetism coexistence in high-Tc oxides

CERN Document Server

Khene, Samir

2016-01-01

The book comprises six chapters which deal with the critical currents and the ferromagnetism-superconductivity coexistence in high-Tc oxides. It begins by gathering key data for superconducting state and the fundamental properties of the conventional superconductors, followed by a recap of the basic theories of superconductivity. It then discusses the differences introduced by the structural anisotropy on the Ginzburg-Landau approach and the Lawrence-Doniach model before addressing the dynamics of vortices and the ferromagnetism-superconductivity coexistence in high-Tc oxides, and provides an outline of the pinning phenomena of vortices in these materials, in particular the pinning of vortices by the spins. It elucidates the methods to improve the properties of superconducting materials for industrial applications. This optimization aims at obtaining critical temperatures and densities of critical currents at the maximum level possible. Whereas the primary objective is the basic mechanisms pushing the superco...

RE-Ba-Cu-O for high functional superconducting permanent magnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, S.I.; Higuchi, T.; Sakai, N.; Murakami, M.; Fujimoto, H.

1998-01-01

Among various potential applications of melt-textured RE-Ba-Cu-O (REBCO, RE: rare earth elements) superconductors, we have examined the bulk application as the superconducting permanent magnet, especially for the magnetically-levitated (MAGLEV) train. Compared with Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO), oxygen-controlled melt-growth (OCMG)-processed LREBCO (LRE: light rare earth elements) bulk superconductors are more promising for this application because of larger critical current density (J c ) values in high field and higher irreversibility field (B irr ) within the range of the liquid nitrogen refrigeration (63-77 K), implying that even higher trapped fields (B t ) are achievable in principle. In this paper, material requirements of superconducting bulks for the MAGLEV train are first presented and then processing aspects for the fabrication of good LREBCO bulks are described. (orig.)

Thermal studies of a superconducting current limiter using Monte-Carlo method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leveque, J.; Rezzoug, A.

1999-01-01

Considering the increase of the fault current level in electrical network, the current limiters become very interesting. The superconducting limiters are based on the quasi-instantaneous intrinsic transition from superconducting state to normal resistive one. Without detection of default or given order, they reduce the constraints supported by electrical installations above the fault. To avoid the destruction of the superconducting coil, the temperature must not exceed a certain value. Therefore the design of a superconducting coil needs the simultaneous resolution of an electrical equation and a thermal one. This papers deals with a resolution of this coupled problem by the method of Monte-Carlo. This method allows us to calculate the evolution of the resistance of the coil as well as the current of limitation. Experimental results are compared with theoretical ones. (orig.)

A superconducting direct-current limiter with a power of up to 8 MVA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisher, L. M.; Alferov, D. F., E-mail: DFAlferov@niitfa.ru; Akhmetgareev, M. R.; Budovskii, A. I.; Evsin, D. V.; Voloshin, I. F.; Kalinov, A. V. [National Technical Physics and Automation Research Institute (Russian Federation)

2016-12-15

A resistive switching superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) for DC networks with a nominal voltage of 3.5 kV and a nominal current of 2 kA was developed, produced, and tested. The SFCL has two main units—an assembly of superconducting modules and a high-speed vacuum circuit breaker. The assembly of superconducting modules consists of nine (3 × 3) parallel–series connected modules. Each module contains four parallel-connected 2G high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes. The results of SFCL tests in the short-circuit emulation mode with a maximum current rise rate of 1300 A/ms are presented. The SFCL is capable of limiting the current at a level of 7 kA and break it 8 ms after the current-limiting mode begins. The average temperature of HTS tapes during the current-limiting mode increases to 210 K. After the current is interrupted, the superconductivity recovery time does not exceed 1 s.

A superconducting direct-current limiter with a power of up to 8 MVA

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, L. M.; Alferov, D. F.; Akhmetgareev, M. R.; Budovskii, A. I.; Evsin, D. V.; Voloshin, I. F.; Kalinov, A. V.

2016-12-01

A resistive switching superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) for DC networks with a nominal voltage of 3.5 kV and a nominal current of 2 kA was developed, produced, and tested. The SFCL has two main units—an assembly of superconducting modules and a high-speed vacuum circuit breaker. The assembly of superconducting modules consists of nine (3 × 3) parallel-series connected modules. Each module contains four parallel-connected 2G high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes. The results of SFCL tests in the short-circuit emulation mode with a maximum current rise rate of 1300 A/ms are presented. The SFCL is capable of limiting the current at a level of 7 kA and break it 8 ms after the current-limiting mode begins. The average temperature of HTS tapes during the current-limiting mode increases to 210 K. After the current is interrupted, the superconductivity recovery time does not exceed 1 s.

Evidence for superconducting effects on the measured resistivity well above T/sub c/ for a type-I bulk metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinvani, M.; Levy, B.; Greenfield, A.J.

1979-01-01

A superconducting contribution deltasigma (T) to the electrical conductivity sigma (T) has been observed at temperatures up to about twice the transition temperature T/sub c/ approx. = 1.17 K for bulk aluminum. The form of deltasigma (T) is found to be α[T/sub c//(T-T/sub c/)]/sup n/, with α independent of sigma (T), in agreement with the theory of superconducting fluctuations. However, significant differences from the theory are found, with α more than two orders of magnitude too large and n approx. = 3/4 rather than 1/2

Surface processing for bulk niobium superconducting radio frequency cavities

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, M. P.; Reid, T.

2017-04-01

The majority of niobium cavities for superconducting particle accelerators continue to be fabricated from thin-walled (2-4 mm) polycrystalline niobium sheet and, as a final step, require material removal from the radio frequency (RF) surface in order to achieve performance needed for use as practical accelerator devices. More recently bulk niobium in the form of, single- or large-grain slices cut from an ingot has become a viable alternative for some cavity types. In both cases the so-called damaged layer must be chemically etched or electrochemically polished away. The methods for doing this date back at least four decades, however, vigorous empirical studies on real cavities and more fundamental studies on niobium samples at laboratories worldwide have led to seemingly modest improvements that, when taken together, constitute a substantial advance in the reproducibility for surface processing techniques and overall cavity performance. This article reviews the development of niobium cavity surface processing, and summarizes results of recent studies. We place some emphasis on practical details for real cavity processing systems which are difficult to find in the literature but are, nonetheless, crucial for achieving the good and reproducible cavity performance. New approaches for bulk niobium surface treatment which aim to reduce cost or increase performance, including alternate chemical recipes, barrel polishing and ‘nitrogen doping’ of the RF surface, continue to be pursued and are closely linked to the requirements for surface processing.

Interface superconductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gariglio, S., E-mail: stefano.gariglio@unige.ch [DQMP, Université de Genève, 24 Quai E.-Ansermet, CH-1211 Genève (Switzerland); Gabay, M. [Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Bat 510, Université Paris-Sud 11, Centre d’Orsay, 91405 Orsay Cedex (France); Mannhart, J. [Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Triscone, J.-M. [DQMP, Université de Genève, 24 Quai E.-Ansermet, CH-1211 Genève (Switzerland)

2015-07-15

Highlights: • We discuss interfacial superconductivity, a field boosted by the discovery of the superconducting interface between LaAlO. • This system allows the electric field control and the on/off switching of the superconducting state. • We compare superconductivity at the interface and in bulk doped SrTiO. • We discuss the role of the interfacially induced Rashba type spin–orbit. • We briefly discuss superconductivity in cuprates, in electrical double layer transistor field effect experiments. • Recent observations of a high T{sub c} in a monolayer of FeSe deposited on SrTiO{sub 3} are presented. - Abstract: Low dimensional superconducting systems have been the subject of numerous studies for many years. In this article, we focus our attention on interfacial superconductivity, a field that has been boosted by the discovery of superconductivity at the interface between the two band insulators LaAlO{sub 3} and SrTiO{sub 3}. We explore the properties of this amazing system that allows the electric field control and on/off switching of superconductivity. We discuss the similarities and differences between bulk doped SrTiO{sub 3} and the interface system and the possible role of the interfacially induced Rashba type spin–orbit. We also, more briefly, discuss interface superconductivity in cuprates, in electrical double layer transistor field effect experiments, and the recent observation of a high T{sub c} in a monolayer of FeSe deposited on SrTiO{sub 3}.

The design of a five-cell high-current superconducting cavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yongming; Zhu Feng; Quan Shengwen; Liu Kexin; Nassiri, Ali

2012-01-01

Energy recovery linacs are promising for achieving high average current with superior beam quality. The key component for accelerating such high-current beams is the superconducting radio-frequency cavity. The design of a 1.3 GHz five-cell high-current superconducting cavity has been carried out under cooperation between Peking University and the Argonne National Laboratory. The radio-frequency properties, damping of the higher order modes, multipacting and mechanical features of this cavity have been discussed and the final design is presented. (authors)

Characterization of etch pits found on a large-grain bulk niobium superconducting radio-frequency resonant cavity

OpenAIRE

Xin Zhao; G. Ciovati; T. R. Bieler

2010-01-01

The performance of superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) resonant cavities made of bulk niobium is limited by nonlinear localized effects. Surface analysis of regions of higher power dissipation is thus of intense interest. Such areas (referred to as “hotspots”) were identified in a large-grain single-cell cavity that had been buffered-chemical polished and dissected for examination by high resolution electron microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction microscopy (EBSD), and optical micro...

Nonlinear vibration behaviors of high-Tc superconducting bulks in an applied permanent magnetic array field

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jipeng; Li, Haitao; Zheng, Jun; Zheng, Botian; Huang, Huan; Deng, Zigang

2017-06-01

The nonlinear vibration of high temperature superconducting (HTS) bulks in an applied permanent magnetic array (Halbach array) field, as a precondition for commercial application to HTS maglev train and HTS bearing, is systematically investigated. This article reports the actual vibration rules of HTS bulks from three aspects. First, we propose a new numerical model to simplify the calculation of levitation force. This model could provide precise simulations, especially the estimation of eigenfrequency. Second, an approximate analytic solution of the vibration of the HTS bulks is obtained by using the method of harmonic balance. Finally, to verify the results mentioned above, we measure the vertical vibration acceleration signals of an HTS maglev model, consisting of eight YBaCuO bulks, oscillating freely above a Halbach array with large displacement excitation. Higher order harmonic components, which indicate the nonlinear vibration phenomenon, are detected in the responses. All the three results are compared and agreed well with each other. This study combines the experimental and theoretical analyses and provides a deep understanding of the physical phenomenon of the nonlinear vibration and is meaningful for the vibration control of the relevant applications.

Critical current properties in superconducting melt processed Y-Ba-Cu-O

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsushita, Teruo

1993-01-01

The critical current density in bulk superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O has been remarkably improved by employing the so-called melt process. However, its value is still far below those reported in single-crystalline thin films. Important key factors that determine the critical current density are the flux pinning mechanism and defective structures such as cracks or weak links. In this article, these factors in melt-processed Y-Ba-Cu-O are argued from various measurements of the critical current density on the microstructure dependence, the magnetic field dependence, the temperature dependence, the history effect, the longitudinal field effect and the imaginary ac susceptibility. As for the pinning mechanism, it is concluded that the dominant pinning centers in the high temperature region around 77 K are normal 211 (Y 2 BaCuO 5 ) particles, while small defects such as lattice defects or oxygen deficiencies seem to be dominant in the lower temperature region. It is suggested that much finer normal particles should be introduced in order to improve the critical current density especially at higher temperatures. From the rapid decrease of the critical current density with elevating temperature below 30 K, some kind of weak links are considered to still remain in these materials. However, the observed critical current density did not depend on the history of application of the magnetic field and a large enhancement of the critical current density was observed in the longitudinal field geometry at 4.2 K. These results suggest that the weak links in these materials are of much different kind from those at large angle grain boundaries in sintered polycrystalline materials. From the X-ray diffraction measurements, a domain structure of a mean domain size of about 100 μm was found. These domain boundaries may cause weak links in melt-processed Y-Ba-Cu-O. It is also shown that the typical size of channels of flowing current can be obtained by the imaginary ac susceptibility

Interacting loop-current model of superconducting networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chi, C.C.; Santhanam, P.; Bloechl, P.E.

1992-01-01

The authors review their recent approximation scheme to calculate the normal-superconducting phase boundary, T c (H), of a superconducting wire network in a magnetic field in terms of interacting loop currents. The theory is based on the London approximation of the linearized Ginzburg-Landau equation. An approximate general formula is derived for any two-dimensional space-filling lattice comprising tiles of two shapes. Many examples are provided illustrating the use of this method, with a particular emphasis on the fluxoid distribution. In addition to periodic lattices, quasiperiodic lattices and fractal Sierpinski gaskets are also discussed

Adaptation of superconducting fault current limiter to high-speed reclosing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koyama, T.; Yanabu, S.

2009-01-01

Using a high temperature superconductor, we constructed and tested a model superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL). The superconductor might break in some cases because of its excessive generation of heat. Therefore, it is desirable to interrupt early the current that flows to superconductor. So, we proposed the SFCL using an electromagnetic repulsion switch which is composed of a superconductor, a vacuum interrupter and a by-pass coil, and its structure is simple. Duration that the current flow in the superconductor can be easily minimized to the level of less than 0.5 cycle using this equipment. On the other hand, the fault current is also easily limited by large reactance of the parallel coil. There is duty of high-speed reclosing after interrupting fault current in the electric power system. After the fault current is interrupted, the back-up breaker is re-closed within 350 ms. So, the electromagnetic repulsion switch should return to former state and the superconductor should be recovered to superconducting state before high-speed reclosing. Then, we proposed the SFCL using an electromagnetic repulsion switch which employs our new reclosing function. We also studied recovery time of the superconductor, because superconductor should be recovered to superconducting state within 350 ms. In this paper, the recovery time characteristics of the superconducting wire were investigated. Also, we combined the superconductor with the electromagnetic repulsion switch, and we did performance test. As a result, a high-speed reclosing within 350 ms was proven to be possible.

Magnetic properties and critical current density of bulk MgB2 polycrystalline with Bi-2212 addition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, T M; Li, G; Zhu, X T; Cheng, C H; Zhao, Y

2005-01-01

Bulk samples of MgB 2 were prepared with 0, 3, 5, and 10 wt% Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 (Bi-2212) particles, added using a simple solid-state reaction route in order to investigate the effect of inclusions of a material with higher T c than the superconducting matrix. The density, diamagnetic signal, and critical current density, J c , of the samples change significantly with the doping level. It is found that J c is significantly enhanced by the Bi-2212 addition. Microstructural analysis indicates that a small amount of Bi-2212 is decomposed into Cu 2 O and other impurity phases while a significant amount of unreacted Bi-2212 particles remains in MgB 2 matrix, and these act as effective pinning centres for vortices. The enhanced pinning force is mainly attributable to these highly dispersed inclusions inserted in the MgB 2 grains. Despite the effectiveness of the high-T c inclusions in increasing superconducting critical currents in our experiment, our results seem to demonstrate the superiority of attractive centres over repulsive ones. A pinning mechanism is proposed to account for the contribution of this type of pinning centre in MgB 2 superconductors. (rapid communication)

SQUID based cryogenic current comparator for measurements of the dark current of superconducting cavities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vodel, W.; Nietzsche, S.; Neubert, R.; Nawrodt, R. [Friedrich Schiller Univ. Jena (Germany); Peters, A. [GSI Darmstadt (Germany); Knaack, K.; Wendt, M.; Wittenburg, K. [DESY Hamburg (Germany)

2005-07-01

The linear accelerator technology, based on super-conducting L-band (1.3 GHz) is currently under study at DESY (Hamburg, Germany). The two 10 km long main Linacs will be equipped with a total of nearly 20.000 cavities. The dark current due to the emission of electrons in these high gradient field super-conducting cavities is an unwanted particle source. A newly high performance SQUID based measurement system for detecting dark currents is proposed. It makes use of the Cryogenic Current Comparator principle and senses dark currents in the pA range with a measurement bandwidth of up to 70 kHz. The use of a cryogenic current comparator as dark current sensor has some important advantages: -) the measurement of the absolute value of the dark current, -) the non-dependence on the electron trajectories, -) the accurate absolute calibration with an additional wire loop, and -) extremely high resolution.

The effect of nano-size ZrO2 powder addition on the microstructure and superconducting properties of single-domain Y-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iida, K; Babu, N H; Reddy, E S; Shi, Y-H; Cardwell, D A

2005-01-01

The effect of nano-size ZrO 2 powder addition on the microstructure and superconducting properties of Y-Ba-Cu-O single grain bulk superconductors has been investigated. Significant pushing phenomena of Y 2 BaCuO 5 (Y-211) particles, particularly in the c growth sector, were observed even with a small amount of ZrO 2 added to the precursor powder. An increase in Y-211 particle pushing was observed with increasing ZrO 2 content, leading to an inhomogeneous bulk microstructure. In addition, a growth cycle consisting of a Y-211 free layer-porous narrow layer-Y-211 high concentration layer was observed for samples prepared with 0.25 wt% ZrO 2 in both the a and c growth sectors. The extent of the growth of single grain Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) decreased with increasing ZrO 2 content due to increased pushing of Y-211 particles towards molten liquid. The superconducting transition temperature, T c , of the ZrO 2 containing YBCO samples was sharp but depressed slightly (by up to 1 K) compared with an undoped YBCO grain, indicating a relative insensitivity of T c to ZrO 2 content. Finally, the sensitivity of critical current density, J c , to applied magnetic field in large grain bulk YBCO containing ZrO 2 was observed to depend critically on position due to the inhomogeneous sample microstructure

Eddy current quality control of soldered current-carrying busbar splices of superconducting magnets

CERN Document Server

Kogan, L; Savary, F; Principe, R; Datskov, V; Rozenfel'd, E; Khudjakov, B

2015-01-01

The eddy current technique associated with a U-shaped transducer is studied for the quality control of soldered joints between superconducting busbars ('splices'). Two other quality control techniques, based on X-rays and direct measurement of the electrical resistance, are also studied for comparison. A comparative analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of these three methods in relation to the quality control of soldered superconducting busbar cables enclosed in copper shells is used for benchmarking. The results of inspections with the U-shaped eddy current transducer carried out on several sample joints presenting different types of soldering defects show the potential of this type of nondestructive (ND) quality control technique.

Improvement of a magnetization method on a small-size superconducting bulk magnet system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yokoyama, K.; Oka, T.; Noto, K.

2011-01-01

This paper proposed an effective magnetizing method of high-T c bulk superconductors. The magnetic pass was artificially formed by field-cooling using a permanent magnet. The trapped field was increased by 20-25% as compared with the conventional method. We observed that the channel was formed partially in the trapped field distribution. A pulsed-filed magnetization (PFM) is an important technique for industrial applications of superconducting bulk magnets, and several advanced PFM methods are proposed to enhance the trapped field. In the well-known IMRA method, the channel through the magnetic flux is formed by the flux flow caused by heat generation when applying the strong pulsed-field, and the magnetic flux is made to penetrate into the bulk through the channel in the following pulse application. On the other hand, large applied field leads to large heat generation, and, therefore, the trapped field is decreased greatly. This paper proposes an effective magnetizing method in which the channel composed of magnetic field is artificially formed by field-cooling (FC) using a permanent magnet and the magnetic flux by PFM is induced to the channel. To confirm the validity of this method, the bulk was magnetized by FC using Nd-Fe-B magnets of the rectangular and the ring shapes, and thereafter, a pulsed-field of 6.2 T was applied. As a result, the trapped field of the bulk magnetized by FC using the ring magnet was increased by about 20-25% as compared with that of the conventional PFM, and, moreover, it was observed that the channel was formed partially by measurement of the magnetic field distribution.

Influence of pulse electric current on structure and superconducting properties of high temperature superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajchenko, A.I.; Flis, A.A.; Chernenko, L.I.; Kryuchkova, N.I.

1998-01-01

The influence of high-density pulse current treatment at room temperature on structure and superconducting properties of HTSC Y Ba 2 Cu 3 O x ceramics is studied. The structures of the samples are found to undergo appreciable changes as the density of pulse current is gradually increased from its minimum value; as a certain threshold value is attained, there occurs a melting-off of coarse grains with a partial destroying of intergrain contact areas followed by superconductivity loss. A further increase in the treatment current density results in a restoration of the superconducting properties probably due to the occurrence of aligned-with-current superconducting bridges between the melted-off grains. The superconducting transition temperature in the samples does not charge but subsequent thermal treatment causes this temperature to increase

NbN thin films for superconducting radio frequency cavities

Science.gov (United States)

Roach, W. M.; Skuza, J. R.; Beringer, D. B.; Li, Z.; Clavero, C.; Lukaszew, R. A.

2012-12-01

NbN thin films have the potential to be incorporated into radio frequency cavities in a multilayer coating to overcome the fundamental field gradient limit of 50 MV m-1 for the bulk niobium based technology that is currently implemented in particle accelerators. In addition to having a larger critical field value than bulk niobium, NbN films develop smoother surfaces which are optimal for cavity performance and lead to fewer losses. Here, we present a study on the correlation of film deposition parameters, surface morphology, microstructure, transport properties and superconducting properties of NbN thin films. We have achieved films with bulk-like lattice parameters and superconducting transition temperatures. These NbN films have a lower surface roughness than similarly grown niobium films of comparable thickness. The potential application of NbN thin films in accelerator cavities is discussed.

NbN thin films for superconducting radio frequency cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roach, W M; Clavero, C; Lukaszew, R A; Skuza, J R; Beringer, D B; Li, Z

2012-01-01

NbN thin films have the potential to be incorporated into radio frequency cavities in a multilayer coating to overcome the fundamental field gradient limit of 50 MV m −1 for the bulk niobium based technology that is currently implemented in particle accelerators. In addition to having a larger critical field value than bulk niobium, NbN films develop smoother surfaces which are optimal for cavity performance and lead to fewer losses. Here, we present a study on the correlation of film deposition parameters, surface morphology, microstructure, transport properties and superconducting properties of NbN thin films. We have achieved films with bulk-like lattice parameters and superconducting transition temperatures. These NbN films have a lower surface roughness than similarly grown niobium films of comparable thickness. The potential application of NbN thin films in accelerator cavities is discussed. (paper)

High current and high power superconducting rectifiers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kate, H.H.J. ten; Bunk, P.B.; Klundert, L.J.M. van de; Britton, R.B.

1981-01-01

Results on three experimental superconducting rectifiers are reported. Two of them are 1 kA low frequency flux pumps, one thermally and magnetically switched. The third is a low-current high-frequency magnetically switched rectifier which can use the mains directly. (author)

Cryogenic Current Comparator for Absolute Measurement of the Dark Current of the Superconducting Cavities for Tesla

CERN Document Server

Knaack, K; Wittenburg, K

2003-01-01

A newly high performance SQUID based measurement system for detecting dark currents, generated by superconducting cavities for TESLA is proposed. It makes use of the Cryogenic Current Comparator principle and senses dark currents in the nA range with a small signal bandwidth of 70 kHz. To reach the maximum possible energy in the TESLA project is a strong motivation to push the gradients of the superconducting cavities closer to the physical limit of 50 MV/m. The field emission of electrons (the so called dark current) of the superconducting cavities at strong fields may limit the maximum gradient. The absolute measurement of the dark current in correlation with the gradient will give a proper value to compare and classify the cavities. This contribution describes a Cryogenic Current Comparator (CCC) as an excellent and useful tool for this purpose. The most important component of the CCC is a high performance DC SQUID system which is able to measure extremely low magnetic fields, e.g. caused by the extracted ...

Comparison of simulation and experiment on levitation force between GdBCO bulk superconductor and superconducting magnet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Araki, S., E-mail: satoshi@sum.sd.keio.ac.j [Department of System Design Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522 (Japan); Nagashima, K.; Seino, H. [Railway Technical Research Institute, 2-8-38 Hikari-cho, Kokubunji, Tokyo 185-8540 (Japan); Murakami, T.; Sawa, K. [Department of System Design Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522 (Japan)

2009-10-15

High temperature bulk superconductors have significant potential for various engineering applications such as a flywheel energy storage system. This system is expected to decrease the energy loss by using bulk superconductors for the bearing. Recently, the authors have developed a new superconducting magnet to realize large levitation force. In this system, the axial component of magnetic field is canceled each other but the radial component of magnetic field expects to be enhanced. Thus, it was expected that the large levitation force can be realized and its time relaxation will be decreased. And in the previous paper, the levitation force and its time relaxation were measured under the various conditions by using this new magnet. But it is difficult to consider what phenomenon has happened in the bulk from only experimental results. In addition the quantitative evaluation cannot be done only by the experimental results, for example, the influence of the magnetic field penetration and magnetic distribution around a bulk superconductor on the maximum force and so on. Thus, in this paper, the authors simulated the levitation force of bulk superconductor by using ELF/MAGIC, which is a three-dimensional electromagnetic analytical software. In the simulation the bulk was considered as a rigid body and the simulation was executed under the same conditions and model with the experiment. The distribution of magnetic field and the levitation force were obtained and discussed.

Comparison of simulation and experiment on levitation force between GdBCO bulk superconductor and superconducting magnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araki, S.; Nagashima, K.; Seino, H.; Murakami, T.; Sawa, K.

2009-01-01

High temperature bulk superconductors have significant potential for various engineering applications such as a flywheel energy storage system. This system is expected to decrease the energy loss by using bulk superconductors for the bearing. Recently, the authors have developed a new superconducting magnet to realize large levitation force. In this system, the axial component of magnetic field is canceled each other but the radial component of magnetic field expects to be enhanced. Thus, it was expected that the large levitation force can be realized and its time relaxation will be decreased. And in the previous paper, the levitation force and its time relaxation were measured under the various conditions by using this new magnet. But it is difficult to consider what phenomenon has happened in the bulk from only experimental results. In addition the quantitative evaluation cannot be done only by the experimental results, for example, the influence of the magnetic field penetration and magnetic distribution around a bulk superconductor on the maximum force and so on. Thus, in this paper, the authors simulated the levitation force of bulk superconductor by using ELF/MAGIC, which is a three-dimensional electromagnetic analytical software. In the simulation the bulk was considered as a rigid body and the simulation was executed under the same conditions and model with the experiment. The distribution of magnetic field and the levitation force were obtained and discussed.

Imaging of current distributions in superconducting thin film structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doenitz, D.

2006-01-01

Local analysis plays an important role in many fields of scientific research. However, imaging methods are not very common in the investigation of superconductors. For more than 20 years, Low Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (LTSEM) has been successfully used at the University of Tuebingen for studying of condensed matter phenomena, especially of superconductivity. In this thesis LTSEM was used for imaging current distributions in different superconducting thin film structures: - Imaging of current distributions in Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer, also known as SIFS junctions, showed inhomogeneous current transport over the junctions which directly led to an improvement in the fabrication process. An investigation of improved samples showed a very homogeneous current distribution without any trace of magnetic domains. Either such domains were not present or too small for imaging with the LTSEM. - An investigation of Nb/YBCO zigzag Josephson junctions yielded important information on signal formation in the LTSEM both for Josephson junctions in the short and in the long limit. Using a reference junction our signal formation model could be verified, thus confirming earlier results on short zigzag junctions. These results, which could be reproduced in this work, support the theory of d-wave symmetry in the superconducting order parameter of YBCO. Furthermore, investigations of the quasiparticle tunneling in the zigzag junctions showed the existence of Andreev bound states, which is another indication of the d-wave symmetry in YBCO. - The LTSEM study of Hot Electron Bolometers (HEB) allowed the first successful imaging of a stable 'Hot Spot', a self-heating region in HEB structures. Moreover, the electron beam was used to induce an - otherwise unstable - hot spot. Both investigations yielded information on the homogeneity of the samples. - An entirely new method of imaging the current distribution in superconducting interference devices

Possible charge analogues of spin transfer torques in bulk superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Garate, Ion

2014-03-01

Spin transfer torques (STT) occur when electric currents travel through inhomogeneously magnetized systems and are important for the motion of magnetic textures such as domain walls. Since superconductors are easy-plane ferromagnets in particle-hole (charge) space, it is natural to ask whether any charge duals of STT phenomena exist therein. We find that the superconducting analogue of the adiabatic STT vanishes in a bulk superconductor with a momentum-independent order parameter, while the superconducting counterpart of the nonadiabatic STT does not vanish. This nonvanishing superconducting torque is induced by heat (rather than charge) currents and acts on the charge (rather than spin) degree of freedom. It can become significant in the vicinity of the superconducting transition temperature, where it generates a net quasiparticle charge and alters the dispersion and linewidth of low-frequency collective modes. This work has been financially supported by Canada's NSERC.

Microstructure and superconducting properties of YBCO bulk superconductors with RE substitutions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Volochová, D.; Antal, V.; Piovarči, S.; Kováč, J.; Jirsa, Miloš; Noudem, J.; Diko, P.

2016-01-01

Roč. 26, č. 3 (2016), s. 1-4, č. článku 7200604. ISSN 1051-8223 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : yttrium barium copper oxide * critical current density (superconductivity) * powders * magnetic fields * microstructure * temperature measurement Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.092, year: 2015

Superconducting dc fault current limiter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cointe, Y.

2007-12-01

Within the framework of the electric power market liberalization, DC networks have many interests compared to alternative ones, but their protections need to use new systems. Superconducting fault current limiters enable by an overstepping of the critical current to limit the fault current to a preset value, lower than the theoretical short-circuit current. For these applications, coated conductors offer excellent opportunities. We worked on the implementation of these materials and built a test bench. We carried out limiting experiments to estimate the quench homogeneity at various short-circuit parameters. An important point is the temperature measurement by deposited sensors on the ribbon, results are in good correlation with the theoretical models. Improved quench behaviours for temperatures close to the critical temperature have been confirmed. Our results enable to better understand the limitation mechanisms of coated conductors. (author)

Demonstration of superconducting micromachined cavities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brecht, T., E-mail: teresa.brecht@yale.edu; Reagor, M.; Chu, Y.; Pfaff, W.; Wang, C.; Frunzio, L.; Devoret, M. H.; Schoelkopf, R. J. [Department of Applied Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511 (United States)

2015-11-09

Superconducting enclosures will be key components of scalable quantum computing devices based on circuit quantum electrodynamics. Within a densely integrated device, they can protect qubits from noise and serve as quantum memory units. Whether constructed by machining bulk pieces of metal or microfabricating wafers, 3D enclosures are typically assembled from two or more parts. The resulting seams potentially dissipate crossing currents and limit performance. In this letter, we present measured quality factors of superconducting cavity resonators of several materials, dimensions, and seam locations. We observe that superconducting indium can be a low-loss RF conductor and form low-loss seams. Leveraging this, we create a superconducting micromachined resonator with indium that has a quality factor of two million, despite a greatly reduced mode volume. Inter-layer coupling to this type of resonator is achieved by an aperture located under a planar transmission line. The described techniques demonstrate a proof-of-principle for multilayer microwave integrated quantum circuits for scalable quantum computing.

Effect of shock pressure on the structure and superconducting properties of Y-Ba-Cu-O in explosively fabricated bulk metal-matrix composites

Science.gov (United States)

Murr, L. E.; Niou, C. S.; Pradhan-Advani, M.

1991-01-01

While it is now well established that copper-oxide-based power, or virtually any other ceramic superconductor powder, can be consolidated and encapsulated within a metal matrix by explosive consolidation, the erratic superconductivity following fabrication has posed a major problem for bulk applications. The nature of this behavior was found to arise from microstructural damage created in the shock wave front, and the residual degradation in superconductivity was demonstrated to be directly related to the peak shock pressure. The explosively fabricated or shock loaded YBa2Cu3Ox examples exhibit drastically altered rho (or R) - T curves. The deterioration in superconductivity is even more noticeable in the measurement of ac magnetic susceptibility and flux exclusion or shielding fraction which is also reduced in proportion to increasing peak shock pressure. The high frequency surface resistance (in the GHz range) is also correspondingly compromised in explosively fabricated, bulk metal-matrix composites based on YBa2Cu3O7. Transmission electron microscopy (including lattice imaging techniques) is being applied in an effort to elucidate the fundamental (microstructural) nature of the shock-induced degradation of superconductivity and normal state conductivity. One focus of TEM observations has assumed that oxygen displaced from b-chains rather than oxygen-vacancy disorder in the basal plane of oxygen deficient YBa2Cu3Ox may be a prime mechanism. Shock-wave displaced oxygen may also be locked into new positions or interstitial clusters or chemically bound to displaced metal (possibly copper) atoms to form precipitates, or such displacements may cause the equivalent of local lattice cell changes as a result of stoichiometric changes. While the shock-induced suppression of T(sub c) is not desirable in the explosive fabrication of bulk metal-matrix superconductors, it may be turned into an advantage if the atomic-scale distortion can be understood and controlled as local

Harmonic current layer method for the design of superconducting quadrupole magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zizek, F.

1977-01-01

The magnetic field of a superconducting quadrupole is investigated by the method of harmonic current layers of cylindrical shape. The superconducting winding is replaced by a system of thin current layers with a harmonically distributed density of the surface current along the circumference. The effect of the outer ferromagnetic circuit with an arbitrary constant permeability over the cross section is replaced analogically. The resultant magnetic field is then given by the superposition of the contributions from the individual current layers. The calculation method can be modified for the selection of the geometry of the winding for the latter to meet the demand for the high homogeneity of the gradient of magnetic induction in the working space of the superconducting quadrupole. (author)

A motor with superconducting magnetic bearings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gladun, A.; Stoye, P.; Verges, P.; Gawalek, W.; Habisreuther, T.; Goernert, P.

1993-01-01

Superconducting bearings may be one of the most promising near term applications of HTSC. For use at liquid nitrogen temperature and below, they offer the advantage of lower energy consumption and higher reliability. Different bearing configurations have been proposed. But in order to substitute for conventional bearings a further increase in the critical current density of the superconductor and improved bearing concepts are necessary. For this it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the interaction between permanent magnets and bulk superconductors. As a contribution to this programme we present the model of a motor with superconducting magnetic bearings. (orig.)

Developments in the area of high-current-superconductivity in the Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maurer, W.; Arendt, F.; Bruenner, N.; Erb, J.; Fessler, N.; Hartwig, G.; Heinz, W.; Hofmann, A.; Juengst, K.P.; Katheder, H.

1976-05-01

In this report the development work is presented which has been done from 1971 to 1975 on High-Current-Superconducticity at the institute IEKP III. The report deals with the development, construction and operation of superconducting magnets, with material investigations and with the pursued applications of superconducting Magnettechnology in research and industry. (orig.) [de

The superconducting proximity effect in epitaxial Al/Pb nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, H; Vantomme, A; Temst, K; Picot, T; Houben, K; Moorkens, T; Van Haesendonck, C; Van Bael, M J; Grigg, J; Brown, S A; Biermans, E; Bals, S

2014-01-01

We have investigated the superconducting properties of Pb nanoparticles with a diameter ranging from 8 to 20 nm, synthesized by Pb + ion implantation in a crystalline Al matrix. A detailed structural characterization of the nanocomposites reveals the highly epitaxial relation between the Al crystalline matrix and the Pb nanoparticles. The Al/Pb nanocomposites display a single superconducting transition, with the critical temperature T c increasing with the Pb content. The dependence of T c on the Pb/Al volume ratio was compared with theoretical models of the superconducting proximity effect based on the bulk properties of Al and Pb. A very good correspondence with the strong-coupling proximity effect model was found, with an electron–phonon coupling constant in the Pb nanoparticles slightly reduced compared to bulk Pb. Our result differs from other studies on Pb nanoparticle based proximity systems where weak-coupling models were found to better describe the T c dependence. We infer that the high interface quality resulting from the ion implantation synthesis method is a determining factor for the superconducting properties. Critical field and critical current measurements support the high quality of the nanocomposite superconducting films. (paper)

Survey of potential applications of superconducting suspensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, D.K.; Bupara, S.S.

1993-01-01

The purpose of this report is to survey the recent developments in applying the bulk superconductors to mechanical applications. These applications, called superconducting suspensions, can be broadly divided into three groups - Passive Magnetic Bearings, Passive Superconducting Dampers and Active Superconducting Bearings. Basically, passive magnetic bearings utilize bulk superconductors to support a rotating shaft without contact while active superconducting bearings employ superconducting wires. Passive superconducting dampers, on the other hand, dissipate energy from a vibrating component. Over the past one year, dramatic improvements have been made in processing large-size specimens made of high grade bulk superconductors. As a result, they can meet the size requirements and load capacity requirements of many applications. With this size-scale up, one can utilize them in a wider number of applications than what was possible a few years back. At present several organizations have demonstrated the capability of passive magnetic bearings. The targeted applications include miniature cryoturboexpanders, cryoturbopumps, energy storage wheels and turbomolecular pumps. These demonstrations indicate that the passive magnetic bearings are closer to technology maturity. (orig.)

Superconducting current generators; Generateurs supraconducteurs de courant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Genevey, P [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Limeil-Brevannes (France). Centre d' Etudes

1970-07-01

After a brief summary of the principle of energy storage and liberation with superconducting coils,two current generators are described that create currents in the range 600 to 1400 A, used for two storage experiments of 25 kJ and 50 kJ respectively. The two current generators are: a) a flux pump and b) a superconducting transformer. Both could be developed into more powerful units. The study shows the advantage of the transformer over the flux pump in order to create large currents. The efficiencies of the two generators are 95 per cent and 40 to 60 per cent respectively. (author) [French] Apres un rappel succinct du principe de stockage d'energie dans un solenoide supraconducteur et de sa liberation, nous decrivons deux generateurs de courant qui nous ont permis d'obtenir les courants necessaires (600 a 1400 A) aux experiences de stockage d'energie envisagees (27 kJ et 50 kJ): 1) - une pompe a flux, 2) - un transformateur supraconducteur. Ces generateurs sont extrapolables. Cette etude montre que si nous voulons creer un courant intense, le transformateur grace a son rendement eleve (> 95 pour cent) est preferable actuellement aux pompes a flux dont le rendement est de 40 a 60 pour cent. (auteur)

Maximum repulsed magnetization of a bulk superconductor with low pulsed field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuchimoto, M.; Kamijo, H.; Fujimoto, H.

2005-01-01

Pulsed field magnetization of a bulk high-T c superconductor (HTS) is important technique especially for practical applications of a bulk superconducting magnet. Full magnetization is not obtained for low pulsed field and trapped field is decreased by reversed current in the HTS. The trapped field distribution by repulsed magnetization was previously reported in experiments with temperature control. In this study, repulsed magnetization technique with the low pulsed field is numerically analyzed under assumption of variable shielding current by the temperature control. The shielding current densities are discussed to obtain maximum trapped field by two times of low pulsed field magnetizations

Automatic adjustment of bias current for direct current superconducting quantum interference device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makie-Fukuda, K.; Hotta, M.; Okajima, K.; Kado, H.

1993-01-01

A new method of adjusting the bias current of dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) is described. It is shown that the signal-to-noise ratio of a SQUID magnetometer connected in a flux-locked loop configuration is proportional to the second harmonic of the output signal from the SQUID. A circuit configuration that can automatically optimize a SQUID's bias current by measuring this second harmonic and adjusting the bias current accordingly is proposed

Recovery characteristics of flux-lock type superconducting fault current limiter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, T.H.; Choi, H.S.; Lim, S.H.; Lee, N.Y.

2007-01-01

The flux-lock type superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) has attractive characteristics that the current limiting level can be adjusted by a winding direction and the inductance ratio between two coils. We changed the winding direction and the number of coils to compare the resistive type SFCL with the flux-lock type SFCL. The initial limiting current (I ini ) and quench characteristic were dependent on the winding direction and the inductance ratio of two coils. As a winding number was increased from 21 to 42, I ini and quench characteristic were proportionally increased. In additive polarity winding, I ini was 10.2 A and the quench time (T q ) was 0.53 ms, which was faster than that of a subtractive polarity winding. The consumed energy and recovery characteristics in a superconducting element showed the same tendency. Recovery characteristics in the flux-lock type SFCL were dependent on the consumed energy of a superconducting element. The recovery time was related to a heat energy and it was represented as the consuming time of the heat energy. As the heat energy was shown in H 0.24I 2 Rt, the recovery time was shortened in the following order: a subtractive polarity winding, a resistive type and an additive polarity winding. It was known that the recovery time was proportional to a consumed energy of a superconducting element

Superconducting quantum interference monitor of charged particle beam current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gertsev, K.F.; Mikheev, M.S.

1981-01-01

Description and test results of the monitor of charged particle beam current on the base of the high-frequency superconducting quantum interference detector with lead slotted shield are presented. The toroidal superconducting coil, which covers the measured beam has 16 turns wound by the lead belt of 7 mm width with 0.5 mm gaps between the turns. A superconducting low-coupling monitor having two holes and point oxidated niobium contact has been used in the mode of quanta counting of magnetic flux. The lead point shield was 2 mm thick and it had 30 mm aperture. The coefficient of background shielding within 0-200 Hz frequency range constituted more than 10 8 . The threshold current resolution of the monitor had the value less than 01 μA √Hz. The suggested monitor requires helium cooling. The proposed design of the monitor is applicable for mounting on the vacuum chamber when it is surrounded by helium conductor. In other cases mounting of low-powerful autonomic system or cryostat of helium storage up to several weeks is possible [ru

Design and application consideration of high temperature superconducting current leads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, J.L.

1994-01-01

As a potential major source of heat leak and the resultant cryogen boiloff, cryogenic current leads can significantly affect the refrigeration power requirement of cryogenic power equipment. Reduction of the heat leak associated with current leads can therefore contribute to the development and application of this equipment. Recent studies and tests have demonstrated that, due to their superconducting and low thermal conductivity properties, ceramic high temperature superconductor (HTSC) can be employed in current leads to significantly reduce the heat leak. However, realization of this benefit requires special design considerations pertaining to the properties and the fabrication technology of the relatively new ceramic superconductor materials. Since processing and fabrication technology are continuously being developed in the laboratories, data on material properties unrelated to critical states are quite limited. Therefore, design analysis and experiments have to be conducted in tandem to achieve a successful development. Due to the rather unique combination of superconducting and thermal conductivities which are orders of magnitude lower than copper, ceramic superconductors allow expansion of the operating scenarios of current leads. In addition to the conventional vapor-cooled lead type application, low heat leak conduction-cooled type current leads may be practical and are being developed. Furthermore, a current lead with an intermediate heat leak intercept has been successfully demonstrated in a multiple current lead assembly employing HTSC. These design and application considerations of high temperature superconducting current leads are addressed here

Current high-temperature superconducting coils and applications in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsushita, T.

2000-01-01

In Japan, four projects for the application of Bi-based superconducting magnets to practical apparatus are currently underway. These projects involve the development of an insert magnet for a 1 GHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, a magnet for a silicon single-crystal pulling apparatus, a magnet for a magnetic separation system, and a 1 T pulse magnet for a superconducting magnet energy storage system. For example, the magnet for the silicon single-crystal pulling apparatus is of the class with stored energy of 1 MJ to be operated at around 20 K. This review focuses on the present status of the development of these magnets, followed by a discussion of the problems of the present superconducting tapes that need to be overcome for future applications. (author)

Realisation and instrumentation of high current power station for superconducting cables testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Regnaud, S.

2000-05-01

This report deals with the designing of a high current station able to test electric properties of superconductors. This test station will be used for testing the superconducting wires of large hadron collider detectors in CERN. The high current test station will have to generate high intensity continuous current in a magnetic field of 0 to 5 tesla and in temperature conditions of 4.2 K. The length of wire samples submitted to the uniform magnetic field is 300 mm and the installation is fitted with equipment able to measure the magnetic field perpendicular to either faces of the wire. The peculiarity of this station is to use a superconducting transformer in order to generate the high current. The first part of this work recalls important notions concerning superconductivity. The second part presents the high current station by describing the superconducting transformer and the sample-holder. We have studied the designing of a transformer able to yield a secondary current whose intensity reaches 100 kA, such intensity generates powerful electromagnetic forces (566 kN/m) in case of defect, so the sample-holder has to be carefully design to bear them. The third part presents the cryogenic component of the station, the instrumentation of the sample-holder and the method used to measure secondary currents. In the last part we present the performance of a prototype transformer, this prototype is able to deliver a 22 kA secondary current for a 160 A primary current, the uncertainty on the measured value of the secondary current is about 3%

Superconducting magnet

Science.gov (United States)

1985-01-01

Extensive computer based engineering design effort resulted in optimization of a superconducting magnet design with an average bulk current density of approximately 12KA/cm(2). Twisted, stranded 0.0045 inch diameter NbTi superconductor in a copper matrix was selected. Winding the coil from this bundle facilitated uniform winding of the small diameter wire. Test coils were wound using a first lot of the wire. The actual packing density was measured from these. Interwinding voltage break down tests on the test coils indicated the need for adjustment of the wire insulation on the lot of wire subsequently ordered for construction of the delivered superconducting magnet. Using the actual packing densities from the test coils, a final magnet design, with the required enhancement and field profile, was generated. All mechanical and thermal design parameters were then also fixed. The superconducting magnet was then fabricated and tested. The first test was made with the magnet immersed in liquid helium at 4.2K. The second test was conducted at 2K in vacuum. In the latter test, the magnet was conduction cooled from the mounting flange end.

Liquid phase sintered superconducting cermet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ray, S.P.

1990-01-01

This patent describes a method of making a superconducting cermet having superconducting properties with improved bulk density, low porosity and in situ stabilization. It comprises: forming a structure of a superconducting ceramic material having the formula RM 2 Cu 3 O (6.5 + x) wherein R is one or more rare earth elements capable of reacting to form a superconducting ceramic, M is one or more alkaline earth metal elements selected from barium and strontium capable of reacting to form a superconducting ceramic, x is greater than 0 and less than 0.5; and a precious metal compound in solid form selected from the class consisting of oxides, sulfides and halides of silver; and liquid phase sintering the mixture at a temperature wherein the precious metal of the precious metal compound is molten and below the melting point of the ceramic material. The liquid phase sintering is carried out for a time less than 36 hours but sufficient to improve the bulk density of the cermet

Josephson current and Andreev level dynamics in nanoscale superconducting weak links

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunetti, Aldo

2014-11-15

In this thesis we focus on the interplay between proximity induced superconducting correlations and Coulomb interactions in a Josephson junction: i.e., in a system where two superconductors modeled as two s-wave superconductors at a phase difference φ are contacted by means of a weak link, in our case a quantum dot located in the contact. In the first part we study the Josephson current-phase relation for a multi-level quantum dot tunnel-contacted by two conventional s-waves superconductors. We determine in detail the conditions for observing a finite anomalous Josephson current, i.e. a supercurrent flowing at zero phase difference in a two-level dot with spin-orbit interactions, a weak magnetic (Zeeman) field, and in the presence of Coulomb interactions. This leads to an onset behavior I{sub a}∝sgn(B), interpreted as the sign of an incipient spontaneous breakdown of time-reversal symmetry. Moreover, we will provide conditions for realizing spatially separated - but topologically unprotected - Majorana bound states, whose signature in the system will be detectable via the current-phase relation. In the second part of the thesis, we address the Andreev bound state population dynamics in superconducting weak links (a superconducting 'atomic contact'), in which a poisoning mechanism due to the trapping of single quasiparticles can occur. Our motivation is that quantum coherent superconducting circuits are the most promising candidates for future large-scale quantum information processing devices. Moreover, quasiparticle poisoning has recently been observed in devices which contain a short superconducting weak link with few transport channels. We discuss a novel charge imbalance effect in the continuum quasiparticle population, which is due to phase fluctuations of the environment weakly coupled to the superconducting contact. This coupling enters the system as a transition rate connecting continuum quasiparticles and the Andreev bound state system. The

Assessment of the impact of HTSCs on superconducting fault-current limiters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giese, R.F.; Runde, M.

1992-01-01

The possible impact of nitrogen-cooled superconductors on the design and cost of superconducting fault-current limiters is assessed by considering the technical specifications such devices must meet and by comparing material properties of 77-K and 4-K superconductors. The main advantage of operating superconducting at 77 K is that the refrigeration operating cost is reduced by a factor of up to 25, and the refrigeration capital cost is reduced by a factor of up to 10. The heat capacity at 77 K is several orders of magnitude larger than at 4 K. This phenomenon increases conductor stability against flux jumps but makes switching from the superconducting to normal state slow and difficult. Therefore, a high critical current density, probably at least 10 5 A/cm 2 , is required

Advances in superconductivity: new materials, critical currents and devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinto, R.; Malik, S.K.; Grover, A.K.; Ayyub, P.

1997-01-01

The discovery of superconductivity in the cuprates produced an explosive growth in research, driven by the quest for higher and higher superconducting transition temperatures. In the initial stages, the excitement was tremendous both in the physical sciences and in engineering. However, the complexity of the new materials on the one hand, and the absence of a viable theory on the other, have made further developments much more difficult. It is to be expected therefore, that the early excitement and the subsequent rapid advances have paved the way for more systematic and detailed studies of all aspects of superconductivity. The International Symposium was intended to provide a forum to review the progress in selected areas in superconductivity. The emphasis was on experimental and theoretical studies of the new superconductors, advances in the theoretical understanding, progress in studies of flux pinning and vortex dynamics which affect critical currents, and developments of novel material synthesis methods. Recent developments in the twin areas of thin films and devices were extensively discussed during the symposium. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

SQUID Based Cryogenic Current Comparator for Measurements of the Dark Current of Superconducting Cavities

CERN Document Server

Vodel, W; Neubert, R; Nietzsche, S

2005-01-01

This contribution presents a LTS-SQUID based Cryogenic Current Comparator (CCC) for detecting dark currents, generated e.g. by superconducting cavities for the upcoming X-FEL project at DESY. To achieve the maximum possible energy the gradients of the superconducting RF cavities should be pushed close to the physical limit of 50 MV/m. The measurement of the undesired field emission of electrons (the so-called dark current) in correlation with the gradient will give a proper value to compare and classify the cavities. The main component of the CCC is a high performance LTS-DC SQUID system which is able to measure extremely low magnetic fields, e.g. caused by the extracted dark current. For this reason the input coil of the SQUID is connected across a special designed toroidal niobium pick-up coil (inner diameter: about 100 mm) for the passing electron beam. A noise limited current resolution of nearly 2 pA/√(Hz) with a measurement bandwidth of up to 70 kHz was achieved without the pick-up coil. Now, ...

Design and market considerations for axial flux superconducting electric machine design

Science.gov (United States)

Ainslie, M. D.; George, A.; Shaw, R.; Dawson, L.; Winfield, A.; Steketee, M.; Stockley, S.

2014-05-01

In this paper, the authors investigate a number of design and market considerations for an axial flux superconducting electric machine design that uses high temperature superconductors. The axial flux machine design is assumed to utilise high temperature superconductors in both wire (stator winding) and bulk (rotor field) forms, to operate over a temperature range of 65-77 K, and to have a power output in the range from 10s of kW up to 1 MW (typical for axial flux machines), with approximately 2-3 T as the peak trapped field in the bulk superconductors. The authors firstly investigate the applicability of this type of machine as a generator in small- and medium-sized wind turbines, including the current and forecasted market and pricing for conventional turbines. Next, a study is also carried out on the machine's applicability as an in-wheel hub motor for electric vehicles. Some recommendations for future applications are made based on the outcome of these two studies. Finally, the cost of YBCO-based superconducting (2G HTS) wire is analysed with respect to competing wire technologies and compared with current conventional material costs and current wire costs for both 1G and 2G HTS are still too great to be economically feasible for such superconducting devices.

Processing of bulk Bi-2223 high-temperature superconductor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Polasek

2005-12-01

Full Text Available The Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3 O10+x (Bi-2223 is one of the main high temperature superconductors for applications. One of these applications is the Superconductor Fault Current Limiter (SCFCL, which is a very promising high temperature superconducting device. SCFCL's can be improved by using bulk superconductors with high critical currents, which requires a sufficiently dense and textured material. In the present work, a process for improving the microstructure of Bi-2223 bulk samples is investigated. Pressed precursor blocks are processed by sintering with a further partial melting step, in order to enhance the Bi-2223 grain texture and to healing cracks induced by pressing. In order to improve the microstructure, the precursor is mixed with silver powder before pressing. Samples with and without silver powder have been studied, with the aim of investigating the influence of silver on the microstructure evolution. The phase contents and the microstructure obtained have been analyzed through XRD and SEM/EDS. The electromagnetic characterization has been performed by Magnetic Susceptibility Analysis. We present and discuss the process and the properties of the superconducting blocks. High fractions of textured Bi-2223 grains have been obtained.

Toward superconducting critical current by design

OpenAIRE

Sadovskyy, I. A.; Jia, Y.; Leroux, M.; Kwon, J.; Hu, H.; Fang, L.; Chaparro, C.; Zhu, S.; Welp, U.; Zuo, J. -M.; Zhang, Y.; Nakasaki, R.; Selvamanickam, V.; Crabtree, G. W.; Koshelev, A. E.

2015-01-01

We present the new paradigm of critical current by design. Analogous to materials by design, it aims at predicting the optimal defect landscape in a superconductor for targeted applications by elucidating the vortex dynamics responsible for the bulk critical current. To highlight this approach, we demonstrate the synergistic combination of critical current measurements on commercial high-temperature superconductors containing self-assembled and irradiation tailored correlated defects by using...

Toward Superconducting Critical Current by Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadovskyy, Ivan A; Jia, Ying; Leroux, Maxime; Kwon, Jihwan; Hu, Hefei; Fang, Lei; Chaparro, Carlos; Zhu, Shaofei; Welp, Ulrich; Zuo, Jian-Min; Zhang, Yifei; Nakasaki, Ryusuke; Selvamanickam, Venkat; Crabtree, George W; Koshelev, Alexei E; Glatz, Andreas; Kwok, Wai-Kwong

2016-06-01

A new critical-current-by-design paradigm is presented. It aims at predicting the optimal defect landscape in superconductors for targeted applications by elucidating the vortex dynamics responsible for the bulk critical current. To this end, critical current measurements on commercial high-temperature superconductors are combined with large-scale time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations of vortex dynamics. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Bulk viscosity in 2SC quark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alford, Mark G; Schmitt, Andreas

2007-01-01

The bulk viscosity of three-flavour colour-superconducting quark matter originating from the nonleptonic process u + s ↔ u + d is computed. It is assumed that up and down quarks form Cooper pairs while the strange quark remains unpaired (2SC phase). A general derivation of the rate of strangeness production is presented, involving contributions from a multitude of different subprocesses, including subprocesses that involve different numbers of gapped quarks as well as creation and annihilation of particles in the condensate. The rate is then used to compute the bulk viscosity as a function of the temperature, for an external oscillation frequency typical of a compact star r-mode. We find that, for temperatures far below the critical temperature T c for 2SC pairing, the bulk viscosity of colour-superconducting quark matter is suppressed relative to that of unpaired quark matter, but for T ∼> T c /30 the colour-superconducting quark matter has a higher bulk viscosity. This is potentially relevant for the suppression of r-mode instabilities early in the life of a compact star

Elimination of the induced current error in magnetometers using superconducting flux transformers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dummer, D.; Weyhmann, W.

1987-01-01

The changing magnetization of a sample in a superconducting flux transformer coupled magnetometer induces a current in the transformer which in turn changes the field at the sample. This ''image'' field and the error caused by it can be eliminated by sensing the current in the loop and nulling it by feedback through a mutual inductance. We have tested the technique on the superconducting transition of indium in an applied magnetic field and shown that the observed width of the transition is greatly reduced by maintaining zero current in the flux transformer

Effect of a superconducting coil as a fault current limiter on current density distribution in BSCCO tape after an over-current pulse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tallouli, M; Yamaguchi, S.; Shyshkin, O.

2017-01-01

The development of power transmission lines based on long-length high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes is complicated and technically challenging task. A serious problem for transmission line operation could become HTS power cable damage due to over-current pulse conditions. To avoid the cable damage in any urgent case the superconducting coil technology, i.e. superconductor fault current limiter (SFCL) is required. Comprehensive understanding of the current density characteristics of HTS tapes in both cases, either after pure over-current pulse or after over-current pulse limited by SFCL, is needed to restart or to continue the operation of the power transmission line. Moreover, current density distribution along and across the HTS tape provides us with the sufficient information about the quality of the tape performance in different current feeding regimes. In present paper we examine BSCCO HTS tape under two current feeding regimes. The first one is 100A feeding preceded by 900A over-current pulse. In this case none of tape protection was used. The second scenario is similar to the fist one but SFCL is used to limit an over-current value. For both scenarios after the pulse is gone and the current feeding is set up at 100A we scan magnetic field above the tape by means of Hall probe sensor. Then the feeding is turned of and the magnetic field scanning is repeated. Using the inverse problem numerical solver we calculate the corresponding direct and permanent current density distributions during the feeding and after switch off. It is demonstrated that in the absence of SFCL the current distribution is highly peaked at the tape center. At the same time the current distribution in the experiment with SFCL is similar to that observed under normal current feeding condition. The current peaking in the first case is explained by the effect of an opposite electric field induced at the tape edges during the overcurrent pulse decay, and by degradation of

A numerical study on the feasibility evaluation of a hybrid type superconducting fault current limiter applying thyristors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nam, Seok Ho; Lee, Woo Seung; Lee, Ji Ho; Hwang, Young Jin; Ko, Tae Kuk [Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-12-15

Smart fault current controller (SFCC) proposed in our previous work consists of a power converter, a high temperature superconducting (HTS) DC reactor, thyristors, and a control unit [1]. SFCC can limit and control the current by adjusting firing angles of thyristors when a fault occurs. SFCC has complex structure because the HTS DC reactor generates the loss under AC. To use the DC reactor under AC, rectifier that consists of four thyristors is needed and it increases internal resistance of SFCC. For this reason, authors propose a hybrid type superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL). The hybrid type SFCL proposed in this paper consists of a non-inductive superconducting coil and two thyristors. To verify the feasibility of the proposed hybrid type SFCL, simulations about the interaction of the superconducting coil and thyristors are conducted when fault current flows in the superconducting coil. Authors expect that the hybrid type SFCL can control the magnitude of the fault current by adjusting the firing angles of thyristors after the superconducting coil limits the fault current at first peak.

A numerical study on the feasibility evaluation of a hybrid type superconducting fault current limiter applying thyristors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, Seok Ho; Lee, Woo Seung; Lee, Ji Ho; Hwang, Young Jin; Ko, Tae Kuk

2013-01-01

Smart fault current controller (SFCC) proposed in our previous work consists of a power converter, a high temperature superconducting (HTS) DC reactor, thyristors, and a control unit [1]. SFCC can limit and control the current by adjusting firing angles of thyristors when a fault occurs. SFCC has complex structure because the HTS DC reactor generates the loss under AC. To use the DC reactor under AC, rectifier that consists of four thyristors is needed and it increases internal resistance of SFCC. For this reason, authors propose a hybrid type superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL). The hybrid type SFCL proposed in this paper consists of a non-inductive superconducting coil and two thyristors. To verify the feasibility of the proposed hybrid type SFCL, simulations about the interaction of the superconducting coil and thyristors are conducted when fault current flows in the superconducting coil. Authors expect that the hybrid type SFCL can control the magnitude of the fault current by adjusting the firing angles of thyristors after the superconducting coil limits the fault current at first peak.

Critical current of high Tc superconducting Bi223/Ag tapes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huang, Y.; ten Haken, Bernard; ten Kate, Herman H.J.

1998-01-01

The magnetic field dependence of the critical current of various high Tc superconducting Bi2223/Ag tapes indicates that the transport current is carried through two paths: one is through weakly-linked grain boundaries (Josephson junctions); another is through well-connected grains. The critical

Superconductivity in Mesocrystalline Inverse Opal Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Lungu, Anca; Bleiweiss, Michael; Saygi, Salih; Amirzadeh, Jafar; Datta, Timir

2000-03-01

Mesocrystalline inverse opal structures were fabricated by the electrodeposition of metallic lead in synthetic opals. In these structures, the superconducting regions percolate in all directions through the voids in the artificial opals and their size is comparable to the coherence length for bulk lead. The inverse lead opals were proven superconducting, with a transition temperature close to that of bulk lead (between 7.2 K and 7.36 K) and broad transition regions. The magnetic behavior of the inverse opals was very different from that of bulk lead. Due to the reduced dimensonality of the superconducting regions, not surprisingly, the magnetic properties of our samples were found to be similar to those of type II superconductors. The critical magnetic field (or the field at which T_copals was proven at least two times larger than that for bulk lead and (dT_c/dH) was observed 2.7 times smaller. We found a reversible ZFC-FC magnetic behavior in the temperature range between T* and T_c. We also performed magnetic relaxation measurements and studied the fluctuation diamagnetism above T_c.

Nonlinear AC susceptibility, surface and bulk shielding

Science.gov (United States)

van der Beek, C. J.; Indenbom, M. V.; D'Anna, G.; Benoit, W.

1996-02-01

We calculate the nonlinear AC response of a thin superconducting strip in perpendicular field, shielded by an edge current due to the geometrical barrier. A comparison with the results for infinite samples in parallel field, screened by a surface barrier, and with those for screening by a bulk current in the critical state, shows that the AC response due to a barrier has general features that are independent of geometry, and that are significantly different from those for screening by a bulk current in the critical state. By consequence, the nonlinear (global) AC susceptibility can be used to determine the origin of magnetic irreversibility. A comparison with experiments on a Bi 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8+δ crystal shows that in this material, the low-frequency AC screening at high temperature is mainly due to the screening by an edge current, and that this is the unique source of the nonlinear magnetic response at temperatures above 40 K.

Calculation of eddy-currents induced in a compact synchrotron superconducting magnet structure during a current ramp

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalsi, S.; Heese, R.

1991-01-01

Under DARPA sponsorship, a compact Superconducting X-Ray Light Source (SXLS) is being designed and built by the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) with industry participation from Grumman Corporation and General Dynamics. The SXLS machine employs two 180 degree curved 4 tesla superconducting dipole magnets. These magnets are required to produce a dipole field for bending the beam but at the same time they must produce finite amounts of higher multipoles which are required for conditioning the beam. In fact, uniformity of the field to less than 1 part in 10,000 must be maintained under all operating conditions. When a superconducting magnet is ramped from zero to full field, the changing magnetic field produces eddy-currents in the magnet structure which in turn can produce undesirable multipoles. This paper discusses a simple method for estimating these eddy-currents and their effect on the field harmonics. The paper presents the analysis basis and its application to the SXLS magnet support structure and to the beam chamber components

Structure re-determination and superconductivity observation of bulk 1T MoS{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fang, Yuqiang; He, Jianqiao; Bu, Kejun [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Materials Chemistry and Applications, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing (China); Pan, Jie; Wang, Dong; Che, Xiangli; Zhao, Wei; Lin, Tianquan [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai (China); Luo, Ruichun; Liu, Pan [State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai (China); Mu, Gang; Zhang, Hui [State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai (China); Huang, Fuqiang [State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai (China); State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Materials Chemistry and Applications, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing (China)

2018-01-26

2H MoS{sub 2} has been intensively studied because of its layer-dependent electronic structures and novel physical properties. Though the metastable 1T MoS{sub 2} with a [MoS{sub 6}] octahedron was observed over the microscopic area, the true crystal structure of 1T phase has not been strictly determined. Moreover, the true physical properties have not been demonstrated from experiments owing to the challenge for the preparation of pure 1T MoS{sub 2} crystals. 1T MoS{sub 2} single crystals were successfully synthesized and the crystal structure of 1T MoS{sub 2} re-determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction. 1T MoS{sub 2} crystallizes in the space group P anti 3m1 with a cell of a=b=3.190(3) Aa and c=5.945(6) Aa. The individual MoS{sub 2} layer consists of MoS{sub 6} octahedra sharing edges with each other. More surprisingly, the bulk 1T MoS{sub 2} crystals undergo a superconducting transition of T{sub c}=4 K, which is the first observation of superconductivity in pure 1T MoS{sub 2} phase. (copyright 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Tunnelling determined superconducting energy gap of bulk single crystal aluminum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Civiak, R.L.

1974-01-01

A procedure has been developed for fabricating Giaver tunnel junctions on bulk aluminum. Al-I-Ag junctions were prepared, where I is the naturally formed oxide on the polished, chemically treated aluminum surface. The aluminum energy gap was determined from tunneling conductance curves obtained from samples oriented in three different crystal directions, and as a function of magnetic field in each of these orientations. In contrast to the results of microwave absorption measurements on superconducting aluminum, no magnetic field dependence could be measured for either the average gap or the spread in gap values of the tunneling electrons. This is consistent with commonly accepted tunneling selection rules, and Garfunkel's interpretation of the microwave behavior which depended upon adjusting the energy spectrum of only the electrons traveling parallel to the surface in the presence of a magnetic field. The energy gaps measured for samples oriented in the 100, 110 and 111 directions are 3.52, 3.50 and 3.39 kT/sub c/, respectively. The trend in the anisotropy is the same as in the calculation of Leavens and Carbotte, however, the magnitude of the anisotropy is smaller than in their calculation and that which previous measurements have indicated

Highly Sensitive Measurements of the Dark Current of Superconducting Cavities for TESLA Using a SQUID Based Cryogenic Current Comparator

CERN Document Server

Vodel, W; Nietzsche, S

2004-01-01

This contribution presents a Cryogenic Current Comparator (CCC) as an excellent tool for detecting dark currents generated, e.g. by superconducting cavities for the upcoming TESLA project (X-FEL) at DESY. To achieve the maximum possible energy the gradient of the superconducting RF cavities should be pushed close to the physical limit of 50 MV/m. The undesired field emission of electrons (so-called dark current) of the superconducting RF cavities at strong fields may limit the maximum gradient. The absolute measurement of the dark current in correlation with the gradient will give a proper value to compare and classify the cavities. The main component of the CCC is a highly sensitive LTS-DC SQUID system which is able to measure extremely low magnetic fields, e.g. caused by the dark current. For this reason the input coil of the SQUID is connected across a special designed toroidal niobium pick-up coil for the passing electron beam. A noise limited current resolution of nearly 2 pA/√(Hz) with a measu...

Highly oriented Bi-system bulk sample prepared by a decomposition-crystallization process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xi Zhengping; Zhou Lian; Ji Chunlin

1992-01-01

A decomposition-crystallization method, preparing highly oriented Bi-system bulk sample is reported. The effects of processing parameter, decomposition temperature, cooling rate and post-treatment condition on texture and superconductivity are investigated. The method has successfully prepared highly textured Bi-system bulk samples. High temperature annealing does not destroy the growing texture, but the cooling rate has some effect on texture and superconductivity. Annealing in N 2 /O 2 atmosphere can improve superconductivity of the textured sample. The study on the superconductivity of the Bi(Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O bulk material has been reported in numerous papers. The research on J c concentrates on the tape containing the 2223 phase, with very few studies on the J c of bulk sample. The reason for the lack of studies is that the change of superconducting phases at high temperatures has not been known. The authors have reported that the 2212 phase incongruently melted at about 875 degrees C and proceeded to orient the c-axis perpendicular to the surface in the process of crystallization of the 2212 phase. Based on that result, a decomposition-crystallization method was proposed to prepare highly oriented Bi-system bulk sample. In this paper, the process is described in detail and the effects of processing parameters on texture and superconductivity are reported

Hybrid superconducting a.c. current limiter extrapolation 63 kV-1 250 A

Science.gov (United States)

Tixador, P.; Levêque, J.; Brunet, Y.; Pham, V. D.

1994-04-01

Following the developement of a.c. superconducting wires a.c. current superconducting limiters have emerged. These limiters limit the fault currents nearly instantaneously, without detection nor order giver and may be suitable for high voltages. They are based on the natural transition from the superconducting state to the normal resistive state by overstepping the critical current of a superconducting coil which limits or triggers the limitation. Our limiter device consists essentially of two copper windings coupled through a saturable magnetic circuit and of a non inductively wound superconducting coil with a reduced current compared to the line current. This design allows a simple superconducting cable and reduced cryogenic losses but the dielectric stresses are high during faults. A small model (150 V/50 A) has experimentally validated our design. An industrial scale current limiter is designed and the comparisons between this design and other superconducting current limiters are given. Les courants de court-circuit sur les grands réseaux électriques ne cessent d'augmenter. Dans ce contexte sont apparus les limiteurs supraconducteurs de courant suite au développement des brins supraconducteurs alternatifs. Ces limiteurs peuvent limiter les courants de défaut presque instantanément, sans détection de défaut ni donneur d'ordre et ils sont extrapolables aux hautes tensions. Ils sont fondés sur la transition naturelle de l'état supraconducteur à l'état normal très résistif par dépassement du courant critique d'un enroulement supraconducteur qui limite ou déclenche la limitation. Notre limiteur est composé de deux enroulements en cuivre couplés par un circuit magnétique saturable et d'une bobine supraconductrice à courant réduit par rapport au courant de la ligne. Cette conception permet un câble supraconducteur simple et des pertes cryogéniques réduites mais les contraintes diélectriques en régime de défaut sont importantes. Une maquette

Spin currents, relativistic effects and the Darwin interaction in the theory of hole superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirsch, J.E.

2005-01-01

The existence of macroscopic spin currents in the ground state of superconductors is predicted within the theory of hole superconductivity. Here it is shown that the electromagnetic Darwin interaction is attractive for spin currents and repulsive for charge currents. It is also shown that the mere existence of spin currents implies that some electrons are moving at relativistic speeds in macroscopic superconductors, which in turn implies that the Darwin interaction plays a fundamental role in stabilizing the superconducting state

Development of an air coil superconducting fault current limiter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naeckel, Oliver

2016-07-01

Electrical power grids are the lifeline of technical infrastructure and fundamental for industry and modern lives. Fault Currents can disrupt the continuous supply of electrical energy, cause instable grid conditions and damage electrical equipment. The Air Coil Superconducting Fault Current Limiter (AC-SFCL) is a measure to effectively limit fault currents. The concept is investigated and proven experimentally by designing, building and successfully testing a 60 kV, 400 V, z=6% demonstrator.

Development of Bulk Bi2+xSr3-yCa yCu 2O8+delta Superconductors by Partial-Melting Route for Fault Current Limiters Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bojan A. Marinkovic

2002-06-01

Full Text Available The production of bulk Bi2+xSr3-yCa yCu 2O8+delta (Bi-2212 superconductors for fault current limiter application was developed via a partial-melting route. Aiming high Ic (critical current, which is the essential superconducting characteristic for application of this material in the construction of Fault Current Limiters (FCL, the produced blocks have predominance of Bi-2212 phase (83 wt%, which characterizes with high values of zero and onset transport critical temperature of 92K and 97.5K, respectively. A relatively low transition width, deltaT, from the superconducting to the normal state of 5.5K, revealed a good intergrain connectivity. Consequently, current measurements on the blocks of Bi-2212 show promising Ic values of 230A and 850A for direct and alternate current, respectively. It is expected that further increases in the Ic values will depend on the elimination of an observed amorphous phase and further reduction of amount and grain sizes of secondary phases, still present in the blocks obtained by the proposed partial-melting route. This may be achieved by a further optimization of the partial-melting processing parameters.

Superconducting and normal state properties of carbon doped and neutron irradiated MgB2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilke, R.H.T.; Samuely, P.; Szabo, P.; Holanova, Z.; Bud'ko, S.L.; Canfield, P.C.; Finnemore, D.K.

2007-01-01

Current research in MgB 2 focuses on the effects various types of perturbations have on the superconducting properties of this novel two-gap superconductor. In this article we summarize the effects of carbon doping and neutron irradiation in bulk MgB 2 . Low levels of carbon doping and light neutron irradiation result in significant enhancements in H c2 . At high fluences, where superconductivity is nearly fully suppressed, superconductivity can be restored through post exposure annealing. However, this results in a change in the interdependencies of the normal state and superconducting properties (ρ 0 , T c , H c2 ), with little or no enhancement in H c2

Flux-lock type of superconducting fault current limiters: A comprehensive review

Science.gov (United States)

Badakhshan, M.; Mousavi G., S. M.

2018-04-01

Power systems must be developed and extended to supply the continuous enhancement of demands for electrical energy. This development of systems in addition to the integration of distributed generation (DG) units to the power systems results higher capacity of system. Hence, short circuit current of network is confronted with persistent increasing. Since exploration of high temperature superconducting (HTS) materials, superconducting fault current limiters (SFCLs) have attracted a lot of attention all over the world. There are different types of SFCLs. Flux-lock type of SFCL because of its characteristics in fault current limitation is an important category of SFCLs. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review of research activities and applications of Flux-lock type of SFCLs in power systems.

Concentration polarization, surface currents, and bulk advection in a microchannel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Christoffer Peder; Bruus, Henrik

2014-01-01

. A remarkable outcome of the investigations is the discovery of strong couplings between bulk advection and the surface current; without a surface current, bulk advection is strongly suppressed. The numerical simulations are supplemented by analytical models valid in the long channel limit as well...... as in the limit of negligible surface charge. By including the effects of diffusion and advection in the diffuse part of the electric double layers, we extend a recently published analytical model of overlimiting current due to surface conduction....

Current contact device for a superconducting magnet coil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hieronymus, H.

1987-01-01

The invention concerns a current supply device for a superconducting magnet coil to be shortcircuited, with a separating device per coil end, which contains a fixed cooled contact and a moving contact connected to a power supply device and a mechanical actuating device for closing and opening the contacts. When closing the heated contact on to the cooled contact, relatively large quantities of heat can be transferred to the cooled contact and therefore to the connected superconducting coil end and can cause normal conduction there. The invention therefore provides that the mass ratio of the cooled contact to the moving contact is at least 5:1, preferably at least 10:1, and that the cooled contact part is provided, at the end away from the contact area, with means for increasing the area, for example cooling fins and is connected to the coil end has a thermal resistance between the contact area and the coil end of at least 0.2 k/W, preferably at least 0.5 k/W per 1000 A of current to be transmitted. (orig.) [de

A study of an active magnetic shielding method for the superconductive Maglev vehicle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemoto, K.; Komori, M.

2010-01-01

Various methods of magnetic shielding have been studied so far to reduce magnetic field strength inside the passenger room of the superconductive Maglev vehicle. Magnetic shielding methods with ferromagnetic materials are very useful, but they tend to be heavier for large space. Though some passive magnetic shielding methods using induced currents in superconducting bulks or superconducting coils have also been studied, the induced current is relatively small and it is difficult to get satisfactory magnetic shielding performance for the passenger room of the Maglev vehicle. Thus, we have proposed an active magnetic shielding method with some superconducting coils of the same length as propulsion-levitation-guidance superconducting coils of the Maglev vehicle. They are arranged under the passenger room of the Maglev vehicle. Then, we studied the shielding effect by canceling magnetic flux density in the passenger room by way of adjusting magnetomotive-forces of the magnetic shielding coils. As a result, it is found that a simple arrangement of two magnetic shielding coils for one propulsion-levitation-guidance superconducting coil on the vehicle shows an effective magnetic shielding.

A study of an active magnetic shielding method for the superconductive Maglev vehicle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nemoto, K., E-mail: nemoto@kamakuranet.ne.j [Kyushu Institute of Technology, Dept. of Applied Science for Integrated System Engineering, 1-1 Sensui, Tobata, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 804-8550 (Japan); Komori, M. [Kyushu Institute of Technology, Dept. of Applied Science for Integrated System Engineering, 1-1 Sensui, Tobata, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 804-8550 (Japan)

2010-11-01

Various methods of magnetic shielding have been studied so far to reduce magnetic field strength inside the passenger room of the superconductive Maglev vehicle. Magnetic shielding methods with ferromagnetic materials are very useful, but they tend to be heavier for large space. Though some passive magnetic shielding methods using induced currents in superconducting bulks or superconducting coils have also been studied, the induced current is relatively small and it is difficult to get satisfactory magnetic shielding performance for the passenger room of the Maglev vehicle. Thus, we have proposed an active magnetic shielding method with some superconducting coils of the same length as propulsion-levitation-guidance superconducting coils of the Maglev vehicle. They are arranged under the passenger room of the Maglev vehicle. Then, we studied the shielding effect by canceling magnetic flux density in the passenger room by way of adjusting magnetomotive-forces of the magnetic shielding coils. As a result, it is found that a simple arrangement of two magnetic shielding coils for one propulsion-levitation-guidance superconducting coil on the vehicle shows an effective magnetic shielding.

Critical currents in multilayered superconducting films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raffy, Helene

1977-01-01

The superconducting critical currents Isub(c) were measured as a function of magnetic field H and temperature T, on multilayered films. These films consist of alternating layers of two different superconductors S 1 and S 2 being a weaker superconductor acting as a flux pinning barrier region. A strong anisotropy was observed between the two situations where the magnetic field H is applied parallel or perpendicular to the layers. In the case discussed, there is a peak effect in the curves Isub(c)H well defined at the highest temperatures, and disappearing at low temperatures. The anisotropy of the critical current at constant field presents a maximum at a temperature T* close to the critical temperature Tsub(c 2 ) of S 2 [fr

Report on the achievements in fiscal 1999. Research and development on a basic technology to apply superconductivity (Research and development on a basic technology to apply superconductivity); 1999 nendo chodendo oyo kiban gijutsu kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Chodendo oyo kiban gijutsu kenkyu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-05-01

The development of a basic technology to improve superconductivity characteristics has performed (1) studies on the high-temperature superconductivity mechanism, (2) studies on the critical current mechanism, and (3) search for materials. In Item (1), composition and temperature dependence were investigated by measuring superconductivity gap and change in the electron state of pseudo gap using photo-electron spectra and Raman scattering spectra. In Item (2), magnetic flux behavior in the vicinity of the irreversible line was investigated on magnetic flux dynamics of Bi2212 by measuring magnetic resistance and magnetization. High viscosity condition having strong magnetic flux liquid zone was discovered. In Item (3), Sr was used in place of Ba as the constituting element, and several new mercury-based superconductors were synthesized successfully by using the high pressure synthesizing method. In developing superconductive bulk materials and wire materials, elucidation was given on (1) an element technology for high magnetic power bulk materials, (2) an element technology for high critical temperature bulk materials, (3) a fundamental technology for manufacturing next generation wire materials, (4) a fundamental technology for manufacturing next generation large current conductors, and (5) growth mechanism in wire material crystals. Development of laminating and processing technologies for superconductive materials has worked on (1) a single crystal substrate technology, (2) a thin film lamination technology, (3) a standard bonding technology, (4) an advanced bonding technology, and (5) a thin film and bond evaluation technology. (NEDO)

Modelling of bulk superconductor magnetization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ainslie, M D; Fujishiro, H

2015-01-01

This paper presents a topical review of the current state of the art in modelling the magnetization of bulk superconductors, including both (RE)BCO (where RE = rare earth or Y) and MgB 2 materials. Such modelling is a powerful tool to understand the physical mechanisms of their magnetization, to assist in interpretation of experimental results, and to predict the performance of practical bulk superconductor-based devices, which is particularly important as many superconducting applications head towards the commercialization stage of their development in the coming years. In addition to the analytical and numerical techniques currently used by researchers for modelling such materials, the commonly used practical techniques to magnetize bulk superconductors are summarized with a particular focus on pulsed field magnetization (PFM), which is promising as a compact, mobile and relatively inexpensive magnetizing technique. A number of numerical models developed to analyse the issues related to PFM and optimise the technique are described in detail, including understanding the dynamics of the magnetic flux penetration and the influence of material inhomogeneities, thermal properties, pulse duration, magnitude and shape, and the shape of the magnetization coil(s). The effect of externally applied magnetic fields in different configurations on the attenuation of the trapped field is also discussed. A number of novel and hybrid bulk superconductor structures are described, including improved thermal conductivity structures and ferromagnet–superconductor structures, which have been designed to overcome some of the issues related to bulk superconductors and their magnetization and enhance the intrinsic properties of bulk superconductors acting as trapped field magnets. Finally, the use of hollow bulk cylinders/tubes for shielding is analysed. (topical review)

The formation of Cooper pairs and the nature of superconducting currents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weisskopf, V.F.

1979-12-01

A simple physical explanation is given for the formation of Cooper pairs in a superconducting metal, for the origin of the attractive force causing the binding of the pairs, for the forming of a degenerate Bose gas by the Cooper pairs, for the finite energy gap that prevents the ensemble of electrons to change its quantum state at low temperatures, and for the existence of permanent currents in a superconducting wire. (orig.)

The formation of Cooper pairs and the nature of superconducting currents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weisskopf, V.F.

1981-01-01

A simple physical explanation is given for the formation of Cooper pairs in a superconducting metal, for the origin of the attractive force causing the binding of the pairs, for the forming of a degenerate Bose gas by the Cooper pairs, for the finite energy gap that prevents the ensemble of electrons from changing its quantum state at low temperatures, and for the existence of permanent currents in a superconducting wire. (author)

Design and Test of a Thermal Triggered Persistent Current System using High Temperature Superconducting Tapes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Dong Keun [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Shinchon-Dong 134, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Hyoungku [Electro-Mechanical Research Institute, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Yongin (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Min Cheol [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Shinchon-Dong 134, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Seong Eun [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Shinchon-Dong 134, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Yong Soo [Department of Electrical Engineering, Ansan College of Technology, 671 Choji-Dong, Danwon-Gu, Ansan, 425-792 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sang Jin [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Shinchon-Dong 134, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Ko, Tae Kuk [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Shinchon-Dong 134, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2006-06-01

A superconducting magnet which is operated in persistent current mode in SMES, NMR, MRI and MAGLEV has many advantages such as high uniformity of magnetic field and reduced thermal loss. A high temperature superconducting (HTS) persistent current switch (PCS) system was designed and tested in this research. The HTS PCS was optimally designed using two different HTS tapes, second generation coated conductor (CC) HTS tape and Bi-2223 HTS tape by the finite element method (FEM) in thermal quench characteristic view. The CC tape is more prospective applicable wire in these days for its high n value and critical current independency from external magnetic field than Bi-2223 tape. Also a prototype PCS system using Bi-2223 tape was manufactured and tested. The PCS system consists of a PCS part, a heater which induces the PCS to quench, and a superconducting magnet. The test was performed in various conditions of transport current. An initial current decay appeared when the superconducting magnet was energized in a PCS system was analyzed. This paper would be foundation of HTS PCS researches.

Non-equilibrium properties of Josephson critical current in Nb-based three terminal superconducting tunnel devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ammendola, G.; Parlato, L.; Peluso, G.; Pepe, G.

1998-01-01

Tunnel quasi-particle injection into a superconducting film provides useful information on the non-equilibrium state inside the perturbed superconductor as well as on the potential application to electronic devices. Three terminal injector-detector superconducting devices have a long history in non-equilibrium superconductivity. In the recent past non-equilibrium phenomena have attracted again considerable attention because of many superconducting based detectors involve processes substantially non-equilibrium in nature. The possibility of using a stacked double tunnel junction to study the influence of non-equilibrium superconductivity on the Josephson critical current is now considered. An experimental study of the effect of quasi-particle injection on the Josephson current both in steady-state and pulsed experiments down to T=1.2 K is presented using 3 terminal Nb-based stacked double tunnel devices. The feasibility of a new class of particle detectors based on the direct measurement of the change in the Josephson current following the absorption of a X-ray quantum is also discussed in terms of non-equilibrium theories. (orig.)

Calculation of eddy-currents induced in a compact synchrotron superconducting magnet structure during a current ramp

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalsi, S.

1991-01-01

Under DARPA sponsorship, a compact Superconducting X-Ray Light Source (SXSL) is being designed and built by the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) with industry participation from Grumman Corporation and General Dynamics. The SXLS machine employs two 180 degrees curved 4 telsa superconducting dipole magnets. These magnets are required to produce a dipole field for bending the beam but at the same time they must produce finite amounts of higher multipoles which are required for conditioning the beam. In fact uniformity of the field to less than 1 part in 10,000 must be maintained under all operating conditions. When a superconducting magnet is ramped from zero to full field, the changing magnetic field produces eddy-currents in the magnet structure which in turn can produce undesirable multipoles. This paper discusses a simple method for estimating these eddy-currents and their effect on the field harmonics. The paper present the analysis basis and its application to the SXLS magnet support structure and to the beam chamber components. 5 figs., 1 tab

Improvement in operational characteristics of KEPCO’s line-commutation-type superconducting hybrid fault current limiter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yim, S.-W.; Park, B.-C.; Jeong, Y.-T.; Kim, Y.-J.; Yang, S.-E.; Kim, W.-S.; Kim, H.-R.; Du, H.-I.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A line-commutation type hybrid FCL was modified for 1st peak current limitation. ► A superconducting module of current limitation and fault detection was fabricated. ► The superconducting module was applied to a hybrid FCL system and tested. ► 7.4 kA p fault current was limited to 4.3 kA p at the first-half cycle by the FCL. -- Abstract: A 22.9 kV class hybrid fault current limiter (FCL) developed by Korea Electric Power Corporation and LS Industrial Systems in 2006 operates using the line commutation mechanism and begins to limit the fault current after the first half-cycle. The first peak of the fault current is available for protective coordination in the power system. However, it also produces a large electromagnetic force and imposes a huge stress on power facilities such as the main transformer and gas-insulated switchgear. In this study, we improved the operational characteristics of the hybrid FCL in order to reduce the first peak of the fault current. While maintaining the structure of the hybrid FCL system, we developed a superconducting module that detects and limits the fault current during the first half-cycle. To maintain the protective coordination capacity, the hybrid FCL was designed to reduce the first peak value of the fault current by up to approximately 30%. The superconducting module was also designed to produce a minimum AC loss, generating a small, uniform magnetic field distribution during normal operation. Performance tests confirmed that when applied to the hybrid FCL, the superconducting module showed successful current limiting operation without any damage

Application of radiofrequency superconductivity to accelerators for high-current ion beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delayen, J.R.; Bohn, C.L.; Kennedy, W.L.; Roche, C.T.; Sagalovsky, L.

1992-01-01

A development program is underway to apply rf superconductivity to the design of continuous-wave (cw) linear accelerators for high-current, high-brightness ion beam. During the last few years, considerable progress has been made both experimentally and theoretically toward this application. Recent tests of niobium resonators for ion acceleration have yielded average accelerating gradients as high as 18 MV/m. In an experiment with a radio-frequency quadrupole geometry, niobium was found to sustain cw peak surface electric fields as high as 128 MV/m over large (10 cm) surface areas. Theoretical studies of beam halo, cumulative beam breakup and alternating-phase focusing have also yielded important results. This paper su-summarizes the recent progress and identifies current and future work in the areas of superconducting accelerator technology for high-current ion beams

Inductive fault current limiter based on multiple superconducting rings of small diameter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osorio, M R; Cabo, L; Veira, J A; Vidal, F

2004-01-01

We present a fault current limiter prototype based on the use of a secondary comprised of an array of magnetic cores of small sections, each one of them with several superconducting rings. The main advantage of this configuration is that it is easier to make small diameter superconducting rings which, in addition, are more homogeneous and allow better refrigeration. We then present detailed measurements that show that, in addition to these advantages, this prototype offers the same limitation performances than when using a unique core and a superconducting ring with an equivalent area as the array of small section cores

Current limiting experiment with 600 V/100A rectification type superconducting fault current limiter; 600 V-100A kyu seiryugata chodendo genryuki no genryu shiken

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuzaki, J.; Tsurunaga, K.; Urata, M. [Toshiba Corp., Tokyo (Japan); Okuma, T.; Sato, Y.; Iwata, Y. [Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc., Tokyo (Japan)

1999-06-07

The rectification type current limiter with the current-limiting system of the new type which combined rectifier circuits with the direct current reactor has been proposed until now, and it has succeeded in the current-limiting test by the normal conduction reactor by the 6.6kV class model vessel. Since the loss of the conductor becomes fundamentally the zero, in the same current limiter, by using superconducting wire rod, because direct current always flows in the reactor, making into low-loss becomes possible. In this report, this paper describes cut-off characteristic of 600V/100A rectification type superconductive current limiter using the metal type superconductive conductor. (NEDO)

Calculation of persistent currents in superconducting magnets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Völlinger

2000-12-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a semianalytical hysteresis model for hard superconductors. The model is based on the critical state model considering the dependency of the critical current density on the varying local field in the superconducting filaments. By combining this hysteresis model with numerical field computation methods, it is possible to calculate the persistent current multipole errors in the magnet taking local saturation effects in the magnetic iron parts into consideration. As an application of the method, the use of soft magnetic iron sheets (coil protection sheets mounted between the coils and the collars for partial compensation of the multipole errors during the ramping of the magnets is investigated.

Recent progress in material technology on RE-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teshima, Hidekazu; Morita, Mitsuru

2011-01-01

The current status of large-grained RE-Ba-Cu-O (RE: Y or rare earth elements) bulk superconductors with excellent superconducting properties is described. Gd-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductors can trap a very high magnetic field even if they are melt-processed in air. Although the electromagnetic force caused by the trapped field is larger for a larger sample and may break the sample, a large sample of Gd-Ba-Cu-O 46 mm in diameter has the potential of trapped magnetic fields greater than 10 T at around 40 K. In addition, single-grained bulk superconductors as large as 150 mm can be obtained using the RE compositional gradient method. Dy-Ba-Cu-O is an ideal material for current leads because it has low thermal conductivity and high critical current density at 77 K in high magnetic fields. Eu-Ba-Cu-O has low magnetic permeability, and is therefore suitable for bulk NMR applications. Progress in machining technology has made possible various bulk superconductors with complicated shapes such as coils, leading to small and strong electromagnets by stacking several coil-shaped bulk superconductors together. (author)

Quantitative analysis of Josephson-quasiparticle current in superconducting single-electron transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Y.; Chen, C.D.; Tsai, J.S.

1996-01-01

We have investigated Josephson-quasiparticle (JQP) current in superconducting single-electron transistors in which charging energy E C was larger than superconducting gap energy Δ and junction resistances were much larger than R Q ≡h/4e 2 . We found that not only the shapes of the JQP peaks but also their absolute height were reproduced quantitatively with a theory by Averin and Aleshkin using a Josephson energy of Ambegaokar-Baratoff close-quote s value. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Improved critical current densities and compressive strength in porous superconducting structures containing calcium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walsh, D; Hall, S R; Wimbush, S C

2008-01-01

Templated control of crystallization by biopolymers is a new technique in the synthesis of high temperature superconducting phases. By controlling the way YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (Y123) materials crystallize and are organized in three dimensions, the critical current density can be improved. In this work, we present the results of doping superconducting sponges with calcium ions, which result in higher critical current densities (J c ) and improved compressive strength compared to that of commercially available Y123, in spite of minor reductions in T c . Y123 synthesis using the biopolymer dextran achieves not only an extremely effective oxygenation of the superconductor but also an in situ template-directing of the crystal morphology producing high J c , homogeneous superconducting structures with nano-scale crystallinity

Development of superconductor bulk for superconductor bearing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Chan Joong; Jun, Byung Hyuk; Park, Soon Dong (and others)

2008-08-15

Current carrying capacity is one of the most important issues in the consideration of superconductor bulk materials for engineering applications. There are numerous applications of Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) bulk superconductors e.g. magnetic levitation train, flywheel energy storage system, levitation transportation, lunar telescope, centrifugal device, magnetic shielding materials, bulk magnets etc. Accordingly, to obtain YBCO materials in the form of large, single crystals without weak-link problem is necessary. A top seeded melt growth (TSMG) process was used to fabricate single crystal YBCO bulk superconductors. The seeded and infiltration growth (IG) technique was also very promising method for the synthesis of large, single-grain YBCO bulk superconductors with good superconducting properties. 5 wt.% Ag doped Y211 green compacts were sintered at 900 .deg. C {approx} 1200 .deg.C and then a single crystal YBCO was fabricated by an infiltration method. A refinement and uniform distribution of the Y211 particles in the Y123 matrix were achieved by sintering the Ag-doped samples. This enhancement of the critical current density was ascribable to a fine dispersion of the Y211 particles, a low porosity and the presence of Ag particles. In addition, we have designed and manufactured large YBCO single domain with levitation force of 10-13 kg/cm{sup 2} using TSMG processing technique.

Surface flux density distribution characteristics of bulk high-T c superconductor in external magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishikawa, H.; Torii, S.; Yuasa, K.

2005-01-01

This paper describes the measured results of the two-dimensional flux density distribution of a YBCO bulk under applied AC magnetic fields with various frequency. Melt-processed oxide superconductors have been developed in order to obtain strong pinning forces. Various electric mechanical systems or magnetic levitation systems use those superconductors. The major problem is that cracks occur because the bulk superconductors are brittle. The bulk may break in magnetizing process after cracks make superconducting state instable. The trapped flux density and the permanent current characteristics of bulk superconductors have been analyzed, so as to examine the magnetizing processes or superconducting states of the bulk. In those studies, the two-dimensional surface flux density distributions of the bulk in static fields are discussed. On the other hand, the distributions in dynamic fields are little discussed. We attempted to examine the states of the bulk in the dynamic fields, and made a unique experimental device which has movable sensors synchronized with AC applied fields. As a result, the two-dimensional distributions in the dynamic fields are acquired by recombining the one-dimensional distributions. The dynamic states of the flux of the bulk and the influences of directions of cracks are observed from the distributions. In addition, a new method for measuring two-dimensional flux density distribution under dynamic magnetic fields is suggested

Nematicity, magnetism and superconductivity in FeSe.

Science.gov (United States)

Böhmer, Anna E; Kreisel, Andreas

2018-01-17

Iron-based superconductors are well known for their complex interplay between structure, magnetism and superconductivity. FeSe offers a particularly fascinating example. This material has been intensely discussed because of its extended nematic phase, whose relationship with magnetism is not obvious. Superconductivity in FeSe is highly tunable, with the superconducting transition temperature, T c , ranging from 8 K in bulk single crystals at ambient pressure to almost 40 K under pressure or in intercalated systems, and to even higher temperatures in thin films. In this topical review, we present an overview of nematicity, magnetism and superconductivity, and discuss the interplay of these phases in FeSe. We focus on bulk FeSe and the effects of physical pressure and chemical substitutions as tuning parameters. The experimental results are discussed in the context of the well-studied iron-pnictide superconductors and interpretations from theoretical approaches are presented.

Effect of coupling currents on the dynamic inductance during fast transient in superconducting magnets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Marinozzi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available We present electromagnetic models aiming to calculate the variation of the inductance in a magnet due to dynamic effects such as the variation of magnetization or the coupling with eddy currents. The models are studied with special regard to the calculation of the inductance in superconducting magnets which are affected by interfilament coupling currents. The developed models have been compared with experimental data coming from tests of prototype Nb_{3}Sn magnets designed for the new generation of accelerators. This work is relevant for the quench protection study of superconducting magnets: quench is an unwanted event, when part of the magnet becomes resistive; in these cases, the current should be discharged as fast as possible, in order to maintain the resistive zone temperature under a safe limit. The magnet inductance is therefore a relevant term for the description of the current discharge, especially for the high-field new generation superconducting magnets for accelerators, and this work shows how to calculate the correct value during rapid current changes, providing a mean for simulations of the reached temperature.

Critical current degradation in superconducting niobium-titanium alloys in external magnetic fields under loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bojko, V.S.; Lazareva, M.B.; Starodubov, Ya.D.; Chernyj, O.V.; Gorbatenko, V.M.

1992-01-01

The effect of external magnetic fields on the stress at which the critical current starts to degrade (the degradation threshold σ 0 e ) under mechanical loads in superconducting Nb-Ti alloys is studied and a possible mechanism of realization of the effect observed is proposed.It is assumed that additional stresses on the transformation dislocation from the external magnetic fields are beneficial for the growth of martensite inclusions whose superconducting parameters (critical current density j k and critical temperature T k ) are lower then those in the initial material.The degradation threshold is studied experimentally in external magnetic fields H up to 7 T.The linear dependence σ 0 e (H) is observed.It is shown that external magnetic fields play an important role in the critical current degradation at the starting stages of deformation.This fact supports the assumption that the degradation of superconducting parameters under loading are due to the phenomenon of superelasticity,i.e. a reversible load-induced change in the martensite inclusions sizes rather than the reversible mechanical twinning.The results obtained are thought to be important to estimating superconducting solenoid stability in a wide range of magnetic fields

Magnetic response and critical current properties of mesoscopic-size YBCO superconducting samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lisboa-Filho, P N; Deimling, C V; Ortiz, W A

2010-01-01

In this contribution superconducting specimens of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ were synthesized by a modified polymeric precursor method, yielding a ceramic powder with particles of mesoscopic-size. Samples of this powder were then pressed into pellets and sintered under different conditions. The critical current density was analyzed by isothermal AC-susceptibility measurements as a function of the excitation field, as well as with isothermal DC-magnetization runs at different values of the applied field. Relevant features of the magnetic response could be associated to the microstructure of the specimens and, in particular, to the superconducting intra- and intergranular critical current properties.

Magnetic response and critical current properties of mesoscopic-size YBCO superconducting samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lisboa-Filho, P N [UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista, Grupo de Materiais Avancados, Departamento de Fisica, Bauru (Brazil); Deimling, C V; Ortiz, W A, E-mail: plisboa@fc.unesp.b [Grupo de Supercondutividade e Magnetismo, Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos (Brazil)

2010-01-15

In this contribution superconducting specimens of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}} were synthesized by a modified polymeric precursor method, yielding a ceramic powder with particles of mesoscopic-size. Samples of this powder were then pressed into pellets and sintered under different conditions. The critical current density was analyzed by isothermal AC-susceptibility measurements as a function of the excitation field, as well as with isothermal DC-magnetization runs at different values of the applied field. Relevant features of the magnetic response could be associated to the microstructure of the specimens and, in particular, to the superconducting intra- and intergranular critical current properties.

Energy of magnetic moment of superconducting current in magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurtovoi, V.L.; Nikulov, A.V.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Quantization effects observed in superconducting loops are considered. • The energy of magnetic moment in magnetic field can not be deduced from Hamiltonian. • This energy is deduced from a history of the current state in the classical case. • It can not be deduced directly in the quantum case. • Taking this energy into account demolishes agreement between theory and experiment. - Abstract: The energy of magnetic moment of the persistent current circulating in superconducting loop in an externally produced magnetic field is not taken into account in the theory of quantization effects because of identification of the Hamiltonian with the energy. This identification misleads if, in accordance with the conservation law, the energy of a state is the energy expended for its creation. The energy of magnetic moment is deduced from a creation history of the current state in magnetic field both in the classical and quantum case. But taking this energy into account demolishes the agreement between theory and experiment. Impartial consideration of this problem discovers the contradiction both in theory and experiment

Bipolar programmable current supply for superconducting nuclear magnetic resonance magnets

Science.gov (United States)

Koivuniemi, Jaakko; Luusalo, Reeta; Hakonen, Pertti

1998-09-01

In high resolution continuous-wave nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) work well-reproducible, linear sweeps of current are needed. We have developed a microcontroller based programmable current supply, tested with superconducting magnets with inductance of 10 mH and 10 H. We achieved a resolution and noise of 4 ppm. The supply has an internal sweep with programmable ramping rate and a possibility for remote operation from a computer with either GPIB or RS232 interface. It is based on an 18-bit D/A converter. The maximum output current is ±10 A, the sweep rate can be set between 1 μA/s-140 mA/s, and the maximum output voltage is ±2.5 V. In work at ultralow temperatures, especially in superconducting quantum interference device NMR, all rf interference to the experiment should be avoided. One of the sources of this kind of unwanted input is the digital switching noise of fast logic devices. We discuss this problem in the context of our design.

Overview of superconducting RF technology and its application to high-current linacs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delayen, J.R.; Bohn, C.L.

1994-01-01

Superconducting linacs may be a viable option for high-current applications such as copious neutron production like that needed for transmutation of radioactive waste. These linacs must run reliably for many years and allow easy routine maintenance. superconducting cavities operate efficiently with high cw gradients, properties which help to reduce operating and capital costs. However, cost effectiveness is not the sole consideration in these applications. For example, beam impingement must be essentially eliminated to prevent unsafe radioactivation of the accelerating structures, and thus large apertures are needed through which to pass the beam. Because of their high efficiency, superconducting cavities can be designed with very large bore apertures, thereby reducing the effect of beam impingement

Computational methods in calculating superconducting current problems

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, David John, II

Various computational problems in treating superconducting currents are examined. First, field inversion in spatial Fourier transform space is reviewed to obtain both one-dimensional transport currents flowing down a long thin tape, and a localized two-dimensional current. The problems associated with spatial high-frequency noise, created by finite resolution and experimental equipment, are presented, and resolved with a smooth Gaussian cutoff in spatial frequency space. Convergence of the Green's functions for the one-dimensional transport current densities is discussed, and particular attention is devoted to the negative effects of performing discrete Fourier transforms alone on fields asymptotically dropping like 1/r. Results of imaging simulated current densities are favorably compared to the original distributions after the resulting magnetic fields undergo the imaging procedure. The behavior of high-frequency spatial noise, and the behavior of the fields with a 1/r asymptote in the imaging procedure in our simulations is analyzed, and compared to the treatment of these phenomena in the published literature. Next, we examine calculation of Mathieu and spheroidal wave functions, solutions to the wave equation in elliptical cylindrical and oblate and prolate spheroidal coordinates, respectively. These functions are also solutions to Schrodinger's equations with certain potential wells, and are useful in solving time-varying superconducting problems. The Mathieu functions are Fourier expanded, and the spheroidal functions expanded in associated Legendre polynomials to convert the defining differential equations to recursion relations. The infinite number of linear recursion equations is converted to an infinite matrix, multiplied by a vector of expansion coefficients, thus becoming an eigenvalue problem. The eigenvalue problem is solved with root solvers, and the eigenvector problem is solved using a Jacobi-type iteration method, after preconditioning the

Thermal properties of superconducting bulk metallic glasses at ultralow temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothfuss, Daniel Simon

2013-01-01

This thesis describes the first investigation of thermal properties of superconducting bulk metallic glasses in the range between 6mK and 300K. Measuring the thermal conductivity provides the possibility to probe the fundamental interactions governing the heat flow in solids. At ultralow temperatures a novel contactless measuring technique was used, which is based on optical heating and paramagnetic temperature sensors that are read out by a SQUID magnetometer. Below the critical temperature T c the results can be described by resonant scattering of phonons by tunneling systems. Above T c the phonon contribution to the thermal conductivity can be described successfully within a model considering not only electrons and phonons but also localized modes as scattering centres. To expand the accessible temperature range for experiments an adiabatic nuclear demagnetization refrigerator was set up. For measuring the base temperature a novel noise thermometer was developed which enables continuous measuring of the temperature in this temperature range for the first time. Therefore the magnetic Johnson noise of a massive copper cylinder is simultaneously monitored by two SQUID magnetometers. A subsequent cross-correlation suppresses the amplifier noise by more than one order of magnitude. The thermometer was characterized between 42μK and 0.8K showing no deviation from the expected linear behaviour between the power spectral density of the thermal noise and the temperature.

Present Status and Future Prospects in Bulk Processing of HIGH-Tc Superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, S.; Chu, C. W.

The following sections are included: * INTRODUCTION * HIGH SUPERCONDUCTING TRANSITION TEMPERATURE * HIGH CRITICAL CURRENT DENSITY * Grain Boundary Weak Links * Nature of Weak Links * Possible Processing Approaches for Weak Link Problem * Processing Techniques for Texture Formation * Flux Creep in HTSC * Desirable Pinning Defects * Processing for Flux Pinning Enhancement * PROSPECTS FOR BULK APPLICATIONS * Magnetic Field Gener * Energy Storage * Magnetic Shielding * Other Applications * CONCLUDING REMARKS * ACKNOWLEDGMENT * REFERENCES

Control of the Superconducting Magnets current Power Supplies of the TJ-II Gyrotrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ros, A.; Fernandez, A.; Tolkachev, A.; Catalan, G.

2006-01-01

The TJ-II ECRH heating system consists of two gyrotrons, which can deliver a maximum power of 300 kW at a frequency of 53.2 GHz. Another 28 GHz gyrotron is going to be used in the Bernstein waves heating system. In order to get the required frequency, the gyrotrons need and homogeneous magnetic field of several tesla, which is generated by a superconducting coil field by a current source. This document describes the current source control as well as the high precision ammeters control. These ammeters measure the current in the superconducting coils. The user interface and the programming of the control system are described. The communication between devices is also explained. (author) 9 Refs

High temperature superconducting current lead test facility with heat pipe intercepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blumenfeld, P.E.; Prenger, C.; Roth, E.W.; Stewart, J.A.

1998-01-01

A high temperature superconducting (HTS) current lead test facility using heat pipe thermal intercepts is under development at the Superconducting Technology Center at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The facility can be configured for tests at currents up to 1,000 A. Mechanical cryocoolers provide refrigeration to the leads. Electrical isolation is maintained by intercepting thermal energy from the leads through cryogenic heat pipes. HST lead warm end temperature is variable from 65 K to over 90 K by controlling heat pipe evaporator temperature. Cold end temperature is variable up to 30 K. Performance predictions in terms of heat pipe evaporator temperature as a function of lead current are presented for the initial facility configuration, which supports testing up to 200 A. Measurements are to include temperature and voltage gradient in the conventional and HTS lead sections, temperature and heat transfer rate in the heat pipes. as well as optimum and off-optimum performance of the conventional lead sections

MgB2 superconducting wires basics and applications

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

The compendium gives a complete overview of the properties of MgB2 (Magnesium Diboride), a superconducting compound with a transition temperature of Tc = 39K, from the fundamental properties to the fabrication of multifilamentary wires and to the presentation of various applications. Written by eminent researchers in the field, this indispensable volume not only discusses superconducting properties of MgB2 compounds, but also describes known preparation methods of thin films and of bulk samples obtained under high pressure methods. A unique selling point of the book is the detailed coverage of various applications based on MgB2, starting with MRI magnets and high current cables, cooled by Helium (He) vapor. High current cables cooled by liquid hydrogen are also highlighted as an interesting alternative due to the shrinking He reserves on earth. Other pertinent subjects comprise permanent magnets, ultrafine wires for space applications and wind generator projects.

Current Feedthroughs for Superconducting Magnets Operating Below 2 K

CERN Document Server

Benda, V

1998-01-01

For superconducting magnets working in superfluid helium, a thermal and pressure barrier between liquid helium baths at different temperatures, so called "lambda plate", is required. Bus bars connecte d to current leads of magnets to be powered, pass through current feedthroughs. These feedthroughs have to stand high pressure, thermal shock, high voltage, and mechanical stresses, must be leak tight and introduce minimum heat inleak. This article describes a possible solution. Three prototypes were built and measured. Design of this feedthrough and preliminary results are presented.

Origin of the Nonsinusoidal current-phase relation of a superconducting bridge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugahara, M.

1977-01-01

The current-phase relation of a long superconducting bridge is investigated with the use of the Aslamazov-Larkin model and the Ginzburg-Landau equation. The feedback effect of the supercurrent to the phase difference in the weak link is taken into consideration. The derived nonsinusoidal current-phase relation explains the experiments of Jackel et al. very well

Magnetism and superconductivity in neodymium/lanthanum superlattices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goff, J.P.; Sarthour, R.S.; McMorrow, Desmond Francis

1997-01-01

bilayers. Magnetization studies reveal the onset of superconductivity at a temperature comparable to bulk DHCP La, and the results suggest coupling across the antiferromagnetic Nd layers. The magnetic structures, investigated using neutron diffraction techniques, resemble those found in bulk Nd....... For the cubic sites of the DHCP structure the magnetic order is confined to individual Nd blocks. However, the magnetic order on the Nd hexagonal sites propagates coherently through the La, even when it becomes superconducting. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.......A single-crystal Nd30La10 superlattice grown using molecular beam epitaxy is found to consist of alternating antiferromagnetic and superconducting layers at low temperature. The superlattice has the DHCP crystal structure, and the stacking sequence of close-packed planes is coherent over many...

Theory, analysis and applications of the operation of the superconducting transformer supplying a direct current to a non-dissipative superconducting charge circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sole, J.

1967-01-01

The author derives the very simple equations governing the operation of a transformer with superconducting windings supplying direct current to a non-dissipative superconducting charge circuit. An analysis of the various possible modes of operation with direct or slowly varying current raises the problem of the magnetic core. The study. leads to a conclusion which a priori might be surprising: the elimination of the magnetic core and the use of a primary super-conductor. An example of a possible realization of such a transformer is given as an indication, and the present prospects for different applications are considered. (author) [fr

Superconducting properties of Ca1−xRExFe2As2 (RE: Rare Earths)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamegai, T.; Ding, Q.P.; Ishibashi, T.; Nakajima, Y.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Superconducting properties in rare-earth doped CaFe 2 As 2 single crystals are characterized. ► Sharp resistive transitions with small anisotropy parameter of ∼1.75 are observed. ► Average critical current density is much smaller than other iron-based superconductors. ► Magneto-optical imaging confirms very inhomogeneous superconducting state. -- Abstract: We have grown rare-earth doped CaFe 2 As 2 single crystals and characterized their normal and superconducting properties. Temperature dependence of resistivity and its absolute value suggest good metallic conduction, suppressing antiferromagnetic (AF) transition in the undoped sample. Hall coefficient shows little temperature dependence, consistent with the suppression AF state. Superconducting transitions characterized by resistivity drops in magnetic fields for both parallel to c-axis and ab-plane are reasonably sharp with a weak anisotropy parameter ∼1.75. Despite these observations, average critical current density estimated from the bulk magnetization is orders of magnitude smaller than other typical iron-based superconductors. Magneto-optical imaging confirms very inhomogeneous superconducting state

Superconducting technology for overcurrent limiting in a 25 kA current injection system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heydari, Hossein; Faghihi, Faramarz; Sharifi, Reza; Poursoltanmohammadi, Amir Hossein [Center of Excellence for Power System Automation and Operation, Electrical Engineering Department, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], E-mail: heydari@iust.ac.ir, E-mail: faramarz_faghihi@ee.iust.ac.ir, E-mail: reza_sharifi@ee.iust.ac.ir, E-mail: amirhosseinp@ee.iust.ac.ir

2008-09-15

Current injection transformer (CIT) systems are within the major group of the standard type test of high current equipment in the electrical industry, so their performance becomes very important. When designing high current systems, there are many factors to be considered from which their overcurrent protection must be ensured. The output of a CIT is wholly dependent on the impedance of the equipment under test (EUT). Therefore current flow beyond the allowable limit can occur. The present state of the art provides an important guide to developing current limiters not only for the grid application but also in industrial equipment. This paper reports the state of the art in the technology available that could be developed into an application of superconductivity for high current equipment (CIT) protection with no test disruption. This will result in a greater market choice and lower costs for equipment protection solutions, reduced costs and improved system reliability. The paper will also push the state of the art by using two distinctive circuits, closed-core and open-core, for overcurrent protection of a 25 kA CIT system, based on a flux-lock-type superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) and magnetic properties of high temperature superconducting (HTS) elements. An appropriate location of the HTS element will enhance the rate of limitation with the help of the magnetic field generated by the CIT output busbars. The calculation of the HTS parameters for overcurrent limiting is also performed to suit the required current levels of the CIT.

Superconducting technology for overcurrent limiting in a 25 kA current injection system

Science.gov (United States)

Heydari, Hossein; Faghihi, Faramarz; Sharifi, Reza; Poursoltanmohammadi, Amir Hossein

2008-09-01

Current injection transformer (CIT) systems are within the major group of the standard type test of high current equipment in the electrical industry, so their performance becomes very important. When designing high current systems, there are many factors to be considered from which their overcurrent protection must be ensured. The output of a CIT is wholly dependent on the impedance of the equipment under test (EUT). Therefore current flow beyond the allowable limit can occur. The present state of the art provides an important guide to developing current limiters not only for the grid application but also in industrial equipment. This paper reports the state of the art in the technology available that could be developed into an application of superconductivity for high current equipment (CIT) protection with no test disruption. This will result in a greater market choice and lower costs for equipment protection solutions, reduced costs and improved system reliability. The paper will also push the state of the art by using two distinctive circuits, closed-core and open-core, for overcurrent protection of a 25 kA CIT system, based on a flux-lock-type superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) and magnetic properties of high temperature superconducting (HTS) elements. An appropriate location of the HTS element will enhance the rate of limitation with the help of the magnetic field generated by the CIT output busbars. The calculation of the HTS parameters for overcurrent limiting is also performed to suit the required current levels of the CIT.

Superconducting technology for overcurrent limiting in a 25 kA current injection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heydari, Hossein; Faghihi, Faramarz; Sharifi, Reza; Poursoltanmohammadi, Amir Hossein

2008-01-01

Current injection transformer (CIT) systems are within the major group of the standard type test of high current equipment in the electrical industry, so their performance becomes very important. When designing high current systems, there are many factors to be considered from which their overcurrent protection must be ensured. The output of a CIT is wholly dependent on the impedance of the equipment under test (EUT). Therefore current flow beyond the allowable limit can occur. The present state of the art provides an important guide to developing current limiters not only for the grid application but also in industrial equipment. This paper reports the state of the art in the technology available that could be developed into an application of superconductivity for high current equipment (CIT) protection with no test disruption. This will result in a greater market choice and lower costs for equipment protection solutions, reduced costs and improved system reliability. The paper will also push the state of the art by using two distinctive circuits, closed-core and open-core, for overcurrent protection of a 25 kA CIT system, based on a flux-lock-type superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) and magnetic properties of high temperature superconducting (HTS) elements. An appropriate location of the HTS element will enhance the rate of limitation with the help of the magnetic field generated by the CIT output busbars. The calculation of the HTS parameters for overcurrent limiting is also performed to suit the required current levels of the CIT

High temperature superconductor bulk materials. Fundamentals - processing - properties control - application aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krabbes, G.; Fuchs, G.; Canders, W.R.; May, H.; Palka, R.

2006-01-01

This book presents all the features of bulk high temperature superconducting materials. Starting from physical and chemical fundamentals, the authors move on to portray methods and problems of materials processing, thoroughly working out the characteristic properties of bulk superconductors in contrast to long conductors and films. The authors provide a wide range of specific materials characteristics with respect to the latest developments and future applications guiding from fundamentals to practical engineering examples. This book contains the following chapters: 1. Fundamentals 2. Growth and melt processing of YBCO 3. Pinning-relevant defects in bulk YBCO 4. Properties of bulk YBCO 5. Trapped fields 6. Improved YBCO based bulk superconductors and functional elements 7. Alternative systems 8. Peak effect 9. Very high trapped fields in YBCO permanent magnets 10. Engineering aspects: Field distribution in bulk HTSC 11. Inherently stable superconducting magnetic bearings 12. Application of bulk HTSCs in electromagnetic energy converters 13. Applications in magnet technologies and power supplies

Transport currents along c-axis and (a,b) planes in YBCO single domain materials. Critical current densities and normal-superconducting transitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porcar, L.; Bourgault, D.; Chaud, X.; Noudem, J.G.; Tournier, R.; Tixador, P.

1998-01-01

High transport currents along the (a,b) planes and along the c-axis have been measured in pulsed current of different pseudo-frequencies. Self field losses and transport current of 8000 A (20000 A cm -2 ) have been measured in Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ bars textured by the melting zone technique. Critical currents as high as 500 A (90000 A cm -2 ) along the (a,b) planes or 3000 A (7500 A cm -2 ) along the c-axis have been measured. For both orientations, the transition from the normal state to the superconducting state has been observed. Electric field of 1000 V m -1 and study of the superconducting state recovery are reported. (orig.)

A high Tc superconducting liquid nitrogen level sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, J. X.; Liu, H. K.; Dou, S. X.; Grantham, C.; Beer, J.

1996-01-01

Full text: The dramatic resistance change in the superconducting-normal transition temperature range enables a high T c superconductor to be considered for designing a liquid nitrogen level sensor. A (Bi,Pb) 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10+x Ag clad superconducting wire is selected and tested as a continuous liquid nitrogen level sensor to investigate the possibility for this application. The (Bi,Pb) 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10+x Ag clad superconducting wire has approximately 110 K critical temperature, with more flexible and stable properties compared with bulk shape ceramic high T c superconductors. The voltage drops across the sensor are tested with different immersion lengths in liquid nitrogen. The accuracy of the HTS sensor is analysed with its dR/dT in the superconducting-normal transition range. The voltage signal is sensitive to liquid nitrogen level change, and this signal can be optimized by controlling the transport current. The problems of the Ag clad superconductor are that the Ag sheath thermal conductivity is very high, and the sensor normal resistance is low. These are the main disadvantages for using such a wire as a continuous level sensor. However, a satisfactory accuracy can be achieved by control of the transport current. A different configuration of the wire sensor is also designed to avoid this thermal influence

Analysis of eddy current loss in high-Tc superconducting power cables with respect to various structure of stabilizer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, S. J.; Song, M. K.; Lee, S. J.; Cho, J. W.; Sim, K. D.

2005-01-01

The High-Tc superconducting power cable consists of a multi-layer high-Tc superconducting cable core and a stabilizer which is used to bypass the current at fault time. Eddy current loss is generated in the stabilizer in normal operating condition and affects the whole system. In this paper, the eddy current losses are analyzed with respect to various structure of stabilizer by using opera-3d. Moreover, optimal conditions of the stabilizer are derived to minimize the eddy current losses from the analyzed results. The obtained results could be applied to the design and manufacture of the high-Tc superconducting power cable system.

Study on the transport by superconducting elevators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ona, K. [Technov Inc., Tokyo (Japan)

1999-02-01

A study on the development of a transport system using the pinning effect of a superconducting bulk structure was undertaken and a model of a flywheel for electric power storage was manufactured by introducing a bearing applying the pinning effect to investigate the feasibility through its operation. The operation behavior of vertical transport combining the superconducting bulk structure and the electromagnetic coils reproduced the predictions of simulation. As for the electric power storage via flywheel, it was confirmed that the lighting duration of a indicating lamp was elongated from the ordinary interval, 1 min., to 4 min. (H. Baba)

Aharanov--Bohm currents in thin superconducting cylinders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunstatter, G.; Revzen, M.; Trainor, L.E.H.

1983-01-01

The Aharanov--Bohm effect is the influence of classically inaccessible electromagnetic fields on quantum wave functions. In this paper we consider the Ginsburg--Landau (GL) equations for the stationary states of a thin, superconducting cylinder in the presence of a curl-free, static electromagnetic potential corresponding to zero fields. We solve the GL equations explicitly to obtain self-consistent solutions for the current density, the induced field and the free energy in a well-defined and accessible approximation. The analysis makes quantitative predictions which can, in principle, be experimentally tested to provide a clear and convincing demonstration of the Aharanov--Bohm effect

Theory and application of high temperature superconducting eddy current probes for nondestructive evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Claycomb, James Ronald

1998-10-01

Several High-T c Superconducting (HTS) eddy current probes have been developed for applications in electromagnetic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of conducting materials. The probes utilize high-T c SUperconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometers to detect the fields produced by the perturbation of induced eddy currents resulting from subsurface flaws. Localized HTS shields are incorporated to selectively screen out environmental electromagnetic interference and enable movement of the instrument in the Earth's magnetic field. High permeability magnetic shields are employed to focus flux into, and thereby increase the eddy current density in the metallic test samples. NDE test results are presented, in which machined flaws in aluminum alloy are detected by probes of different design. A novel current injection technique performing NDE of wires using SQUIDs is also discussed. The HTS and high permeability shields are designed based on analytical and numerical finite element method (FEM) calculations presented here. Superconducting and high permeability magnetic shields are modeled in uniform noise fields and in the presence of dipole fields characteristic of flaw signals. Several shield designs are characterized in terms of (1) their ability to screen out uniform background noise fields; (2) the resultant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio and (3) the extent to which dipole source fields are distorted. An analysis of eddy current induction is then presented for low frequency SQUID NDE. Analytical expressions are developed for the induced eddy currents and resulting magnetic fields produced by excitation sources above conducting plates of varying thickness. The expressions derived here are used to model the SQUID's response to material thinning. An analytical defect model is also developed, taking into account the attenuation of the defect field through the conducting material, as well as the current flow around the edges of the flaw. Time harmonic

Optimization study on the magnetic field of superconducting Halbach Array magnet

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Boyang; Geng, Jianzhao; Li, Chao; Zhang, Xiuchang; Fu, Lin; Zhang, Heng; Ma, Jun; Coombs, T. A.

2017-07-01

This paper presents the optimization on the strength and homogeneity of magnetic field from superconducting Halbach Array magnet. Conventional Halbach Array uses a special arrangement of permanent magnets which can generate homogeneous magnetic field. Superconducting Halbach Array utilizes High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) to construct an electromagnet to work below its critical temperature, which performs equivalently to the permanent magnet based Halbach Array. The simulations of superconducting Halbach Array were carried out using H-formulation based on B-dependent critical current density and bulk approximation, with the FEM platform COMSOL Multiphysics. The optimization focused on the coils' location, as well as the geometry and numbers of coils on the premise of maintaining the total amount of superconductor. Results show Halbach Array configuration based superconducting magnet is able to generate the magnetic field with intensity over 1 Tesla and improved homogeneity using proper optimization methods. Mathematical relation of these optimization parameters with the intensity and homogeneity of magnetic field was developed.

Technique of Critical Current Density Measurement of Bulk Superconductor with Linear Extrapolation Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adi, Wisnu Ari; Sukirman, Engkir; Winatapura, Didin S.

2000-01-01

Technique of critical current density measurement (Jc) of HTc bulk ceramic superconductor has been performed by using linear extrapolation with four-point probes method. The measurement of critical current density HTc bulk ceramic superconductor usually causes damage in contact resistance. In order to decrease this damage factor, we introduce extrapolation method. The extrapolating data show that the critical current density Jc for YBCO (123) and BSCCO (2212) at 77 K are 10,85(6) Amp.cm - 2 and 14,46(6) Amp.cm - 2, respectively. This technique is easier, simpler, and the use of the current flow is low, so it will not damage the contact resistance of the sample. We expect that the method can give a better solution for bulk superconductor application. Key words. : superconductor, critical temperature, and critical current density

Inhomogeneities and superconductivity in poly-phase Fe-Se-Te systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hartwig, S.; Schäfer, N.; Schulze, M.; Landsgesell, S.; Abou-Ras, D.; Blum, Ch. G. F.; Wurmehl, S.; Sokolowski, A.; Büchner, B.; Prokeš, K.

2018-02-01

The impact of synthesis conditions, post-preparation heating procedure, aging and influence of pressure on the superconducting properties of FeSe0.4Te0.6 crystals is reported. Two FeSe0.4Te0.6 single crystals were used in the study, prepared from stoichiometric melt but cooled down with very different cooling rates, and investigated using magnetic bulk and electrical-resistivity methods. The fast-cooled crystal contains large inclusions of Fe3Se2.1Te1.8 and exhibits bulk superconductivity in its as-prepared state, while the other is homogeneous and shows only traces of superconductivity. AC susceptibility measurements under hydrostatic pressure show that the superconducting transition temperature of the inhomogeneous crystal increases from 12.3 K at ambient pressure to Tsc = 17.9 K at 9 kbar. On the other hand, neither pressure nor mechanically-induced stress is sufficient to induce superconductivity in the homogeneous crystal. However, an additional heat treatment at 673 K followed by fast cooling down and/or long-term aging at ambient conditions leads to the appearance of bulk superconductivity also in the latter sample. This sample remains homogeneous on a scale down to few μm but shows an additional magnetic phase transition around 130 K suggesting that it must be inhomogeneous. For comparison also Fe3Se2.1Te1.8 polycrystals have been prepared and their magnetic properties have been studied. It appears that this phase is not superconducting by itself. It is concluded that nano-scale inhomogeneities that appear in the FeSexTe1-x system due to a spinodal decomposition in the solid state are necessary for bulk superconductivity, possibly due to minor changes in the crystal structure and microstructure. Macroscopic inclusions quenched by fast cooling from high temperatures lead obviously to strain and hence variations in the lattice constants, an effect that is further supported by application of pressure/stress.

Application of RF Superconductivity to High-Current Linac

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, K.C.D.

1998-01-01

In 1997, the authors initiated a development program in Los Alamos for high-current superconducting proton-linac technology to build prototypes components of this linac to demonstrate the feasibility. The authors are building 700-MHz niobium cavities with elliptical shapes, as well as power couplers to transfer high RF power to these cavities. The cavities and power couplers will be integrated in cryostats as linac cryomodules. In this paper, they describe the linac design and the status of the development program

Design and simulation of superconducting Lorentz Force Electrical Impedance Tomography (LFEIT)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Boyang, E-mail: bs506@cam.ac.uk; Fu, Lin, E-mail: lf359@cam.ac.uk; Geng, Jianzhao, E-mail: jg717@cam.ac.uk; Zhang, Xiuchang, E-mail: xz326@cam.ac.uk; Zhang, Heng, E-mail: hz301@cam.ac.uk; Dong, Qihuan, E-mail: qd210@cam.ac.uk; Li, Chao, E-mail: cl644@cam.ac.uk; Li, Jing, E-mail: jl908@cam.ac.uk; Coombs, T.A., E-mail: tac1000@cam.ac.uk

2016-05-15

Highlights: • Design of superconducting magnets using Halbach Array configuration. • Combination of superconducting magnets together with Lorentz Force Electrical Impedance Tomography (LFEIT) system. • Simulation of superconducting LFEIT system based on the theory of magneto-acoustic effect. - Abstract: Lorentz Force Electrical Impedance Tomography (LFEIT) is a hybrid diagnostic scanner with strong capability for biological imaging, particularly in cancer and haemorrhages detection. This paper presents the design and simulation of a novel combination: a superconducting magnet together with LFEIT system. Superconducting magnets can generate magnetic field with high intensity and homogeneity, which could significantly enhance the imaging performance. The modelling of superconducting magnets was carried out using Finite Element Method (FEM) package, COMSOL Multiphysics, which was based on Partial Differential Equation (PDE) model with H-formulation coupling B-dependent critical current density and bulk approximation. The mathematical model for LFEIT system was built based on the theory of magneto-acoustic effect. The magnetic field properties from magnet design were imported into the LFEIT model. The basic imaging of electrical signal was developed using MATLAB codes. The LFEIT model simulated two samples located in three different magnetic fields with varying magnetic strength and homogeneity.

Superconductivity and structure of gallium under nanoconfinement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Charnaya, E V; Tien, Cheng; Lee, Min Kai [Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Kumzerov, Yu A [A F Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute RAS, St Petersburg, 194021 (Russian Federation)

2009-11-11

Superconductivity and crystalline structure were studied for two nanocomposites consisting of gallium loaded porous glasses with different pore sizes. The superconducting transition temperatures were found to differ from those in known bulk gallium modifications. The transition temperatures 7.1 and 6.7 K were ascribed to two new confined gallium structures, iota- and kappa-Ga, observed by synchrotron radiation x-ray powder diffraction. The evolution of superconductivity on decreasing the pore filling with gallium was also studied.

Non-superconducting persistent currents. Des courants permanents mais pas supraconducteurs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benoit, A; Mailly, D

1993-03-01

Forecasted ten years ago a quantum effect is evidenced: persistent currents in small non-superconducting loops in a magnetic field at low temperature. The loop (diameter 2.5 micrometer) is etched in a semiconducting structure GaAs/GaAlAs, where the coherence length is 25 [mu]m, the current is measured with a squid on the same chip, a value of 4 nano amps is found which agrees well with the theoretical value of 5 nA.

Direct Observation of High-Temperature Superconductivity in One-Unit-Cell FeSe Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Wen-Hao; Zhang Jin-Song; Li Fang-Sen; Guo Ming-Hua; Ding Hao; Tang Chen-Jia; Wang Qing-Yan; He Ke; Ji Shuai-Hua; Chen Xi; Sun Yi; Zhao Yan-Fei; Xing Ying; Wang Hui-Chao; Zhang Hui-Min; Peng Jun-Ping; Li Zhi; Wang Meng; Fujita Takeshi; Hirata Akihiko

2014-01-01

We prepared one-unit-cell (1-UC) thick FeSe films on insulating SrTiO 3 substrates with non-superconducting FeTe protection layers by molecular beam epitaxy for ex situ studies. By direct transport and magnetic measurements, we provide definitive evidence for high temperature superconductivity in the 1-UC FeSe films with an onset T C above 40 K and an extremely large critical current density J C ∼1.7×10 6 A/cm 2 at 2 K, which are much higher than T C ∼8 K and J C ∼10 4 A/cm 2 for bulk FeSe, respectively. Our work may pave the way to enhancing and tailoring superconductivity by interface engineering. (express letter)

Superconductivity revisited

CERN Document Server

Dougherty, Ralph

2013-01-01

While the macroscopic phenomenon of superconductivity is well known and in practical use worldwide in many industries, including MRIs in medical diagnostics, the current theoretical paradigm for superconductivity (BCS theory) suffers from a number of limitations, not the least of which is an adequate explanation of high temperature superconductivity. This book reviews the current theory and its limitations and suggests new ideas and approaches in addressing these issues. The central objective of the book is to develop a new, coherent, understandable theory of superconductivity directly based on molecular quantum mechanics.

Characteristics of persistent-current mode of HTS coil on superconducting electromagnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, C.Y.; Kim, J.; Han, Y.J.; Kang, B.; Chung, Y.D.; Yoon, Y.S.; Chu, S.Y.; Hwang, Y.J.; Jo, H.C.; Jang, J.Y.; Ko, T.K.

2011-01-01

The levitation gap of an electromagnetic suspension (EMS) system affects the current decay rate of superconducting electromagnet. The presence of iron core provides a significant benefit in the PCM performance of SC coil. The increased levitation gap of the EMS model with the SC-EM could negatively affect the design of SC-EM operated in PCM. This paper investigates the way in which the levitation gap of an electromagnetic suspension (EMS) system affects the current decay rate of superconducting electromagnet (SC-EM) operated in persistence-current mode (PCM). Using inductance analyzed from the magnetic circuit of an EMS model, the current decay rate caused by the variation in the levitation gap was simulated. In order to experimentally verify the simulation results, we fabricated a small-scale EMS model with SC coil operated in PCM and measured the current decay rates at different levitation gaps. The result showed that the presence of iron core provides a significant benefit in the PCM performance of SC coil, but the benefit decreased as the levitation gap increases. This study revealed that the increased levitation gap of the EMS model with the SC-EM could negatively affect the design of SC-EM operated in PCM.

Recent advances in fullerene superconductivity

CERN Document Server

Margadonna, S

2002-01-01

Superconducting transition temperatures in bulk chemically intercalated fulleride salts reach 33 K at ambient pressure and in hole-doped C sub 6 sub 0 derivatives in field-effect-transistor (FET) configurations, they reach 117 K. These advances pose important challenges for our understanding of high-temperature superconductivity in these highly correlated organic metals. Here we review the structures and properties of intercalated fullerides, paying particular attention to the correlation between superconductivity and interfullerene separation, orientational order/disorder, valence state, orbital degeneracy, low-symmetry distortions, and metal-C sub 6 sub 0 interactions. The metal-insulator transition at large interfullerene separations is discussed in detail. An overview is also given of the exploding field of gate-induced superconductivity of fullerenes in FET electronic devices.

Improvement in operational characteristics of KEPCO’s line-commutation-type superconducting hybrid fault current limiter

Science.gov (United States)

Yim, S.-W.; Park, B.-C.; Jeong, Y.-T.; Kim, Y.-J.; Yang, S.-E.; Kim, W.-S.; Kim, H.-R.; Du, H.-I.

2013-01-01

A 22.9 kV class hybrid fault current limiter (FCL) developed by Korea Electric Power Corporation and LS Industrial Systems in 2006 operates using the line commutation mechanism and begins to limit the fault current after the first half-cycle. The first peak of the fault current is available for protective coordination in the power system. However, it also produces a large electromagnetic force and imposes a huge stress on power facilities such as the main transformer and gas-insulated switchgear. In this study, we improved the operational characteristics of the hybrid FCL in order to reduce the first peak of the fault current. While maintaining the structure of the hybrid FCL system, we developed a superconducting module that detects and limits the fault current during the first half-cycle. To maintain the protective coordination capacity, the hybrid FCL was designed to reduce the first peak value of the fault current by up to approximately 30%. The superconducting module was also designed to produce a minimum AC loss, generating a small, uniform magnetic field distribution during normal operation. Performance tests confirmed that when applied to the hybrid FCL, the superconducting module showed successful current limiting operation without any damage.

Critical current characteristics in high T/sub c/ oxide superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsushita, T.; Ni, B.

1989-01-01

Critical current densities are theoretically estimated for single-crystalline thin films, polycrystalline bulk materials with oriented and random textures of superconducting oxides. The percolation theory is used and the effect of depression of the transport current through grain boundaries is taken into account. A comparison is made with existing experimental results

Analysis of persistent current in the superconducting magnets on an EDS Maglev vehicle for high-speed passenger transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azukizawa, Teruo [R and D Center, Toshiba Corp. (Japan)

1996-12-31

In an electrodynamic suspension system using superconducting magnets, an air core system is employed to effectively use strong magnetic fields produced by the superconducting magnets. This paper proposes an analysis method for the fluctuating persistent current in an superconducting soil, considering electromagnetic effects of the conductive cryostat. (HW)

Magnetic imaging of superconducting tapes to determine current flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, G. W. (Geoffrey W.); Hawley, M. E. (Marilyn E.); Foltyn, S. R. (Stephen R.); Mueller, F. M. (Fred M.)

2001-01-01

We have developed a magnetic imaging system that uses magnetoresistive read heads from computer hard disk drives to map the transport-current-induced magnetic field at the surface of superconducting tapes at liquid nitrogen temperature. Transport current pathways are determined from the 2-dimensional magnetic field maps using established inversion schemes. We examined the current flow in pulsed-laser-deposited YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}} a films patterned on single crystal SrTiO{sub 3} substrates and on a textured yttria-stabilized-zirconia layer deposited on an Inconel ribbon by ion beam assisted deposition. The transport current densities in all cases were consistent with the Critical State Model. For the Inconel-based sample, the transport current density maps have allowed us to observe defects and determine the region that limits the current carrying capacity of the structure.

Active superconducting DC fault current limiter based on flux compensation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Jing; Tang Yuejin; Wang, Chen; Zhou Yusheng; Li Jingdong; Ren Li; Chen Shijie

2006-01-01

With the extensive application of DC power systems, suppression of DC fault current is an important subject that guarantees system security. This paper presents an active superconducting DC fault current limiter (DC-SFCL) based on flux compensation. The DC-SFCL is composed of two superconducting windings wound on a single iron core, the primary winding is in series with DC power system, and the second winding is connected with AC power system through a PWM converter. In normal operating state, the flux in the iron core is compensated to zero, and the SFCL has no influence on DC power system. In the case of DC system accident, through regulating the active power exchange between the SFCL's second winding and the AC power system, the current on the DC side can be limited to different level complying with the system demand. Moreover, the PWM converter that interface the DC system and AC system can be controlled as a reactive power source to supply voltage support for the AC side, which has little influence on the performance of SFCL. Using MATLAB SIMULINK, the mathematic model of the DC-SFCL is created, simulation results validate the dynamics of system, and the performance of DC-SFCL is confirmed

Superconductivity in nanostructured lead

Science.gov (United States)

Lungu, Anca; Bleiweiss, Michael; Amirzadeh, Jafar; Saygi, Salih; Dimofte, Andreea; Yin, Ming; Iqbal, Zafar; Datta, Timir

2001-01-01

Three-dimensional nanoscale structures of lead were fabricated by electrodeposition of pure lead into artificial porous opal. The size of the metallic regions was comparable to the superconducting coherence length of bulk lead. Tc as high as 7.36 K was observed, also d Tc/d H was 2.7 times smaller than in bulk lead. Many of the characteristics of these differ from bulk lead, a type I superconductor. Irreversibility line and magnetic relaxation rates ( S) were also studied. S( T) displayed two maxima, with a peak value about 10 times smaller than that of typical high- Tc superconductors.

Development of large high current density superconducting solenoid magnets for use in high energy physics experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, M.A.

1977-05-01

The development of a unique type of large superconducting solenoid magnet, characterized by very high current density windings and a two-phase helium tubular cooling system is described. The development of the magnet's conceptual design and the construction of two test solenoids are described. The successful test of the superconducting coil and its tubular cooling refrigeration system is presented. The safety, environmental and economic impacts of the test program on future developments in high energy physics are shown. Large solid angle particle detectors for colliding beam physics will analyze both charged and neutral particles. In many cases, these detectors will require neutral particles, such as gamma rays, to pass through the magnet coil with minimum interaction. The magnet coils must be as thin as possible. The use of superconducting windings allows one to minimize radiation thickness, while at the same time maximizing charged particle momentum resolution and saving substantial quantities of electrical energy. The results of the experimental measurements show that large high current density solenoid magnets can be made to operate at high stored energies. The superconducting magnet development described has a positive safety and environmental impact. The use of large high current density thin superconducting solenoids has been proposed in two high energy physics experiments to be conducted at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and Cornell University as a result of the successful experiments described

Current redistribution effects on superconducting d.c, and microwave measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barra, M; Cassinese, A; Vaglio, R

2006-01-01

In the last two decades, non conventional behavior of the d.c. transport properties of superconductors, with the appearance of anomalous peaks at the transition, have been investigated and interpreted in different ways. In several cases it was recognized that the behavior can be due to current redistribution effects related to the non-homogeneous nature of the measured superconducting sample. In this paper we will briefly review and discuss these effects and, referring to simple concentrated constant equivalent circuits, we will show that sample non-homogeneity can produce the observed features. Then, in the same framework, by performing specific simulations on planar resonators, we will show that anomalous peaks in temperature dependence of the resonant frequency and of the extracted surface reactance can occur at the transition temperature of minority, lower Tc, superconducting phases

Effect of increasing disorder on superconductivity of Mo/Nb superlattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereiro, Juan; Saerbeck, Thomas; Schuller, Ivan K

2015-01-01

We investigated the superconducting properties of Nb/Mo superlattices (SLs). The structural changes as a function of Nb and Mo layer thickness allow us to investigate the effect of disorder on the superconducting properties in a controlled fashion. Systematic structural studies provide quantitative measures of disorder parameters, such as roughness, interdiffusion, and strain, which allow separating their effect on the individual superconducting layers. The Mo critical temperature does not change as the layer thickness decreases below its coherence length. Thus, the SL critical temperatures in the presence of disorder and proximity effects can be modeled by considering only the effects of the Nb mean free path and coherence length. With increasing layer thickness, the SL critical temperatures approach Nb bulk values. Contrary to expectations the T c of Mo remains below the Nb T c . We discuss the results using existing theories based on Coulomb repulsion or changes in the density of states at the Fermi surface as a function of disorder. Questions about current understanding of the effect of disorder on superconductivity arise from the results. (paper)

Effect of increasing disorder on superconductivity of Mo/Nb superlattices

Science.gov (United States)

Pereiro, Juan; Saerbeck, Thomas; Schuller, Ivan K.

2015-08-01

We investigated the superconducting properties of Nb/Mo superlattices (SLs). The structural changes as a function of Nb and Mo layer thickness allow us to investigate the effect of disorder on the superconducting properties in a controlled fashion. Systematic structural studies provide quantitative measures of disorder parameters, such as roughness, interdiffusion, and strain, which allow separating their effect on the individual superconducting layers. The Mo critical temperature does not change as the layer thickness decreases below its coherence length. Thus, the SL critical temperatures in the presence of disorder and proximity effects can be modeled by considering only the effects of the Nb mean free path and coherence length. With increasing layer thickness, the SL critical temperatures approach Nb bulk values. Contrary to expectations the Tc of Mo remains below the Nb Tc. We discuss the results using existing theories based on Coulomb repulsion or changes in the density of states at the Fermi surface as a function of disorder. Questions about current understanding of the effect of disorder on superconductivity arise from the results.

High trapped fields in bulk YBCO superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Fuchs, Günter; Gruss, Stefan; Krabbes, Gernot; Schätzle, Peter; Verges, Peter; Müller, Karl-Hartmut; Fink, Jörg; Schultz, Ludwig

The trapped field properties of bulk melt-textured YBCO material were investigated at different temperatures. In the temperature range of liquid nitrogen, maximum trapped fields of 1.1 T were found at 77 K by doping of YBCO with small amounts of zinc. The improved pinning of zinc-doped YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) results in a pronounced peak effect in the field dependence of the critical current density. the trapped field at lower temperatures increases due to the increasing critical current density, however, at temperatures around 50 K cracking of the material is observed which is exposed to considerably tensile stresses due to Lorentz forces. Very high trapped fields up to 14.4 T were achieved at 22.5 K for a YBCO disk pair by the addition of silver improving the tensile strength of YBCO and by using a bandage made of a steel tube. The steel tube produces a compressive stress on YBCO after cooling down from 300 K to the measuring temperature, which is due to the higher coeeficient of thermal expansion of steel compared with that of YBCO in the a,b plane. The application of superconducting permanent magnets with trapped fields of 10 T and more in superconducting bearings would allow to obtain very high levitation pressures up to 2500 N/cm2 which is two orders of magnitude higher than the levitation pressure achievable in superconducting bearings with conventional permanent magnets. The most important problem for the application of superconducting permanent magnets is the magnetizing procedure of the YBCO material. Results of magnetizing YBCO disks by using of pulsed magnetic fields will be presented.

Model for an irreversible bias current in the superconducting qubit measurement process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutchinson, G. D.; Williams, D. A.; Holmes, C. A.; Stace, T. M.; Spiller, T. P.; Barrett, S. D.; Milburn, G. J.; Hasko, D. G.

2006-01-01

The superconducting charge-phase ''quantronium'' qubit is considered in order to develop a model for the measurement process used in the experiment of Vion et al. [Science 296, 886 (2002)]. For this model we propose a method for including the bias current in the readout process in a fundamentally irreversible way, which to first order is approximated by the Josephson junction tilted-washboard potential phenomenology. The decohering bias current is introduced in the form of a Lindblad operator and the Wigner function for the current-biased readout Josephson junction is derived and analyzed. During the readout current pulse used in the quantronium experiment we find that the coherence of the qubit initially prepared in a symmetric superposition state is lost at a time of 0.2 ns after the bias current pulse has been applied, a time scale that is much shorter than the experimental readout time. Additionally we look at the effect of Johnson-Nyquist noise with zero mean from the current source during the qubit manipulation and show that the decoherence due to the irreversible bias current description is an order of magnitude smaller than that found through adding noise to the reversible tilted-washboard potential model. Our irreversible bias current model is also applicable to persistent-current-based qubits where the state is measured according to its flux via a small-inductance direct-current superconducting quantum interference device

Improved magnetic-field homogeneity of NMR HTS bulk magnet using a new stacking structure and insertion of an HTS film cylinder into a bulk bore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Yoshitaka; Yanagi, Yousuke; Nakamura, Takashi

2017-01-01

A new type of superconducting bulk magnet for compact nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) devices with high magnetic-field homogeneity has been developed by inserting an HTS film cylinder into a bulk superconductor bore. Annular 60 mmϕ Eu-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductors with a larger inner diameter (ID) of 36 mm were sandwiched between bulk superconductors with a smaller ID of 28 mm, and the total height of the bulk superconductor set was made to be 120 mm. The inner height of central wide bore space was optimized by magnetic-field simulation so that the influence of the bulk superconductor's paramagnetic moment on applied field homogeneity was minimized during the magnetization process. An HTS film cylinder, in which Gd-Ba-Cu-O tapes were wound helically in three layers around a copper cylinder, was inserted into the bulk bore in order to compensate for the inhomogeneous field trapped by the bulk superconductor. The superconducting bulk magnet composed of the above bulk superconductor set and the film cylinder were cooled by a GM pulse tube refrigerator and magnetized at 4.747 T using the field cooling (FC) method and a conventional superconducting coil magnet adjusted to below 0.5 ppm in magnetic-field homogeneity. The NMR measurement was conducted for an H_2O sample with a diameter of 6.9 mm and a length of 10 mm by setting the sample in the center of the 20 mm ID room-temperature bore of the bulk magnet. The magnetic-field homogeneity derived from the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the "1H spectrum of H_2O was 0.45 ppm. We confirmed that the HTS film inner cylinder was effective in maintaining the homogeneity of the magnetic field applied in the magnetization process, and as a result, a magnetic field with a homogeneity of less than 1 ppm can be generated in the bore of the bulk magnet without using shim coils. (author)

Superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

During 2007, a large amount of the work was centred on the ITER project and related tasks. The activities based on low-temperature superconducting (LTS) materials included the manufacture and qualification of ITER full-size conductors under relevant operating conditions, the design of conductors and magnets for the JT-60SA tokamak and the manufacture of the conductors for the European dipole facility. A preliminary study was also performed to develop a new test facility at ENEA in order to test long-length ITER or DEMO full-size conductors. Several studies on different superconducting materials were also started to create a more complete database of superconductor properties, and also for use in magnet design. In this context, an extensive measurement campaign on transport and magnetic properties was carried out on commercially available NbTi strands. Work was started on characterising MgB 2 wire and bulk samples to optimise their performance. In addition, an intense experimental study was started to clarify the effect of mechanical loads on the transport properties of multi-filamentary Nb 3 Sn strands with twisted or untwisted superconducting filaments. The experimental activity on high-temperature superconducting (HTS) materials was mainly focussed on the development and characterisation of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-X (YBCO) based coated conductors. Several characteristics regarding YBCO deposition, current transport performance and tape manufacture were investigated. In the framework of chemical approaches for YBCO film growth, a new method, developed in collaboration with the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (TUCN), Romania, was studied to obtain YBCO film via chemical solution deposition, which modifies the well-assessed metallic organic deposition trifluoroacetate (MOD-TFA) approach. The results are promising in terms of critical current and film thickness values. YBCO properties in films with artificially added pinning sites were characterised in collaboration with

Fault current limiter using bulk oxides superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belmont, O.; Ferracci, P.; Porcar, L.; Barbut, J.M.; Tixador, P.; Noudem, J.G.; Bourgault, D.; Tournier, R.

1998-01-01

We study the limitation possibilities of bulk Bi high T c materials. For this we test these materials with AC or DC currents above their critical currents. We study particularly the evolution of the voltage with time or with current. The material, the value of the current and the time duration play important parts. For sintered Bi samples the voltage depends only on the current even for values much larger than the critical current. With textured samples the V(I) curves shows an hysteretic behaviour due to a warming up. The textured materials are more interesting than sintered ones in terms of required volume for the current limitation. In both cases the superconductors are in a dissipative state but not in the normal state. This state is nevertheless reached if the dissipated energy inside the sample is sufficient. We have tried to apply a magnetic field on the samples in order to trigger a more effective limitation. The voltage increases but with a limited effect for currents much higher (3-4 times) than the critical zero field current. We think that the dissipative state is due mainly to the grain boundaries which become resistive above the critical current. (orig.)

Superconducting nanostructured materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metlushko, V.

1998-01-01

Within the last year it has been realized that the remarkable properties of superconducting thin films containing a periodic array of defects (such as sub-micron sized holes) offer a new route for developing a novel superconducting materials based on precise control of microstructure by modern photolithography. A superconductor is a material which, when cooled below a certain temperature, loses all resistance to electricity. This means that superconducting materials can carry large electrical currents without any energy loss--but there are limits to how much current can flow before superconductivity is destroyed. The current at which superconductivity breaks down is called the critical current. The value of the critical current is determined by the balance of Lorentz forces and pinning forces acting on the flux lines in the superconductor. Lorentz forces proportional to the current flow tend to drive the flux lines into motion, which dissipates energy and destroys zero resistance. Pinning forces created by isolated defects in the microstructure oppose flux line motion and increase the critical current. Many kinds of artificial pinning centers have been proposed and developed to increase critical current performance, ranging from dispersal of small non-superconducting second phases to creation of defects by proton, neutron or heavy ion irradiation. In all of these methods, the pinning centers are randomly distributed over the superconducting material, causing them to operate well below their maximum efficiency. We are overcome this drawback by creating pinning centers in aperiodic lattice (see Fig 1) so that each pin site interacts strongly with only one or a few flux lines

Current Redistribution around the Superconducting-to-normal Transition in Superconducting Nb-Ti Rutherford Cables

CERN Document Server

Willering, G P; ten Kate, H H J

2008-01-01

Sufficient thermal-electromagnetic stability against external heat sources is an essential design criterion for superconducting Rutherford cables, especially if operated close to the critical current. Due to the complex phenomena contributing to stability such as helium cooling, inter-strand current and heat transfer, its level is difficult to quantify. In order to improve our understanding, many stability tests were performed on different cable samples, each incorporating several point-like heaters. The current redistribution around the heat front is measured after inducing a local normal zone in one strand of the cable. By using voltage taps, expansion of the normal zone is monitored in the initially quenched strand as well as in adjacent strands. An array of Hall probes positioned at the cable edge is used to scan the selffield generated by the cable by which it becomes possible to estimate the inter-strand current transfer. In this paper it is demonstrated that two different stability regimes can be disti...

Current distribution inside Rutherford-type superconducting cables and impact on performance of LHC dipoles

CERN Document Server

Schreiner, T

2002-01-01

The windings of high--field superconducting accelerator magnets are usually made of Rutherford--type cables. The magnetic field distribution along the axis of such magnets exhibits a periodic modulation with a wavelength equal to the twist pitch length of the cable used in the winding. Such a Periodic Field Pattern (PFP) has already been observed in number of superconducting accelerator magnets. Additional unbalanced currents in individual strands of the cable appear to be causing this effect. The present thesis describes the investigation of the PFPs performed with a Hall probes array inserted inside the aperture of the LHC superconducting dipoles, both in the small--scale model magnets with a length of one meter and in full--scale prototypes and pre--series magnets with fifteen meters of length. The amplitude and the time dependence of this periodic field oscillation have been studied as a function of the magnet current history. One of the main parameters influencing the properties of the PFP is the cross--...

Degradation of superconducting Nb/NbN films by atmospheric oxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henry, Michael David; Wolfley, Steven L.; Young, Travis Ryan; Monson, Todd; Pearce, Charles Joseph; Lewis, Rupert M.; Clark, Blythe; Brunke, Lyle Brent; Missert, Nancy A.

2017-03-01

Niobium and niobium nitride thin films are transitioning from fundamental research toward wafer scale manufacturing with technology drivers that include superconducting circuits and electronics, optical single photon detectors, logic, and memory. Successful microfabrication requires precise control over the properties of sputtered superconducting films, including oxidation. Previous work has demonstrated the mechanism in oxidation of Nb and how film structure could have deleterious effects upon the superconducting properties. This study provides an examination of atmospheric oxidation of NbN films. By examination of the room temperature sheet resistance of NbN bulk oxidation was identified and confirmed by secondary ion mass spectrometry. As a result, Meissner magnetic measurements confirmed the bulk oxidation not observed with simple cryogenic resistivity measurements.

Electric currents in REBaCuO superconducting tapes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Jirsa, Miloš; Rameš, Michal; Ďuran, Ivan; Melíšek, T.; Kováč, P.; Viererbl, L.

2017-01-01

Roč. 30, č. 4 (2017), 1-8, č. článku 045010. ISSN 0953-2048 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 633053 - EUROfusion Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61389021 Keywords : superconducting tapes * REBaCuO * critical currents * induction and transport * pinning force density * magnetic relaxation * neutron irradiation Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism; BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics (UFP-V) OBOR OECD: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.); Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics) (UFP-V) Impact factor: 2.878, year: 2016

Mechanical properties of partially meltable superconducting YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selvamanickam, V.; Salama, K.

1988-01-01

Partial melting has been suggested as a method for the processing of the high temperatures superconducting YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ to improve the current carrying capacity in this material. The authors have investigated the possibility of using this method for the improvement of bulk mechanical properties in addition to those related to superconductivity. Four parameters, namely, oxygen annealing temperature, melting temperature, melting time and cooling rate are identified and studied. Each parameter is varied individually and its effects on microstructure and mechanical and superconducting properties are examined. The results indicate that the properties of superconducting YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ can be improved significantly using the proper melting temperature, melting time, cooling rate and oxygen annealing temperature

Protection for low current superconducting coils wound with insulated strand cable

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satti, J.

1980-09-01

The insulated strand cable concept for winding of low current superconducting coil leads to an ideal quench protection by induction coupling. A superconducting secondary loop was made within a cable of a 6.2 Henry dipole coil. When quenching occurred, current was induced in the secondary strand above the critical value. The normal strand quenched the whole cable due to good thermal contact. The secondary loop works as a heater turned on as the wire becomes normal throughout the coil. With a well spread quench, the energy dissipation density is decreased thus preventing local burnout. The mechanism is possible because of close coupling that is present in the insulated cable as in bifilar winding. For the coil tested a 12 strand cable was used, thus a favorable 11 to 1 turn ratio was obtained for the primary to secondary. The superconductor in the secondary had a lower resistance until the critical current was achieved. A theoretical explanation is described for a simplified circuit. Test on the dipole coil with four individual shells showed that the one shell protected with the induced coupling heater always had a more rapid reduction of current. The induced coupling heater tested and explained in this paper works automatically and does not rely on mechanical or electrical devices

Influence of Sm2O3 microalloying and Yb contamination on Y211 particles coarsening and superconducting properties of IG YBCO bulk superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Vojtkova, L.; Diko, P.; Kovac, J.; Vojtko, M.

2018-06-01

Single grain YBa2Cu3O7‑x (YBCO or Y123) bulk superconductors were produced by an infiltration growth process. The solid phase precursor was prepared by solid state synthesis from Y2O3 + BaCuO2 powders. The influence of the addition of Sm2O3 and YB contamination from the substrate on the microstructure and superconducting properties was analyzed. The dependences of Yb concentration on the distance from the bottom of the samples measured by energy dispersive spectroscopy microanalysis used in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy confirmed the contamination of the samples during the melting stage of the sample preparation. It is shown that the addition of Sm in low concentration and its combination with Yb from the substrate modify the coarsening of the Y211 particles as well as lead to the appearance of a secondary peak effect in the field dependences of the critical current density.

Characteristic Of Induction Magnetic Field On The Laboratory Scale Superconducting Fault Current Limiter Circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adi, Wisnu Ari; Sukirman, E.; Didin, S.W.; Yustinus, P.M.; Siregar, Riswal H.

2004-01-01

Model construction of the laboratory scale superconducting fault current limiter circuit (SFCL) has been performed. The SFCL is fault current limiter and used as electric network security. It mainly consists of a copper coil, a superconducting ring and an iron core that are concentrically arranged. The SFCL circuit is essentially a transformer where the secondary windings are being replaced by the ring of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x superconductor (HTS). The ring has critical transition temperature Tc = 92 K and critical current Ic = 3.61 A. Characterization of the SFCL circuit is simulated by ANSYS version 5.4 software. The SFCL circuit consists of load and transformer impedances. The results show that the inductions of magnet field flux in the iron core of primer windings and ring disappear to one other before fault state. It means that impedance of the transformer is zero. After the condition a superconductivity behavior of the ring is disappear so that the impedance of the transformer becomes very high. From this experiment, we concluded that the SFCL circuit could work normally if the resultant of induction magnetic in the iron core (transformer) is zero

Note: Progress on the use of MgB2 superconducting joint technique for the development of MgB2 magnets for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Y G; Song, J B; Kim, J C; Kim, J M; Yoo, B H; Yun, S B; Hwang, D Y; Lee, H G

2017-08-01

This note presents a superconducting joint technique for the development of MgB 2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) magnets. The MgB 2 superconducting joint was fabricated by a powder processing method using Mg and B powders to establish a wire-bulk-wire connection. The joint resistance measured using a field-decay method was magnets operating in the persistent current mode.

Experimental study of gas-cooled current leads for superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warren, R.P.

1978-04-01

Design details and experimental test results from several design variations of the gas-cooled, copper current leads used in conjunction with the superconducting dipole magnets for ESCAR (Experimental Superconducting Accelerator Ring) are reported. Thermal acoustic oscillations, which were experienced with an initial design, were eliminated in subsequent designs by a reduction of the hydraulic diameter. The occurrence of these oscillations is in general agreement with the stability analysis of Rott but the observed gas flow dependence is not in agreement with some other recently reported results for leads operated supercritical phase coolant. An empirically determined correlation was obtained by plotting lead resistance vs. enthalpy gain of the coolant gas. The resulting family of curves can be reduced to a single line on a plot of effective resistivity vs. the product of current and cross-sectional area divided by the product of the square of the mass flow of the coolant and the lead length. This correlation, which should be applicable to other designs of copper current leads in which ideal heat transfer to the coolant gas is approached, predicts that the enthalpy gain of the coolant, and therefore the peak lead temperature, is proportional to the cube of the ratio of current to coolant mass flow. The effective value of the strongly temperature-dependent kinematic viscosity of the coolant gas was found to vary linearly with the effective resistivity of the lead

{sup 119}Sn-NMR investigations on superconducting Ca{sub 3}Ir{sub 4}Sn{sub 13}: Evidence for multigap superconductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkar, R., E-mail: rajibsarkarsinp@gmail.com [Institute for Solid State Physics, TU Dresden, D-01069 Dresden (Germany); Brückner, F.; Günther, M. [Institute for Solid State Physics, TU Dresden, D-01069 Dresden (Germany); Wang, Kefeng; Petrovic, C. [Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973 (United States); Biswas, P.K.; Luetkens, H.; Morenzoni, E.; Amato, A. [Laboratory for Muon Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Klauss, H-H. [Institute for Solid State Physics, TU Dresden, D-01069 Dresden (Germany)

2015-12-15

We report bulk superconductivity (SC) in Ca{sub 3}Ir{sub 4}Sn{sub 13} by means of {sup 119}Sn nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. Two classical signatures of BCS superconductivity in spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/T{sub 1}), namely the Hebel–Slichter coherence peak just below the T{sub c}, and the exponential decay in the superconducting phase, are evident. The noticeable decrease of {sup 119}Sn Knight shift below T{sub c} indicates spin-singlet superconductivity. The temperature dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation rate {sup 119}(1/T{sub 1}) is convincingly described by the multigap isotropic superconducting gap. NMR experiments do not witness any sign of enhanced spin fluctuations.

Experiment study on an inductive superconducting fault current limiter using no-insulation coils

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, D.; Li, Z. Y.; Gu, F.; Huang, Z.; Zhao, A.; Hu, D.; Wei, B. G.; Huang, H.; Hong, Z.; Ryu, K.; Jin, Z.

2018-03-01

No-insulation (NI) coil made of 2 G high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes has been widely used in DC magnet due to its excellent performance of engineering current density, thermal stability and mechanical strength. However, there are few AC power device using NI coil at present. In this paper, the NI coil is firstly applied into inductive superconducting fault current limiter (iSFCL). A two-winding structure air-core iSFCL prototype was fabricated, composed of a primary copper winding and a secondary no-insulation winding using 2 G HTS coated conductors. Firstly, in order to testify the feasibility to use NI coil as the secondary winding, the impedance variation of the prototype at different currents and different cycles was tested. The result shows that the impedance increases rapidly with the current rises. Then the iSFCL prototype was tested in a 40 V rms/ 3.3 kA peak short circuit experiment platform, both of the fault current limiting and recovery property of the iSFCL are discussed.

Current leads for superconducting solenoids in a transportable Dewar flask for currents up to 1kA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirshov, L.S.

1981-01-01

A simple design of the current lead for currents up to 1 kA into a transportable helium dewar with 22 mm neck diameter is described. The lead characteristics have been studied at various conditions. Examples of pulse superconducting solenoid usage, parmitting to achieve the magnetic field up to 3.3 T are given. The 1% field homogeneity has been obtained on a length of 90 mm [ru

Thermal studies of a superconducting current limiter using Monte-Carlo method

Science.gov (United States)

Lévêque, J.; Rezzoug, A.

1999-07-01

Considering the increase of the fault current level in electrical network, the current limiters become very interesting. The superconducting limiters are based on the quasi-instantaneous intrinsic transition from superconducting state to normal resistive one. Without detection of default or given order, they reduce the constraints supported by electrical installations above the fault. To avoid the destruction of the superconducting coil, the temperature must not exceed a certain value. Therefore the design of a superconducting coil needs the simultaneous resolution of an electrical equation and a thermal one. This papers deals with a resolution of this coupled problem by the method of Monte-Carlo. This method allows us to calculate the evolution of the resistance of the coil as well as the current of limitation. Experimental results are compared with theoretical ones. L'augmentation des courants de défaut dans les grands réseaux électriques ravive l'intérêt pour les limiteurs de courant. Les limiteurs supraconducteurs de courants peuvent limiter quasi-instantanément, sans donneur d'ordre ni détection de défaut, les courants de court-circuit réduisant ainsi les contraintes supportées par les installations électriques situées en amont du défaut. La limitation s'accompagne nécessairement de la transition du supraconducteur par dépassement de son courant critique. Pour éviter la destruction de la bobine supraconductrice la température ne doit pas excéder une certaine valeur. La conception d'une bobine supraconductrice exige donc la résolution simultanée d'une équation électrique et d'une équation thermique. Nous présentons une résolution de ce problème electrothermique par la méthode de Monte-Carlo. Cette méthode nous permet de calculer l'évolution de la résistance de la bobine et du courant de limitation. Des résultats expérimentaux sont comparés avec les résultats théoriques.

Niobium superconducting cavity

CERN Multimedia

CERN PhotoLab

1980-01-01

This 5-cell superconducting cavity, made from bulk-Nb, stems from the period of general studies, not all directed towards direct use at LEP. This one is dimensioned for 1.5 GHz, the frequency used at CEBAF and also studied at Saclay (LEP RF was 352.2 MHz). See also 7908227, 8007354, 8209255, 8210054, 8312339.

Bulk viscosity of spin-one color superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sa' d, Basil A.

2009-08-27

The bulk viscosity of several quark matter phases is calculated. It is found that the effect of color superconductivity is not trivial, it may suppress, or enhance the bulk viscosity depending on the critical temperature and the temperature at which the bulk viscosity is calculated. Also, is it found that the effect of neutrino-emitting Urca processes cannot be neglected in the consideration of the bulk viscosity of strange quark matter. The results for the bulk viscosity of strange quark matter are used to calculate the r-mode instability window of quark stars with several possible phases. It is shown that each possible phase has a different structure for the r-mode instability window. (orig.)

Bulk viscosity of spin-one color superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sa'd, Basil A.

2009-01-01

The bulk viscosity of several quark matter phases is calculated. It is found that the effect of color superconductivity is not trivial, it may suppress, or enhance the bulk viscosity depending on the critical temperature and the temperature at which the bulk viscosity is calculated. Also, is it found that the effect of neutrino-emitting Urca processes cannot be neglected in the consideration of the bulk viscosity of strange quark matter. The results for the bulk viscosity of strange quark matter are used to calculate the r-mode instability window of quark stars with several possible phases. It is shown that each possible phase has a different structure for the r-mode instability window. (orig.)

Optimal design of superconducting fault detector for superconductor triggered fault current limiters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yim, S.-W.; Kim, H.-R.; Hyun, O.-B.; Sim, J.; Park, K.B.; Lee, B.W.

2008-01-01

We have designed and tested a superconducting fault detector (SFD) for a 22.9 kV superconductor triggered fault current limiters (STFCLs) using Au/YBCO thin films. The SFD is to detect a fault and commutate the current from the primary path to the secondary path of the STFCL. First, quench characteristics of the Au/YBCO thin films were investigated for various faults having different fault duration. The rated voltage of the Au/YBCO thin films was determined from the results, considering the stability of the Au/YBCO elements. Second, the recovery time to superconductivity after quench was measured in each fault case. In addition, the dependence of the recovery characteristics on numbers and dimension of Au/YBCO elements were investigated. Based on the results, a SFD was designed, fabricated and tested. The SFD successfully detected a fault current and carried out the line commutation. Its recovery time was confirmed to be less than 0.5 s, satisfying the reclosing scheme in the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO)'s power grid

Resistive wall heating due to image current on the beam chamber for a superconducting undulator.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, S. H. (Accelerator Systems Division (APS))

2012-03-27

The image-current heating on the resistive beam chamber of a superconducting undulator (SCU) was calculated based on the normal and anomalous skin effects. Using the bulk resistivity of copper for the beam chamber, the heat loads were calculated for the residual resistivity ratios (RRRs) of unity at room temperature to 100 K at a cryogenic temperature as the reference. Then, using the resistivity of the specific aluminum alloy 6053-T5, which will be used for the SCU beam chamber, the heat loads were calculated. An electron beam stored in a storage ring induces an image current on the inner conducting wall, mainly within a skin depth, of the beam chamber. The image current, with opposite charge to the electron beam, travels along the chamber wall in the same direction as the electron beam. The average current in the storage ring consists of a number of bunches. When the pattern of the bunched beam is repeated according to the rf frequency, the beam current may be expressed in terms of a Fourier series. The time structure of the image current is assumed to be the same as that of the beam current. For a given resistivity of the chamber inner wall, the application ofthe normal or anomalous skin effect will depend on the harmonic numbers of the Fourier series of the beam current and the temperature of the chamber. For a round beam chamber with a ratius r, much larger than the beam size, one can assume that the image current density as well as the density square, may be uniform around the perimeter 2{pi}r. For the SCU beam chamber, which has a relatively narrow vertical gap compared to the width, the effective perimeter was estimated since the heat load should be proportional to the inverse of the perimeter.

Superconducting coil manufacturing method for low current dc beam line magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satti, J.A.

1977-01-01

A method of manufacturing superconducting multipole coils for 40 to 50 kG dc beam line magnets with low current is described. Small coils were built and tested successfully to short sample characteristics. The coils did not train after the first cooldown. The coils are porous and well cooled to cope with mechanical instability and energy deposited in the coil from the beam particles. The coils are wound with insulated strand cable. The cable is shaped rectangularly for winding simplicity and good tolerances. After the coil is wound, the insulated strands are electrically connected in series. This reduces the operating current and, most important, improves the coil quench propagation due to heat conduction of one strand adjacent to the other. A well distributed quench allows the magnet energy to distribute more uniformly to the copper in the superconductor wire, giving self-protected coils. A one-meter long, 43 kG, 6-inch bore tube superconducting dipole is now being fabricated. The porous coil design and coil winding methods are discussed

Trapped magnetic field of a mini-bulk magnet using YBaCuO at 77 K

Science.gov (United States)

Fujimoto, Hiroyuki; Kamijo, Hiroki

2001-09-01

Melt-processed rare earth (RE)123 superconductors have a high Jc at 77 K and high magnetic field. Solidification processes for producing (L)RE123 superconductors and pinning centers in the (L)RE123 matrix are effective for obtaining high Jc, leading to high-field application as a superconducting quasi-permanent bulk magnet with the liquid nitrogen refrigeration. One of the promising applications is a superconducting magnet for the magnetically levitated train. We fabricated a mini-superconducting bulk magnet of 200×100 mm2, consisting of 18 bulks, which are a square 33 mm on a side and 10 mm in thickness, and magnetized the mini-magnet by field cooling. The mini-magnet showed the trapped magnetic field of larger than 0.1 T on the surface of the outer vessel of the magnet. The present preliminary study discusses trapped magnetic field properties of the mini-bulk magnet using YBaCuO superconductors at 77 K.

A study on DC hybrid three-phase fault current limiting interrupter for a power distribution system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao, Hongtian; Satoh, Tomoyuki; Yamaguchi, Mitsugi; Fukui, Satoshi; Ogawa, Jun; Satoh, Takao; Ishikawa, Hiroyuki

2005-01-01

For the purpose of protecting electric power system, many researches and developments of fault current limiters are being performed. The authors studied a dc hybrid three-phase fault current limiting interrupter (FCLI) composed of a superconducting reactor and an S/N transition element, connected in series each other. The dc hybrid type fault current limiting interrupter can limit a fault current by means of the inductance of high temperature superconducting (HTS) coil together with the normal transition of HTS bulk material (HTSB). In the case of an accident, the normal transition of the bulk material can be accelerated by the magnetic field of the HTS coil. In this paper, the dc hybrid type fault current limiting interrupter for 5.5 km long 6.6 kV-600 A power distribution system is analyzed, and performances of fault current limitation and interruption are confirmed. Moreover, a reclosing operation is discussed for this power distribution system

A double-superconducting axial bearing system for an energy storage flywheel model

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Z.; Lin, Q.; Ma, G.; Zheng, J.; Zhang, Y.; Wang, S.; Wang, J.

2008-02-01

The bulk high temperature superconductors (HTSCs) with unique flux-pinning property have been applied to fabricate two superconducting axial bearings for an energy storage flywheel model. The two superconducting axial bearings are respectively fixed at two ends of the vertical rotational shaft, whose stator is composed of seven melt-textured YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) bulks with diameter of 30 mm, height of 18 mm and rotor is made of three cylindrical axial-magnetized NdFeB permanent magnets (PM) by superposition with diameter of 63 mm, height of 27 mm. The experimental results show the total levitation and lateral force produced by the two superconducting bearings are enough to levitate and stabilize the 2.4 kg rotational shaft. When the two YBCO stators were both field cooled to the liquid nitrogen temperature at respective axial distances above or below the PM rotor, the shaft could be automatically levitated between the two stators without any contact. In the case of a driving motor, it can be stably rotated along the central axis besides the resonance frequency. This double-superconducting axial bearing system can be used to demonstrate the flux-pinning property of bulk HTSC for stable levitation and suspension and the principle of superconducting flywheel energy storage system to visitors.

Experience of superconducting current feeders system of SST-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, N.C.; Garg, A.; Sonara, D.

2014-01-01

The superconducting current feeder system for SST-1 which has been installed and commissioned recently along with SST-1, felicitates to energize the SST-1. The CFS consists of ten pairs of 10,000 Ampere (A) rating helium vapor cooled conventional current leads, interconnecting Cu-SC joints, three numbers of cryo-compatible SC feeders ducts, current leads assembly chamber, hydraulic network and three numbers of joint boxes operated at different current rating to charge Toroidal Field and Poloidal Field coils separately. During the last three campaigns, it was possible to achieve a controlled cool down up to 4 K and showed its rated operational performance. Actively cooled liquid nitrogen shield showed temperature profile in the temperature range of 80-85K and the whole system was evacuated up to 6x10 -6 mbar. The measured LHe consumption rates from TF VCCL were 0.3 g/s and 0.35 g/s at zero current and 1 kA respectively. (author)

Superconducting toroidal field coil current densities for the TFCX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalsi, S.S.; Hooper, R.J.

1985-04-01

A major goal of the Tokamak Fusion Core Experiment (TFCX) study was to minimize the size of the device and achieve lowest cost. Two key factors influencing the size of the device employing superconducting magnets are toroidal field (TF) winding current density and its nuclear heat load withstand capability. Lower winding current density requires larger radial build of the winding pack. Likewise, lower allowable nuclear heating in the winding requires larger shield thickness between the plasma and coil. In order to achieve a low-cost device, it is essential to maximize the winding's current density and nuclear heating withhstand capability. To meet the above objective, the TFCX design specification adopted as goals a nominal winding current density of 3500 A/cm 2 with 10-T peak field at the winding and peak nuclear heat load limits of 1 MW/cm 3 for the nominal design and 50 MW/cm 3 for an advanced design. This study developed justification for these current density and nuclear heat load limits

Imaging of current distributions in superconducting thin film structures; Abbildung von Stromverteilungen in supraleitenden Duennfilmstrukturen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doenitz, D.

2006-10-31

Local analysis plays an important role in many fields of scientific research. However, imaging methods are not very common in the investigation of superconductors. For more than 20 years, Low Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (LTSEM) has been successfully used at the University of Tuebingen for studying of condensed matter phenomena, especially of superconductivity. In this thesis LTSEM was used for imaging current distributions in different superconducting thin film structures: - Imaging of current distributions in Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic interlayer, also known as SIFS junctions, showed inhomogeneous current transport over the junctions which directly led to an improvement in the fabrication process. An investigation of improved samples showed a very homogeneous current distribution without any trace of magnetic domains. Either such domains were not present or too small for imaging with the LTSEM. - An investigation of Nb/YBCO zigzag Josephson junctions yielded important information on signal formation in the LTSEM both for Josephson junctions in the short and in the long limit. Using a reference junction our signal formation model could be verified, thus confirming earlier results on short zigzag junctions. These results, which could be reproduced in this work, support the theory of d-wave symmetry in the superconducting order parameter of YBCO. Furthermore, investigations of the quasiparticle tunneling in the zigzag junctions showed the existence of Andreev bound states, which is another indication of the d-wave symmetry in YBCO. - The LTSEM study of Hot Electron Bolometers (HEB) allowed the first successful imaging of a stable 'Hot Spot', a self-heating region in HEB structures. Moreover, the electron beam was used to induce an - otherwise unstable - hot spot. Both investigations yielded information on the homogeneity of the samples. - An entirely new method of imaging the current distribution in superconducting interference

Design of a low temperature superconducting coil to be applied to current regulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Tabares, L.; Grau Carles, A

1998-05-01

We study the magnetic design and the cryogenic stability of a superconducting coil cooled with liquid helium, which works both in DC and AC modes. In DC mode, we obtain the maximum quench current; while in AC mode, we analyze Joule losses produced by the superconductor magnetization and the generation of eddy currents inside the copper matrix. (Author)

Preparation and characterization of high-Tc superconducting thin films with high critical current densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vase, P.

1991-08-01

The project was carried out in relation to possible cable and electronics applications of high-T c materials. Laser ablation was used as the deposition technique because of its stoichiometry conservation. Films were made in the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 compound due to its relatively simple stoichiometry compared to other High-T c compounds. Much attention was paid to the critical current density. A very high critical current density was reached. By using texture analysis by X-ray diffraction, it was found that films with high critical current densities were epitaxial, while films with low critical current densities contained several crystalline orientations. Four techniques for patterning the films were used - photo lithography and wet etch, laser ablation lithography, laser writing and electron beam lithography and ion milling. Sub-micron patterning has been demonstrated without degradation of the superconducting properties. The achieved patterning resolution is sufficient for preparation of many superconducting components. (AB)

Limiting characteristics of the superconducting fault current limiter applied to the neutral line of conventional transformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Im, I.G.; Choi, H.S.; Jung, B.I.

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Fault current limiter was used a high-speed interrupter. •High-speed interrupter was operated to bypass to the current limiter line. •The size of the fault current was limited to about 80% after the fault occurred. •The fault current was limited quickly within a half-cycle after the fault occurred. -- Abstract: The increased electricity demands influenced by the recent industrial development make the electric power distribution system more comprehensive, and the risks are high to cause failures to steady state electric line due to the extended range of fault at the time of fault occurrence. Also, the high performance and the high precision electric appliances that sensitive to switching surge and fault current expose vulnerability of reduced life span and increased fault occurrence ratio. Therefore, this thesis analyzed the fault limiting characteristics by the fault types by applying the superconducting fault current limiter to the neutral line of the transformer in order to reduce the fault currents that flow such high performance appliances. A current transformer (CT) that detects the fault current in the simulated power distribution system, a switching control system that is self-developed and a transformer are used in constructing a circuit. When a fault occurs, the initial fault current is restricted by the superconducting fault current limiter and simultaneously detours the fault current by operating the SCR contact of the switching control system through the detection by CT. This thesis analyzed the limiting characteristics of the superconducting fault current limiter that are applied to the neutral line of the transformer by the fault types

Limiting characteristics of the superconducting fault current limiter applied to the neutral line of conventional transformer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Im, I.G., E-mail: asiligo@gmail.com; Choi, H.S., E-mail: hyosang@chosun.ac.kr; Jung, B.I.

2013-11-15

Highlights: •Fault current limiter was used a high-speed interrupter. •High-speed interrupter was operated to bypass to the current limiter line. •The size of the fault current was limited to about 80% after the fault occurred. •The fault current was limited quickly within a half-cycle after the fault occurred. -- Abstract: The increased electricity demands influenced by the recent industrial development make the electric power distribution system more comprehensive, and the risks are high to cause failures to steady state electric line due to the extended range of fault at the time of fault occurrence. Also, the high performance and the high precision electric appliances that sensitive to switching surge and fault current expose vulnerability of reduced life span and increased fault occurrence ratio. Therefore, this thesis analyzed the fault limiting characteristics by the fault types by applying the superconducting fault current limiter to the neutral line of the transformer in order to reduce the fault currents that flow such high performance appliances. A current transformer (CT) that detects the fault current in the simulated power distribution system, a switching control system that is self-developed and a transformer are used in constructing a circuit. When a fault occurs, the initial fault current is restricted by the superconducting fault current limiter and simultaneously detours the fault current by operating the SCR contact of the switching control system through the detection by CT. This thesis analyzed the limiting characteristics of the superconducting fault current limiter that are applied to the neutral line of the transformer by the fault types.

Modelling and comparison of trapped fields in (RE)BCO bulk superconductors for activation using pulsed field magnetization

Science.gov (United States)

Ainslie, M. D.; Fujishiro, H.; Ujiie, T.; Zou, J.; Dennis, A. R.; Shi, Y.-H.; Cardwell, D. A.

2014-06-01

The ability to generate a permanent, stable magnetic field unsupported by an electromotive force is fundamental to a variety of engineering applications. Bulk high temperature superconducting (HTS) materials can trap magnetic fields of magnitude over ten times higher than the maximum field produced by conventional magnets, which is limited practically to rather less than 2 T. In this paper, two large c-axis oriented, single-grain YBCO and GdBCO bulk superconductors are magnetized by the pulsed field magnetization (PFM) technique at temperatures of 40 and 65 K and the characteristics of the resulting trapped field profile are investigated with a view of magnetizing such samples as trapped field magnets (TFMs) in situ inside a trapped flux-type superconducting electric machine. A comparison is made between the temperatures at which the pulsed magnetic field is applied and the results have strong implications for the optimum operating temperature for TFMs in trapped flux-type superconducting electric machines. The effects of inhomogeneities, which occur during the growth process of single-grain bulk superconductors, on the trapped field and maximum temperature rise in the sample are modelled numerically using a 3D finite-element model based on the H-formulation and implemented in Comsol Multiphysics 4.3a. The results agree qualitatively with the observed experimental results, in that inhomogeneities act to distort the trapped field profile and reduce the magnitude of the trapped field due to localized heating within the sample and preferential movement and pinning of flux lines around the growth section regions (GSRs) and growth sector boundaries (GSBs), respectively. The modelling framework will allow further investigation of various inhomogeneities that arise during the processing of (RE)BCO bulk superconductors, including inhomogeneous Jc distributions and the presence of current-limiting grain boundaries and cracks, and it can be used to assist optimization of

2D analytical modeling of a wholly superconducting synchronous reluctance motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Male, G; Lubin, T; Mezani, S; Leveque, J

2011-01-01

An analytical computation of the magnetic field distribution in a wholly superconducting synchronous reluctance motor is proposed. The stator of the studied motor consists of three-phase HTS armature windings fed by AC currents. The rotor is made with HTS bulks which have a nearly diamagnetic behavior under zero field cooling. The electromagnetic torque is obtained by the interaction between the rotating magnetic field created by the HTS windings and the HTS bulks. The proposed analytical model is based on the resolution of Laplace's and Poisson's equations (by the separation-of-variables technique) for each sub-domain, i.e. stator windings, air-gap, holes between HTS bulks and exterior iron shield. For the study, the HTS bulks are considered as perfect diamagnetic materials. The boundary and continuity conditions between the sub-domains yield to the global solution. Magnetic field distributions and electromagnetic torque obtained by the analytical method are compared with those obtained from finite element analyses.

2D analytical modeling of a wholly superconducting synchronous reluctance motor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Male, G; Lubin, T; Mezani, S; Leveque, J, E-mail: gael.male@green.uhp-nancy.fr [Groupe de Recherche en Electrotechnique et Electronique de Nancy, Universite Henri Poincare, Faculte des Sciences et Technologies BP 70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre les Nancy CEDEX (France)

2011-03-15

An analytical computation of the magnetic field distribution in a wholly superconducting synchronous reluctance motor is proposed. The stator of the studied motor consists of three-phase HTS armature windings fed by AC currents. The rotor is made with HTS bulks which have a nearly diamagnetic behavior under zero field cooling. The electromagnetic torque is obtained by the interaction between the rotating magnetic field created by the HTS windings and the HTS bulks. The proposed analytical model is based on the resolution of Laplace's and Poisson's equations (by the separation-of-variables technique) for each sub-domain, i.e. stator windings, air-gap, holes between HTS bulks and exterior iron shield. For the study, the HTS bulks are considered as perfect diamagnetic materials. The boundary and continuity conditions between the sub-domains yield to the global solution. Magnetic field distributions and electromagnetic torque obtained by the analytical method are compared with those obtained from finite element analyses.

Superconducting properties of Ca{sub 1−x}RE{sub x}Fe{sub 2}As{sub 2} (RE: Rare Earths)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tamegai, T., E-mail: tamegai@ap.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Applied Physics, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); JST, Transformative Research-Project on Iron Pnictides (TRIP), Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Ding, Q.P. [Department of Applied Physics, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); JST, Transformative Research-Project on Iron Pnictides (TRIP), Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Ishibashi, T. [Department of Applied Physics, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Nakajima, Y. [Department of Applied Physics, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); JST, Transformative Research-Project on Iron Pnictides (TRIP), Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

2013-01-15

Highlights: ► Superconducting properties in rare-earth doped CaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} single crystals are characterized. ► Sharp resistive transitions with small anisotropy parameter of ∼1.75 are observed. ► Average critical current density is much smaller than other iron-based superconductors. ► Magneto-optical imaging confirms very inhomogeneous superconducting state. -- Abstract: We have grown rare-earth doped CaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} single crystals and characterized their normal and superconducting properties. Temperature dependence of resistivity and its absolute value suggest good metallic conduction, suppressing antiferromagnetic (AF) transition in the undoped sample. Hall coefficient shows little temperature dependence, consistent with the suppression AF state. Superconducting transitions characterized by resistivity drops in magnetic fields for both parallel to c-axis and ab-plane are reasonably sharp with a weak anisotropy parameter ∼1.75. Despite these observations, average critical current density estimated from the bulk magnetization is orders of magnitude smaller than other typical iron-based superconductors. Magneto-optical imaging confirms very inhomogeneous superconducting state.

Proceedings of the IS-HTS-TP'94: 2nd international symposium on high temperature superconductivity and tunneling phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svistunov, V.M.

1995-01-01

The main purpose of this symposium is to discuss a problem of the current transfer in HTS: direct and tunneling mechanisms. It was proposed to consider a series of questions concerning spectral function of the electron-phonon interactions in HTS, the linear background conductance, the critical current in magnetic fields in bulk materials, studying in details the role of the weak superconducting links and the different natural contributions in current transfer of HTS

Superconductive AC current limiter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekhaled, M.

1987-01-01

This patent describes an AC current limiter for a power transport line including a power supply circuit and feeding a load circuit via an overload circuit-breaker member. The limiter comprises a transformer having a primary winding connected in series between the power supply circuit and the load circuit and at least one secondary winding of superconductor material contained in a cryogenic enclosure and short-circuited on itself. The leakage reactance of the transformer as seen from the primary winding is low, and the resistance of the at least one secondary winding when in the non-superconducting state and as seen from the primary is much greater than the nominal impedance of the transformer. The improvement whereby the at least one secondary winding of the transformer comprises an active winding in association with a set of auxiliary windings. The set of auxiliary windings is constituted by an even number of series-connected auxiliary windings wound in opposite directions, with the total number of turns in one direction being equal to the total number of turns in the opposite direction, and with the thermal capacity of the secondary winding as a whole being sufficiently high to limit the expansion thereof to a value which remains small during the time it takes the circuit-breaking member to operate

Cryogenic safety of the superconducting ALPI accelerator at INFN-LNL

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2016-01-01

The superconducting linac ALPI at INFN-LNL is composed of 20 identical cryostats housing, at a group of four (or two), 74 superconducting QWR type cavities: 58 resonators are made of copper with Nb sputtered on the internal surface and 16 are made of Nb bulk. In each cryostat is installed a 100 liter volume LHe reservoir feeding by gravity the QWR’s. The thermal shield around is cooled by GHe at 6 bar abs at 60-80 K. The linac ALPI is a post-accelerator which can receive heavy ions from either the 16 MV Tandem Van de Graaf or from the superconducting injector PIAVE. The latter is composed by an ECR source, two superconducting RFQ, and two cryostats each containg four superconducting bulk Nb QWR. The ALPI cryostats are cooled by a Helium refrigerator whose refrigerator capacity is 1200 W at 4.5 K and 3900 W additional at 60-80 K. PIAVE cryostats are cooled by a separate TCF50 helium refrigerator. The complex ALPI-PIAVE is installed in a semi-open removable concrete tunnel in the same building where the two h...

Temperature dependence of the current to sustain a normal hotspot in superconducting microbridges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaguchi, Y.; Ishii, C.

1981-01-01

A modification of the boundary condition to determine the SN boundary in the hotspot model of superconducting microbridges is proposed and successfully applied to the interpretation of recent measurements of the hotspot-sustaining current by Mizuno and Aomine. It is shown that suppression of the order parameter due to the applied current gives rise to an additional temperature dependence of the hotspot-sustaining current in the extreme vicinity of the transition temperature. (orig.)

Alternating current losses of a 10 metre long low loss superconducting cable conductor determined from phase sensitive measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Søren Krüger; Kühle (fratrådt), Anders Van Der Aa; Træholt, Chresten

1999-01-01

The ac loss of a superconducting cable conductor carrying an ac current is small. Therefore the ratio between the inductive (out-of-phase) and the resistive (in-phase) voltages over the conductor is correspondingly high. In vectorial representations this results in phase angles between the current......-in amplifiers can be exploited. In this paper we present the results from ac-loss measurements on a low loss 10 metre long high temperature superconducting cable conductor using such a correction scheme. Measurements were carried out with and without a compensation circuit that could reduce-the inductive...... voltage. The 1 mu V cm(-1) critical current of the conductor was 3240 A at 77 K. At an rms current of 2 kA (50 Hz) the ac loss was derived to be 0.6 +/- 0.15 W m(-1). This is, to the best of our knowledge, the lowest value of ac loss of a high temperature superconducting cable conductor reported so far...

Modal bifurcation in a high-Tc superconducting levitation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taguchi, D; Fujiwara, S; Sugiura, T

2011-01-01

This paper deals with modal bifurcation of a multi-degree-of-freedom high-T c superconducting levitation system. As modeling of large-scale high-T c superconducting levitation applications, where plural superconducting bulks are often used, it can be helpful to consider a system constituting of multiple oscillators magnetically coupled with each other. This paper investigates nonlinear dynamics of two permanent magnets levitated above high-T c superconducting bulks and placed between two fixed permanent magnets without contact. First, the nonlinear equations of motion of the levitated magnets were derived. Then the method of averaging was applied to them. It can be found from the obtained solutions that this nonlinear two degree-of-freedom system can have two asymmetric modes, in addition to a symmetric mode and an antisymmetric mode both of which also exist in the linearized system. One of the backbone curves in the frequency response shows a modal bifurcation where the two stable asymmetric modes mentioned above appear with destabilization of the antisymmetric mode, thus leading to modal localization. These analytical predictions have been confirmed in our numerical analysis and experiments of free vibration and forced vibration. These results, never predicted by linear analysis, can be important for application of high-T c superconducting levitation systems.

Critical current measurement in superconducting rings using an automatic inductive technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez-Jorge, H.; Linares, B.; Quelle, I.; Carballo, E.; Romani, L.; Domarco, G.

2007-01-01

A measurement technique was developed to identify the critical current of superconducting rings. It is based on the detection of the voltage on a secondary coil when the current induced in the superconductor by a primary one go beyond to the critical value. The technique uses a DC power supply to control the AC current circulating by the primary circuit. Such circuit mainly consists on an AC power supply which gives a constant AC voltage, a primary inducting coil and a control coil with iron core. The AC current circulating by this circuit is modified with the change in the impedance of the control coil due to the fact of the DC current supplied by the power supply in parallel with it

Development of superconducting equipment for fusion device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konno, Masayuki; Ueda, Toshio; Hiue, Hisaaki; Ohgushi, Kouzou

1993-01-01

At Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., the development of superconductivity was started from 1960, and superconducting equipment for fusion device has been developed for ten years. The superconducting equipment, which is developed for fusion by Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., are able to be grouped in three categories which are current lead, superconducting coil and superconducting bus-line. The current lead is an electrical feeder between a superconducting coil and an electrical power supply. The rated current of developed current lead is 30kA at continuous use and 100kA at short time use respectively. The advanced disk type coil is developed for the toroidal field coil and some coils are developed for critical current measurement. Superconductor is applied to the superconducting bus-line between the superconducting coils and the current leads, and the bus-line is being developed for the Large Helical Device. This report describes an abstract of these equipment. (author)

AmpaCity. Superconducting cables and fault current limiters for the energy supply in conurbations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merschel, F.; Noe, M.; Stemmle, M.; Hobl, A.; Sauerbach, O.

2013-01-01

In 2013 RWE Germany is working jointly with cable manufacturer Nexans and with the scientific support of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) to install world's longest superconducting cable in the downtown area electricity grid of Essen. The AmpaCity project is partly funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and is playing an exemplary role in the further development of electricity grids in major cities worldwide. The project consortium presents AmpaCity as a convincing system solution especially with respect to economics and security of supply. Components of the system are a superconducting three-phase AC cable with two terminations and one connection joint in combination with a fault current limiter, which is also based on superconducting materials. The superconducting system is designed for 10 kV nominal voltage and 40 MW nominal power. It will replace a 110 kV cable system of equal capacity. At the same time, the project partners are paving the way for high failsafe performance, as the cable in conjunction with the fault current limiter cannot be overloaded by short circuit currents in the event of faults in the grid. Planning and follow up on the civil works in Essen posed a major challenge. Cable laying in the inner city, with various crossings of major highways, tramways, as well as already dense cable routes necessitated very thorough preparation and coordination. The civil works in Essen started in April 2013. At around the same time, after the cable had passed the type test, it went into production. Cable laying is scheduled for late summer. After commissioning, planned for the end of 2013, the field trial will run for at least two years under real grid conditions, to demonstrate this technology's suitability for wider deployment.

Characterization of superconducting multilayers samples

CERN Document Server

Antoine, C Z; Berry, S; Bouat, S; Jacquot, J F; Villegier, J C; Lamura, G; Gurevich, A

2009-01-01

Best RF bulk niobium accelerating cavities have nearly reached their ultimate limits at rf equatorial magnetic field H  200 mT close to the thermodynamic critical field Hc. In 2006 Gurevich proposed to use nanoscale layers of superconducting materials with high values of Hc > HcNb for magnetic shielding of bulk niobium to increase the breakdown magnetic field inside SC RF cavities [1]. Depositing good quality layers inside a whole cavity is rather difficult but we have sputtered high quality samples by applying the technique used for the preparation of superconducting electronics circuits and characterized these samples by X-ray reflectivity, dc resistivity (PPMS) and dc magnetization (SQUID). Dc magnetization curves of a 250 nm thick Nb film have been measured, with and without a magnetron sputtered coating of a single or multiple stack of 15 nm MgO and 25 nm NbN layers. The Nb samples with/without the coating clearly exhibit different behaviors. Because SQUID measurements are influenced by edge an...

Influence of lateral displacement on the levitation performance of a magnetized bulk high-Tc superconductor magnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, W.; Wang, J.S.; Ma, G.T.; Zheng, J.; Tuo, X.G.; Li, L.L.; Ye, C.Q.; Liao, X.L.; Wang, S.Y.

2012-01-01

Compared with the permanent magnet, the magnetized bulk high-T c superconductor magnet (MBSCM) can trap higher magnetic field due to its strong flux pinning ability, so it is a good candidate to improve the levitation performance of high-T c superconductive (HTS) maglev system. The trapped magnetic flux of a MBSCM is sustained by the inductive superconducting current produced by the magnetizing process and is susceptible to the current intensity as well as configuration. In the HTS maglev system, the lateral displacement is an important process to change the superconducting current within a MBSCM and then affects its levitation performance, which is essential for the traffic ability in curve-way, the loading capacity of lateral impact and so on. The research about influence of lateral displacement on the levitation performance of MBSCM is necessary when MBSCM is applied on the HTS maglev vehicle. The experimental investigations about the influence of lateral displacement on the levitation performance of a MBSCM with different trapped fluxes and applied fields are processed in this article. The analyses and conclusions of this article are useful for the practical application of MBSCM in HTS maglev system.

Special features of the current-voltage characteristics of short superconducting bridges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhilinskii, S.; Latyshev, Y.; Nad', F.

1981-01-01

A study was made of variable-thickness superconducting bridges made of tin and indium. The current-voltage characteristics were determined for these bridges as a function of their length and width. The characteristics exhibited a linear region as well as an inflection. The temperature of the appearance of such an inflection depended on the length of the bridge but was independent of the bridge material

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition for YBCO film fabrication of superconducting fault-current limiter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jun, Byung Hyuk; Kim, Chan Joong

2006-05-15

Since the high-temperature superconductor of oxide type was founded, many researches and efforts have been performed for finding its application field. The YBCO superconducting film fabricated on economic metal substrate with uniform critical current density is considered as superconducting fault-current limiter (SFCL). There are physical and chemical processes to fabricate superconductor film, and it is understood that the chemical methods are more economic to deposit large area. Among them, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a promising deposition method in obtaining film uniformity. To solve the problems due to the high deposition temperature of thermal CVD, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is suggested. This report describes the principle and fabrication trend of SFCL, example of YBCO film deposition by PECVD method, and principle of plasma deposition.

Critical current density in MgB2 bulk samples after co-doping with nano-SiC and poly zinc acrylate complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Z.; Suo, H.; Ma, L.; Zhang, T.; Liu, M.; Zhou, M.

2011-01-01

SiC and poly zinc acrylate complexes co-doped MgB 2 bulk has been synthesized. Co-doping can cause higher carbon substitutions and the second phase particles. Co-doping can further increase the Jc value of MgB 2 bulk on the base of the SiC doping. The co-doped MgB 2 bulk samples have been synthesized using an in situ reaction processing. The additives is 8 wt.% SiC nano powders and 10 wt.% [(CH 2 CHCOO) 2 Zn] n poly zinc acrylate complexes (PZA). A systematic study was performed on samples doped with SiC or PZA and samples co-doped with both of them. The effects of doping and co-doping on phase formation, microstructure, and the variation of lattice parameters were studied. The amount of substituted carbon, the critical temperature (T c ) and the critical current density (J c ) were determined. The calculated lattice parameters show the decrease of the a-axis, while no obvious change was detected for c-axis parameter in co-doped samples. This indicates that the carbon was substituted by boron in MgB 2 . The amount of substituted carbon for the co-doped sample shows an enhancement compared to that of the both single doped samples. The co-doped samples perform the highest J c values, which reaches 3.3 x 10 4 A/cm 2 at 5 K and 7 T. It is shown that co-doping with SiC and organic compound is an effective way to further improve the superconducting properties of MgB 2 .

Superconductivity at 43K in SmFeAsO1-xFx

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, X. H.; Wu, T.; Wu, G.; Liu, R. H.; Chen, H.; Fang, D. F.

2008-06-01

Since the discovery of high-transition-temperature (high-Tc) superconductivity in layered copper oxides, extensive effort has been devoted to exploring the origins of this phenomenon. A Tc higher than 40K (about the theoretical maximum predicted from Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory), however, has been obtained only in the copper oxide superconductors. The highest reported value for non-copper-oxide bulk superconductivity is Tc = 39K in MgB2 (ref. 2). The layered rare-earth metal oxypnictides LnOFeAs (where Ln is La-Nd, Sm and Gd) are now attracting attention following the discovery of superconductivity at 26K in the iron-based LaO1-xFxFeAs (ref. 3). Here we report the discovery of bulk superconductivity in the related compound SmFeAsO1-xFx, which has a ZrCuSiAs-type structure. Resistivity and magnetization measurements reveal a transition temperature as high as 43K. This provides a new material base for studying the origin of high-temperature superconductivity.

Determination of the inter- and intra-granular critical currents in superconducting YBa2Cu3O7 welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bozzo, B; Iliescu, S; Bartolome, E; Palau, A; Granados, X; Puig, T; Obradors, X; Amoros, J; Carrera, M

2005-01-01

A method for determining simultaneously the inter- and intra-grain critical currents has been developed in welded YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) ceramics by solving the Inverse Problem for local maps of the magnetic field in the remanent state. From that current distribution, the current density flowing through the superconducting weld as well as the current density circulating inside the grains can be deduced. The method is discussed and it is applied to several examples of YBCO/Ag/YBCO welds. The results obtained show that it is possible to obtain superconducting joints with a quality at the same level as that of the starting material

A study on the development of high Tc superconducting materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Won, D. Y.; Hong, G. Y.; Lee, H. G.; Lee, H. J.; Kim, C. J.; Kwon, S. C.; Kim, K. B.; Kang, Y. H.; Chang, I. S.; Choi, M. J.

1992-01-01

The major work of this project aims to develop the frictionless superconducting bearing with a high speed. The high magnetization YBaCuO bulk superconductor was prepared by Quasi-melt process. The frictionless superconducting magnetic bearing standed a rotating bar with a speed of 75,000 rpm, which were operated by an electric controller. The low temperature chemical vapor deposition technique was developed. YBaCuO superconducting film showing a superconductivity above 77K was successfully prepared at 650 deg C. Effect of oxygen partial pressure, substrate, deposition temperature on the film properties were also investigated. (Author)

Electron mean free path dependence of the critical currents and the pair-breaking limit in superconducting films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fedorov, N.; Rinderer, L.

1977-01-01

We have studied the current-induced breakdown of superconductivity in wide (100--980 μm) and thin (0.25--0.98 μm) films of tin. It is shown that the current at which the resistance of the sample begins to rise rapidly in the process of the destruction of superconductivity by a current can be fairly well associated with the theoretical value of the pair-breaking current in the Ginzburg-Landau phenomenological approach (I/sub c//sup G L/). This effect is observed over a rather wide temperature region (up to ΔTapprox.0.7 K), depending on the electron mean free path in the films. The values of the critical currents outside the above-mentioned region correlate qualitatively with those determined by inhomogeneities of the films as proposed by Larkin and Ovchinnikov

Pulse measurement of the hot spot current in a NbTiN superconducting filament

Science.gov (United States)

Harrabi, K.; Mekki, A.; Kunwar, S.; Maneval, J. P.

2018-02-01

We have studied the voltage response of superconducting NbTiN filaments to a step-pulse of over-critical current I > Ic. The current induces the destruction of the Cooper pairs and initiates different mechanisms of dissipation depending on the bath temperature T. For the sample investigated, and for T above a certain T*, not far from Tc, the resistance manifests itself in the form of a phase-slip center, which turns into a normal hot spot (HS) as the step-pulse is given larger amplitudes. However, at all temperatures below T*, the destruction of superconductivity still occurs at Ic(T), but leads directly to an ever-growing HS. By lowering the current amplitude during the pulse, one can produce a steady HS and thus define a threshold HS current Ih(T). That is achieved by combining two levels of current, the first and larger one to initiate an HS, the second one to search for constant voltage response. The double diagram of the functions Ic(T) and Ih(T) was plotted in the T-range Tc/2 < T < Tc, and their crossing found at T* = (8.07 ± 0.07) K.

Topological Superconductivity on the Surface of Fe-Based Superconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Gang; Lian, Biao; Tang, Peizhe; Qi, Xiao-Liang; Zhang, Shou-Cheng

2016-07-22

As one of the simplest systems for realizing Majorana fermions, the topological superconductor plays an important role in both condensed matter physics and quantum computations. Based on ab initio calculations and the analysis of an effective 8-band model with superconducting pairing, we demonstrate that the three-dimensional extended s-wave Fe-based superconductors such as Fe_{1+y}Se_{0.5}Te_{0.5} have a metallic topologically nontrivial band structure, and exhibit a normal-topological-normal superconductivity phase transition on the (001) surface by tuning the bulk carrier doping level. In the topological superconductivity (TSC) phase, a Majorana zero mode is trapped at the end of a magnetic vortex line. We further show that the surface TSC phase only exists up to a certain bulk pairing gap, and there is a normal-topological phase transition driven by the temperature, which has not been discussed before. These results pave an effective way to realize the TSC and Majorana fermions in a large class of superconductors.

Degradation of superconductivity in A15 V3Si by explosive compression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stewart, G.; Olinger, B.; Newkirk, L.R.

1985-01-01

We have found that explosive compression similar to that used to create A15 Nb 3 Si seriously degrades superconductivity in A15 V 3 Si which, before compression, was typical of well-ordered material. Specifically, the midpoint of the bulk superconducting transition is depressed by 1.8 K, the bulk transition width is increased by a factor of 3, and the specific heat γ is decreased by more than 20% compared to the starting material. Implications of these results for the ultimate achievable transition temperature in A15 Nb 3 Si are discussed

Doping-Induced Isotopic Mg11B2 Bulk Superconductor for Fusion Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qi Cai

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Superconducting wires are widely used for fabricating magnetic coils in fusion reactors. Superconducting magnet system represents a key determinant of the thermal efficiency and the construction/operating costs of such a reactor. In consideration of the stability of 11B against fast neutron irradiation and its lower induced radioactivation properties, MgB2 superconductor with 11B serving as the boron source is an alternative candidate for use in fusion reactors with a severe high neutron flux environment. In the present work, the glycine-doped Mg11B2 bulk superconductor was synthesized from isotopic 11B powder to enhance the high field properties. The critical current density was enhanced (103 A·cm−2 at 20 K and 5 T over the entire field in contrast with the sample prepared from natural boron.

Applications and modelling of bulk HTSs in brushless ac machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, G.J.

2000-01-01

The use of high temperature superconducting material in its bulk form for engineering applications is attractive due to the large power densities that can be achieved. In brushless electrical machines, there are essentially four properties that can be exploited; their hysteretic nature, their flux shielding properties, their ability to trap large flux densities and their ability to produce levitation. These properties translate to hysteresis machines, reluctance machines, trapped-field synchronous machines and linear motors respectively. Each one of these machines is addressed separately and computer simulations that reveal the current and field distributions within the machines are used to explain their operation. (author)

Basic Study of Superconductive Actuator

OpenAIRE

涌井, 和也; 荻原, 宏康

2000-01-01

There are two kinds of electromagnetic propulsion ships : a superconductive electromagnetic propulsion ship and a superconductive electricity propulsion ship. A superconductive electromagnetic propulsion ship uses the electromagnetic force (Lorenz force) by the interaction between a magnetic field and a electric current. On the other hand, a superconductive electricity propulsion ship uses screws driven by a superconductive motor. A superconductive propulsion ship technique has the merits of ...

Experimental studies of current sharing in parallel driven Graetz bridge units for diurnal superconductive magnetic energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kustom, R.L.; Akita, S.; Okada, H.; Skiles, J.

1985-01-01

Superconductive Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) coils for diurnal load leveling and system peaking are envisioned to operate at hundreds of thousands of amperes and a few kilovolts. The interface between the SMES coil and the electric utility is envisioned to be Graetz bridges using SCR switches. Many parallel SCR switches or bridge units will have to operate in parallel because of the high operating current of the coil. Current balancing on parallel Graetz bridges driving a single 8-hy superconducting coil has been achieved on a laboratory model using delay-angle control with an LSI 11/2 microprocessor and external digital control hardware

Quenches in large superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eberhard, P.H.; Alston-Garnjost, M.; Green, M.A.; Lecomte, P.; Smits, R.G.; Taylor, J.D.; Vuillemin, V.

1977-08-01

The development of large high current density superconducting magnets requires an understanding of the quench process by which the magnet goes normal. A theory which describes the quench process in large superconducting magnets is presented and compared with experimental measurements. The use of a quench theory to improve the design of large high current density superconducting magnets is discussed

A venture capital view of superconductivity electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kressel, H.

1987-01-01

Many venture capital backed start-up companies have followed major technological innovations in recent years. However, the field of electronics based on the use of superconducting devices (i.e. the Josephson Junction) has been a noteworthy exception. Until 1983, the bulk of the American development effort on superconductivity electronics was conducted by IBM where the focus was to demonstrate the feasibility of a superconducting computer prototype. Other activities using Josephson Junctions involved the development and production of magnetic sensing instruments and modest quantities of magnetometers which were marketed by several very small companies primarily for laboratory use. In addition, other applications in radiation sensing and biomagnetism and research leading to practical systems were ongoing in several organizations

Bulk and surface loss in superconducting transmon qubits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dial, Oliver; McClure, Douglas T; Poletto, Stefano; Keefe, G A; Rothwell, Mary Beth; Gambetta, Jay M; Abraham, David W; Chow, Jerry M; Steffen, Matthias

2016-01-01

Decoherence of superconducting transmon qubits is purported to be consistent with surface loss from two-level systems on the substrate surface. Here, we present a study of surface loss in transmon devices, explicitly designed to have varying sensitivities to different surface loss contributors. Our experiments also encompass two particular different sapphire substrates, which reveal the onset of a yet unknown additional loss mechanism outside of surface loss for one of the substrates. Tests across different wafers and devices demonstrate substantial variation, and we emphasize the importance of testing large numbers of devices for disentangling different sources of decoherence. (paper)

Analysis of the electrodynamics of subcable current distribution in the superconducting POLO coil cable

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sihler, C.; Heller, R.; Maurer, W.; Ulbricht, A.; Wuechner, F.

1995-10-01

Unexpected ramp rate limitations (RRL) found in superconducting magnets during the development of magnet systems can be attributed to a current imbalance amongst the cabled strands which leads to a lower than expected quench current. In superconducting magnets the current distribution in the cable during ramping depends mainly on the electromagnetic properties of the system. A detailed analysis of principle causes for RRL phenomena was performed with a model for one half of the POLO coil considering the complete inductance matrix of the cable and the fact that all turns are mutually coupled. The main results of these calculations are that unequal contact resistances can not be responsible for RRL phenomena in coils with parameters comparable to those of the POLO coil and that already minor geometrical disturbances in the cable structure can lead to major and lasting imbalances in the current distribution of cables with insulated and non-insulated strands. During the POLO experiment the half-coil model was employed to get a better understanding of the measured compensated subcable voltages during quench. The good agreement of the calculated and measured results demonstrates the validity of the model for RRL analyses. (orig.)

High field superconducting magnets

Science.gov (United States)

Hait, Thomas P. (Inventor); Shirron, Peter J. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A superconducting magnet includes an insulating layer disposed about the surface of a mandrel; a superconducting wire wound in adjacent turns about the mandrel to form the superconducting magnet, wherein the superconducting wire is in thermal communication with the mandrel, and the superconducting magnet has a field-to-current ratio equal to or greater than 1.1 Tesla per Ampere; a thermally conductive potting material configured to fill interstices between the adjacent turns, wherein the thermally conductive potting material and the superconducting wire provide a path for dissipation of heat; and a voltage limiting device disposed across each end of the superconducting wire, wherein the voltage limiting device is configured to prevent a voltage excursion across the superconducting wire during quench of the superconducting magnet.

Flux pinning characteristics in cylindrical ingot niobium used in superconducting radio frequency cavity fabrication

OpenAIRE

Dhavale, Asavari S.; Dhakal, Pashupati; Polyanskii, Anatolii A.; Ciovati, Gianluigi

2012-01-01

We present the results of from DC magnetization and penetration depth measurements of cylindrical bulk large-grain (LG) and fine-grain (FG) niobium samples used for the fabrication of superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities. The surface treatment consisted of electropolishing and low temperature baking as they are typically applied to SRF cavities. The magnetization data were fitted using a modified critical state model. The critical current density Jc and pinning force Fp are calculat...

Analysis of thermodynamic properties for high-temperature superconducting oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kushwah, S.S.; Shanker, J.

1993-01-01

Analysis of thermodynamic properties such as specific heat, Debye temperature, Einstein temperature, thermal expansion coefficient, bulk modulus, and Grueneisen parameter is performed for rare-earth-based, Tl-based, and Bi-based superconducting copper oxides. Values of thermodynamic parameters are calculated and reported. The relationship between the Debye temperature and the superconducting transition temperature is used to estimate the values of T c using the interaction parameters from Ginzburg. (orig.)

Influence of lateral displacement on the levitation performance of a magnetized bulk high-T{sub c} superconductor magnet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, W., E-mail: tonny-violet@163.com [College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059 (China) and Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Wang, J.S.; Ma, G.T.; Zheng, J. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); National Laboratory of Rail Transit, Chengdu, 610031 (China); Tuo, X.G.; Li, L.L. [College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059 (China); Ye, C.Q.; Liao, X.L. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); National Laboratory of Rail Transit, Chengdu, 610031 (China); Wang, S.Y. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); National Laboratory of Rail Transit, Chengdu, 610031 (China)

2012-03-15

Compared with the permanent magnet, the magnetized bulk high-T{sub c} superconductor magnet (MBSCM) can trap higher magnetic field due to its strong flux pinning ability, so it is a good candidate to improve the levitation performance of high-T{sub c} superconductive (HTS) maglev system. The trapped magnetic flux of a MBSCM is sustained by the inductive superconducting current produced by the magnetizing process and is susceptible to the current intensity as well as configuration. In the HTS maglev system, the lateral displacement is an important process to change the superconducting current within a MBSCM and then affects its levitation performance, which is essential for the traffic ability in curve-way, the loading capacity of lateral impact and so on. The research about influence of lateral displacement on the levitation performance of MBSCM is necessary when MBSCM is applied on the HTS maglev vehicle. The experimental investigations about the influence of lateral displacement on the levitation performance of a MBSCM with different trapped fluxes and applied fields are processed in this article. The analyses and conclusions of this article are useful for the practical application of MBSCM in HTS maglev system.

Magnetism and superconductivity in Eu-based iron pnictides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zapf, Sina [1. Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Stuttgart (Germany)

2015-07-01

EuFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} is an extraordinary parent compound of the iron pnictides, as it exhibits at low temperatures - additional to the Fe spin density wave - long-range magnetic order of the Eu{sup 2+} local moments. Nevertheless, bulk superconductivity around 30 K can be induced by mechanical pressure or chemical substitution. In this talk we review the remarkable interplay of unconventional superconductivity, itinerant and local magnetism in Eu based iron pnictides. We focus on the appearance of a re-entrant spin glass phase that coexists with superconductivity and an indirect magneto-elastic coupling, enabling the persistent magnetic detwinning by small magnetic fields.

High power density superconducting motor for control applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, J; Granados, X; Lloberas, J; Torres, R; Grau, J; Maynou, R; Bosch, R

2008-01-01

A high dynamics superconducting low power motor for control applications has been considered for design. The rotor is cylindrical with machined bulks that generate the field by trapping flux in a four poles configuration. The toothless iron armature is wound by copper, acting iron only as magnetic screen. Details of the magnetic assembling, cryogenics and electrical supply conditioning will be reported. Improvements due to the use of a superconducting set are compared with performances of equivalent conventional motors

Unconventional superconductivity of the heavy fermion compound UNi2Al3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zakharov, Andrey

2008-01-01

The heavy fermion compound UNi 2 Al 3 exhibits the coexistence of superconductivity and magnetic order at low temperatures, stimulating speculations about possible exotic Cooper-pairing interaction in this superconductor. However, the preparation of good quality bulk single crystals of UNi 2 Al 3 has proven to be a non-trivial task due to metallurgical problems, which result in the formation of an UAl 2 impurity phase and hence a strongly reduced sample purity. The present work concentrates on the preparation, characterization and electronic properties investigation of UNi 2 Al 3 single crystalline thin film samples. The preparation of thin films was accomplished in a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system. (100)-oriented epitaxial thin films of UNi 2 Al 3 were grown on single crystalline YAlO 3 substrates cut in (010)- or (112)-direction. The high crystallographic quality of the samples was proved by several characterisation methods, such as X-ray analysis, RHEED and TEM. To study the magnetic structure of epitaxial thin films resonant magnetic X-ray scattering was employed. The magnetic order of thin the film samples, the formation of magnetic domains with different moment directions, and the magnetic correlation length were discussed. The electronic properties of the UNi 2 Al 3 thin films in the normal and superconducting states were investigated by means of transport measurements. A pronounced anisotropy of the temperature dependent resistivity ρ(T) was observed. Moreover, it was found that the temperature of the resistive superconducting transition depends on the current direction, providing evidence for multiband superconductivity in UNi 2 Al 3 . The initial slope of the upper critical field H' c2 (T) of the thin film samples suggests an unconventional spin-singlet superconducting state, as opposed to bulk single crystal data. To probe the superconducting gap of UNi 2 Al 3 directly by means of tunnelling spectroscopy many planar junctions of different design

High current density in bulk YBa2Cu3O/sub x/ superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salama, K.; Selvamanickam, V.; Gao, L.; Sun, K.

1989-01-01

A liquid phase processing method for the fabrication of bulk YBa 2 Cu 3 O/sub x/ superconductors with large current carrying capacity has been developed. Slow cooling through the peritectic transformation (1030--980 degree C) has been shown to control the microstructure of these superconductors. A cooling rate of 1 degree C/h in this temperature range has yielded a microstructure with long plate type, thick grains oriented over a wide area. Current density up to 18 500 A/cm 2 has been obtained by continuous direct current measurements and in excess of 62 000 A/cm 2 with pulse current of 10 ms duration and 75 000 A/cm 2 using 1 ms pulse. The strong magnetic field dependence observed in sintered bulk 1-2-3 superconductors is also minimized to a large extent where a current density in excess of 37 000 A/cm 2 is obtained in a field of 6000 G

Pressure controlled transition into a self-induced topological superconducting surface state

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Zhiyong; Cheng, Yingchun; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2014-01-01

Ab-initio calculations show a pressure induced trivial-nontrivial-trivial topological phase transition in the normal state of 1T-TiSe2. The pressure range in which the nontrivial phase emerges overlaps with that of the superconducting ground state. Thus, topological superconductivity can be induced in protected surface states by the proximity effect of superconducting bulk states. This kind of self-induced topological surface superconductivity is promising for a realization of Majorana fermions due to the absence of lattice and chemical potential mismatches. For appropriate electron doping, the formation of the topological superconducting surface state in 1T-TiSe 2 becomes accessible to experiments as it can be controlled by pressure.

Pressure controlled transition into a self-induced topological superconducting surface state

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Zhiyong

2014-02-07

Ab-initio calculations show a pressure induced trivial-nontrivial-trivial topological phase transition in the normal state of 1T-TiSe2. The pressure range in which the nontrivial phase emerges overlaps with that of the superconducting ground state. Thus, topological superconductivity can be induced in protected surface states by the proximity effect of superconducting bulk states. This kind of self-induced topological surface superconductivity is promising for a realization of Majorana fermions due to the absence of lattice and chemical potential mismatches. For appropriate electron doping, the formation of the topological superconducting surface state in 1T-TiSe 2 becomes accessible to experiments as it can be controlled by pressure.

Improved plasma confinement by modulated toroidal current on HT-7 superconducting tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao Jianshan; Zhao Junyu; Shen Biao; Luo Jiarong

2004-01-01

The improved confinement phase was observed during modulating toroidal current on the Hefei superconducting Tokamak-7 (HT-7). This improved plasma confinement phase is characterized by suppressing magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities effectively, thus increased the central line averaged electron density and the central electron temperature about 33%, out-put steeper density profiles, and reduced hydrogen radiation from the edge as well. The global energy confinement time was increased by 27%-45%; The impurity radiation was reduced by modulation of plasma toroidal current; particle confinement time was increased about two times; a stronger radial negative electric field formed inside the limiter. The radial electric field during modulating current was calculated and disscused. (authors)

Magnetic imaging of antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases in R bxF e2 -yS e2 crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Hazi, J.; Mousavi, T.; Dudin, P.; van der Laan, G.; Maccherozzi, F.; Krzton-Maziopa, A.; Pomjakushina, E.; Conder, K.; Speller, S. C.

2018-02-01

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) cuprate materials, with the ability to carry large electrical currents with no resistance at easily reachable temperatures, have stimulated enormous scientific and industrial interest since their discovery in the 1980's. However, technological applications of these promising compounds have been limited by their chemical and microstructural complexity and the challenging processing strategies required for the exploitation of their extraordinary properties. The lack of theoretical understanding of the mechanism for superconductivity in these HTS materials has also hindered the search for new superconducting systems with enhanced performance. The unexpected discovery in 2008 of HTS iron-based compounds has provided an entirely new family of materials for studying the crucial interplay between superconductivity and magnetism in unconventional superconductors. Alkali-metal-doped iron selenide (AxF e2 -yS e2 , A =alkali metal ) compounds are of particular interest owing to the coexistence of superconductivity at relatively high temperatures with antiferromagnetism. Intrinsic phase separation on the mesoscopic scale is also known to occur in what were intended to be single crystals of these compounds, making it difficult to interpret bulk property measurements. Here, we use a combination of two advanced microscopy techniques to provide direct evidence of the magnetic properties of the individual phases. First, x-ray linear dichroism studies in a photoelectron emission microscope, and supporting multiplet calculations, indicate that the matrix (majority) phase is antiferromagnetic whereas the minority phase is nonmagnetic at room temperature. Second, cryogenic magnetic force microscopy demonstrates unambiguously that superconductivity occurs only in the minority phase. The correlation of these findings with previous microstructural studies and bulk measurements paves the way for understanding the intriguing electronic and magnetic

Beginning point of metal to insulator transition for Bi-2223 superconducting matrix doped with Eu nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yildirim, G.

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Standard measurements such as bulk density, ρ-T, J ct , XRD, SEM and EDX examinations for characterization of the samples. •Role of Eu inclusions on the microstructural, electrical and superconducting properties of Bi-2223 phase. •Determination of metal to insulator transition due to Eu impurities in the Bi-2223 superconducting matrix. •From the Eu content level of x = 0.5 onwards, destruction of the superconducting phases. •Constant retrogression of the microstructural and superconducting properties with the Eu individuals. -- Abstract: This comprehensive study examines the change of the microstructural, electrical and superconducting properties of the Eu doped Bi 1.8 Pb 0.4 Eu x Sr 2 Ca 2.2 Cu 3.0 O y ceramic cuprates (with x ⩽ 0.7) produced by the conventional solid state reaction method at the constant annealing temperature of 840 °C for 24 h with the aid of the standard characterization measurements such as bulk density, dc resistivity (ρ-T), transport critical current density (J c ), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron dispersive X-ray (EDX) examinations. For the full characterization of the pure and Eu doped Bi-2223 samples, the degree of granularity (from the bulk density and porosity measurements); the room temperature resistivity, onset–offset critical transition temperature, variation of transition temperature, hole carrier concentration, spin-gap opening temperature and thermodynamic fluctuations (from the dc resistivity experiments); the texturing, crystal structure, crystallite size, phase purity and cell parameters (from the XRD investigations); the variation of the flux pinning centers and the boundary weak-links between the superconducting grains (from the critical current density values); the crystallinity, specimen surface morphology, grain connectivity between the superconducting grains and grain size distribution (from the SEM examinations), the elemental compositions and

Nucleation of superconductivity under rapid cycling of an electric field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bandyopadhyay, Malay

2008-01-01

The effect of an externally applied high-frequency oscillating electric field on the critical nucleation field of superconductivity in the bulk as well as at the surface of a superconductor is investigated in detail in this work. Starting from the linearized time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDLG) theory, and using the variational principle, I have shown the analogy between a quantum harmonic oscillator with that of the nucleation of superconductivity in the bulk and a quantum double oscillator with that of the nucleation at the surface of a finite sample. The effective Hamiltonian approach of Cook et al (1985 Phys. Rev. A 31 564) is employed to incorporate the effect of an externally applied highly oscillating electric field. The critical nucleation field ratio is also calculated from the ground state energy method. The results obtained from these two approximate theories agree very well with the exact results for the case of an undriven system, which establishes the validity of these two approximate theories. It is observed that the highly oscillating electric field actually increases the bulk critical nucleation field (H c 2 ) as well as the surface critical nucleation field (H c 3 ) of superconductivity as compared to the case of absent electric field (ε 0 = 0). But the externally applied rapidly oscillating electric field accentuates the surface critical nucleation field more than the bulk critical nucleation field, i.e. the increase of H c 3 is 1.6592 times larger than that of H c 2

Modal bifurcation in a high-T{sub c} superconducting levitation system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taguchi, D; Fujiwara, S; Sugiura, T, E-mail: sugiura@mech.keio.ac.jp [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522 (Japan)

2011-05-15

This paper deals with modal bifurcation of a multi-degree-of-freedom high-T{sub c} superconducting levitation system. As modeling of large-scale high-T{sub c} superconducting levitation applications, where plural superconducting bulks are often used, it can be helpful to consider a system constituting of multiple oscillators magnetically coupled with each other. This paper investigates nonlinear dynamics of two permanent magnets levitated above high-T{sub c} superconducting bulks and placed between two fixed permanent magnets without contact. First, the nonlinear equations of motion of the levitated magnets were derived. Then the method of averaging was applied to them. It can be found from the obtained solutions that this nonlinear two degree-of-freedom system can have two asymmetric modes, in addition to a symmetric mode and an antisymmetric mode both of which also exist in the linearized system. One of the backbone curves in the frequency response shows a modal bifurcation where the two stable asymmetric modes mentioned above appear with destabilization of the antisymmetric mode, thus leading to modal localization. These analytical predictions have been confirmed in our numerical analysis and experiments of free vibration and forced vibration. These results, never predicted by linear analysis, can be important for application of high-T{sub c} superconducting levitation systems.

Critical current densities in superconducting materials

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

in them cannot be raised beyond a point (about 1000 amps/cm2), and they are ... a superconducting material, the zero resistance property of the ..... force as a function of field (h = H/HC2 is in reduced units) for CeRu2 samples (Roy et al. 1998) ...

Passivation of Flexible YBCO Superconducting Current Lead With Amorphous SiO2 Layer

Science.gov (United States)

Johannes, Daniel; Webber, Robert

2013-01-01

Adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators (ADR) are operated in space to cool detectors of cosmic radiation to a few 10s of mK. A key element of the ADR is a superconducting magnet operating at about 0.3 K that is continually energized and de-energized in synchronism with a thermal switch, such that a piece of paramagnetic salt is alternately warm in a high magnetic field and cold in zero magnetic field. This causes the salt pill or refrigerant to cool, and it is able to suck heat from an object, e.g., the sensor, to be cooled. Current has to be fed into and out of the magnets from a dissipative power supply at the ambient temperature of the spacecraft. The current leads that link the magnets to the power supply inevitably conduct a significant amount of heat into the colder regions of the supporting cryostat, resulting in the need for larger, heavier, and more powerful supporting refrigerators. The aim of this project was to design and construct high-temperature superconductor (HTS) leads from YBCO (yttrium barium copper oxide) composite conductors to reduce the heat load significantly in the temperature regime below the critical temperature of YBCO. The magnet lead does not have to support current in the event that the YBCO ceases to be superconducting. Cus - tomarily, a normal metal conductor in parallel with the YBCO is a necessary part of the lead structure to allow for this upset condition; however, for this application, the normal metal can be dispensed with. Amorphous silicon dioxide is deposited directly onto the surface of YBCO, which resides on a flexible substrate. The silicon dioxide protects the YBCO from chemically reacting with atmospheric water and carbon dioxide, thus preserving the superconducting properties of the YBCO. The customary protective coating for flexible YBCO conductors is silver or a silver/gold alloy, which conducts heat many orders of magnitude better than SiO2 and so limits the use of such a composite conductor for passing current

The complex ac susceptibility of superconducting Y-Ba-CuO thin film and bulk samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lobotka, P.; Goemoery, F.

1988-01-01

Complex ac susceptibility measurements as function of temperature on Y-Ba-CuO superconductors are reported. A strong dependence of the susceptibility curves on the ac field magnitude and little influence of the superimposed dc field are observed on both, thin film and bulk samples. The susceptibilities of these materials are frequency independent in the range 30 to 7200 Hz what demonstrates the negligible role of eddy currents. A second peak in the imaginary part of susceptibility is observed in the bulk sample at higher levels of ac field. This implies the existence of another component in the sample with higher T c and lower losses. (author)

Weak antilocalization effect and noncentrosymmetric superconductivity in a topologically nontrivial semimetal LuPdBi

KAUST Repository

Xu, Guizhou; Wang, Wenhong; Zhang, Xiaoming; Du, Yin; Liu, Enke; Wang, Shouguo; Wu, Guangheng; Liu, Zhongyuan; Zhang, Xixiang

2014-01-01

A large number of half-Heusler compounds have been recently proposed as three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators (TIs) with tunable physical properties. However, no transport measurements associated with the topological surface states have been observed in these half-Heusler candidates due to the dominating contribution from bulk electrical conductance. Here we show that, by reducing the mobility of bulk carriers, a two-dimensional (2D) weak antilocalization (WAL) effect, one of the hallmarks of topological surface states, was experimentally revealed from the tilted magnetic field dependence of magnetoconductance in a topologically nontrivial semimetal LuPdBi. Besides the observation of a 2D WAL effect, a superconducting transition was revealed at T c ∼ 1.7â.K in the same bulk LuPdBi. Quantitative analysis within the framework of a generalized BCS theory leads to the conclusion that the noncentrosymmetric superconductivity of LuPdBi is fully gapped with a possibly unconventional pairing character. The co-existence of superconductivity and the transport signature of topological surface states in the same bulk alloy suggests that LuPdBi represents a very promising candidate as a topological superconductor.

Weak antilocalization effect and noncentrosymmetric superconductivity in a topologically nontrivial semimetal LuPdBi

KAUST Repository

Xu, Guizhou

2014-07-21

A large number of half-Heusler compounds have been recently proposed as three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators (TIs) with tunable physical properties. However, no transport measurements associated with the topological surface states have been observed in these half-Heusler candidates due to the dominating contribution from bulk electrical conductance. Here we show that, by reducing the mobility of bulk carriers, a two-dimensional (2D) weak antilocalization (WAL) effect, one of the hallmarks of topological surface states, was experimentally revealed from the tilted magnetic field dependence of magnetoconductance in a topologically nontrivial semimetal LuPdBi. Besides the observation of a 2D WAL effect, a superconducting transition was revealed at T c ∼ 1.7â.K in the same bulk LuPdBi. Quantitative analysis within the framework of a generalized BCS theory leads to the conclusion that the noncentrosymmetric superconductivity of LuPdBi is fully gapped with a possibly unconventional pairing character. The co-existence of superconductivity and the transport signature of topological surface states in the same bulk alloy suggests that LuPdBi represents a very promising candidate as a topological superconductor.

Superconductivity in Weyl semimetal candidate MoTe{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qi, Yanpeng; Naumov, Pavel; Rajamathi, Catherine; Barkalov, Oleg; Wu, Shu-Chun; Shekhar, Chandra; Sun, Yan; Suess, Vicky; Schmidt, Marcus; Schwarz, Ulrich; Schnelle, Walter; Felser, Claudia; Medvedev, Sergey [Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany); Ali, Mazhar; Cava, Robert [Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton (United States); Hanfland, Michael [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble (France); Pippel, Eckhard; Werner, Peter; Hillebrand, Reinald; Parkin, Stuart [Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle (Germany); Foerster, Tobias; Kampert, Erik [Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Dresden (Germany); Yan, Binghai [Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany); Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden (Germany)

2016-07-01

In this work, we investigate the sister compound of WTe{sub 2}, MoTe{sub 2}, which is also predicted to be a Weyl semimetal and a quantum spin Hall insulator in bulk and monolayer form, respectively. We find that MoTe{sub 2} exhibits superconductivity with a resistive transition temperature T{sub c} of 0.1 K. The application of a small pressure is shown to dramatically enhance the T{sub c}, with a maximum value of 8.2 K being obtained at 11.7 GPa (a more than 80-fold increase in Tc). This yields a dome-shaped superconducting phase diagram. Further explorations into the nature of the superconductivity in this system may provide insights into the interplay between superconductivity and topological physics.

Unconventional superconductivity in Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Ying [Department of Physics and Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing 210093 (China); Mao, Zhi-Qiang [Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118 (United States)

2015-07-15

Highlights: • Constraints on and experimental support to unconventional superconductivity in Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4}. • Phase-sensitive determination of the pairing symmetry in Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4}. • Response of superconductivity to mechanical perturbations. • Superconductivity in non-bulk Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4}. • Unresolved issues and outlook in Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} research. - Abstract: Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4}, featuring a layered perovskite crystalline and quasi-two-dimensional electronic structure, was first synthesized in 1959. Unconventional, p-wave pairing was predicted for Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} by Rice and Sigrist and Baskaran shortly after superconductivity in this material was discovered in 1994. Experimental evidence for unconventional superconductivity in Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} has been accumulating in the past two decades and reviewed previously. In this article, we will first discuss constraints on the pairing symmetry of superconductivity in Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} and summarize experimental evidence supporting the unconventional pairing symmetry in this material. We will then present several aspects of the experimental determination of the unconventional superconductivity in Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} in some detail. In particular, we will discuss the phase-sensitive measurements that have played an important role in the determination of the pairing symmetry in Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4}. The responses of superconductivity to the mechanical perturbations and their implications on the mechanism of superconductivity will be discussed. A brief survey of various non-bulk Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} will also be included to illustrate the many unusual features resulted from the unconventional nature of superconductivity in this material system. Finally, we will discuss some outstanding unresolved issues on Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} and provide an outlook of the future work on Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4}.

Superconductivity in bundles of double-wall carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Wu; Wang, Zhe; Zhang, Qiucen; Zheng, Yuan; Ieong, Chao; He, Mingquan; Lortz, Rolf; Cai, Yuan; Wang, Ning; Zhang, Ting; Zhang, Haijing; Tang, Zikang; Sheng, Ping; Muramatsu, Hiroyuki; Kim, Yoong Ahm; Endo, Morinobu; Araujo, Paulo T; Dresselhaus, Mildred S

2012-01-01

We present electrical and thermal specific heat measurements that show superconductivity in double-wall carbon nanotube (DWCNT) bundles. Clear evidence, comprising a resistance drop as a function of temperature, magnetoresistance and differential resistance signature of the supercurrent, suggest an intrinsic superconducting transition below 6.8 K for one particular sample. Additional electrical data not only confirm the existence of superconductivity, but also indicate the T(c) distribution that can arise from the diversity in the diameter and chirality of the DWCNTs. A broad superconducting anomaly is observed in the specific heat of a bulk DWCNT sample, which yields a T(c) distribution that correlates well with the range of the distribution obtained from the electrical data. As quasi one dimensionality of the DWCNTs dictates the existence of electronic density of state peaks, confirmation of superconductivity in this material system opens the exciting possibility of tuning the T(c) through the application of a gate voltage.

Nano-engineered pinning centres in YBCO superconducting films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crisan, A., E-mail: adrian.crisan@infim.ro [National Institute for Materials Physics Bucharest, 105 bis Atomistilor Str., 077125 Magurele (Romania); School of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT Birmingham (United Kingdom); Dang, V.S. [School of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT Birmingham (United Kingdom); Nano and Energy Center, VNU Hanoi University of Science, 334 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Mikheenko, P. [School of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT Birmingham (United Kingdom); Department of Physics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo (Norway)

2017-02-15

Highlights: • Power applications of YBCO films/coated conductors in technological relevant magnetic fields requires nano-engineered pinning centre. • Three approaches have been proposed: substrate decoration, quasi-multilayers, and targets with secondary phase nano-inclusions. • Combination of all three approaches greatly increased critical current in YBCO films. • Bulk pinning force, pinning potential, and critical current density are estimated and discussed in relation with the type and strength of pinning centres related to the defects evidenced by Transmission Electron Microscopy. - Abstract: For practical applications of superconducting materials in applied magnetic fields, artificial pinning centres in addition to natural ones are required to oppose the Lorentz force. These pinning centres are actually various types of defects in the superconductor matrix. The pinning centres can be categorised on their dimension (volume, surface or point) and on their character (normal cores or Δκ cores). Different samples have been produced by Pulsed Laser Deposition, with various thicknesses, temperatures and nanostructured additions to the superconducting matrix. They have been characterized by SQUID Magnetic Properties Measurement System and Physical Properties Measurement System, as well as by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Correlations between pinning architecture, TEM images, and critical currents at various fields and field orientations will be shown for a large number of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} films with various types and architectures of artificial pinning centres.

Large high current density superconducting solenoids for use in high energy physics experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, M.A.; Eberhard, P.H.; Taylor, J.D.

1976-05-01

Very often the study of high energy physics in colliding beam storage-rings requires a large magnetic field volume in order to detect and analyze charged particles which are created from the collision of two particle beams. Large superconducting solenoids which are greater than 1 meter in diameter are required for this kind of physics. In many cases, interesting physics can be done outside the magnet coil, and this often requires that the amount of material in the magnet coil be minimized. As a result, these solenoids should have high current density (up to 10 9 A m -2 ) superconducting windings. The methods commonly used to stabilize large superconducting magnets cannot be employed because of this need to minimize the amount of material in the coils. A description is given of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory program for building and testing prototype solenoid magnets which are designed to operate at coil current densities in excess of 10 9 A m -2 with magnetic stored energies which are as high as 1.5 Megajoules per meter of solenoid length. The coils use intrinsically stable multifilament Nb--Ti superconductors. Control of the magnetic field quench is achieved by using a low resistance aluminum bore tube which is inductively coupled to the coil. The inner cryostat is replaced by a tubular cooling system which carries two phase liquid helium. The magnet coil, the cooling tubes, and aluminum bore tube are cast in epoxy to form a single unified magnet and cryogenic system which is about 2 centimeters thick. The results of the magnet coil tests are discussed

Rotational loss of a ring-shaped flywheel supported by high Tc superconducting levitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teshima, Hidekazu; Tawara, Taichi; Shimada, Ryuichi.

1997-01-01

This paper describes the experimental results for the rotational loss of a ring-shaped flywheel supported by high T c superconducting levitation. Superconducting levitation is appropriate for rotating a ring-shaped flywheel which has neither shaft nor hub because it is a non-contact and automatically stable levitation without any control systems. The rotational loss has been investigated using a small-scaled experimental machine consisting of 16 bulk superconductors 46 mm in diameter and a ring-shaped flywheel about 300 mm in diameter. The rotational loss decreased as the levitation gap height increased. In low-speed rotational regions, the rotational loss was in proportion to the rotation speed and depended more on the levitation gap. In high-speed rotational regions, the rotational loss was in proportion to the third power of the rotation speed and depended less on the levitation gap. The cubic rotational loss in He was reduced to one-fifth of that in air. The magnetic field pinned in bulk superconductors induces a loss in the materials composing the ring-shaped flywheel. The rotational loss of a ring-shaped flywheel supported by superconducting levitation can be reduced by improving the uniformity of the magnetic fields along the ring, enlargement of the bulk superconductor(s), and densely arranging the bulk superconductors. (author)

Hysteresis of critical currents of superconducting bridges in low perpendicular magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aomine, T.; Tanaka, E.; Yamasaki, S.; Tani, K.; Yonekura, A.

1989-01-01

Hysteresis of critical currents I c of superconducting bridges with In, Nb, and NbN has been studied in low perpendicular magnetic fields. Influences of bridge geometry, small field sweep, trapped flux, and bombardment of argon ions on the hysteresis were made clear. The experimental results suggest that the edge pinning and trapped flux in the bank of bridges are associated with the hysteresis. The peak value of I c of NbN bridges, as well as granular Al and In bridges reported before, in decreasing fields agrees with the calculated pair-breaking current. The origin of the hysteresis is discussed

Numerical evaluation of guidance force decay of HTS bulk exposed to AC magnetic field over a NdFeB guideway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Longcai [P.O. Box 152, Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China)], E-mail: zhlcai2000@163.com; Wang Jiasu; Wang Suyu; Zheng Jun; He Qingyong [P.O. Box 152, Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China)

2007-12-01

The guidance force of the YBCO bulk over a NdFeB guideway used in the high-temperature superconducting maglev vehicle system was decayed by the application of the AC external magnetic field. In our previous work, we explained that the decay was due to the temperature rise of the HTS bulk caused by AC losses. In this paper, we adopted an analytic model to evaluate the decay of the critical current density of the bulk. And based on the analytic results and the Bean critical-state model, we calculated the guidance force as a function of times. Compared with the experimental results, the calculation results have almost the same trend and can qualitatively reveal the characteristics of guidance force of HTS bulk in this situation. Therefore, the guidance force decay of HTS bulk in the maglev vehicle system can be evaluated simply by this numerical method.

Development of Bi-based high critical current density superconducting tapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swaminathan, G.

1995-01-01

In order to achieve the aim of developing suitable superconducting materials the main emphasis has to be made in the following areas viz., synthesizing powders, detailed study of sintering and phase conversion process in relation to the critical current density (J c ) on pellets and optimising of tape processing parameters. The bismuth system has been found to be more favourable for making wires and tapes because of its high transition temperature, good stability, does not require oxygen on cooling and is non-toxic. These have been the most convenient properties which made the BiSCO material the most popular one

DC magnetization of random Y1Ba2Cu3O8-δ/Ag bulk composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ash, C.L.; Harris, D.C.; Calabrese, J.J.; Garland, J.C.

1994-01-01

It is commonly believed that high-field magnetization measurements of superconducting/normal metal bulk composites probe only the intragranular nature of the superconducting constituent. According to this view, the measured magnetic moment divided by the volume of superconducting material should be independent of the volume fraction of superconductor. We have tested this hypothesis by measuring the dc magnetization at 10K in magnetic fields to 5T of a series of YBCO/Ag bulk composites with 0 ≤ p ≤ 1.0, where p is the volume fraction of superconductor. We find that the magnetization hysteresis curves for p ≥ 0.70 are nearly identical, while those for the p < 0.70 samples fall inside the p ≥ 0.70 curves. Two possible interpretations are (i) that variations in Ag content alters the superconducting properties of individual YBCO grains, and (ii) that the p-dependent variations in the YBCO clusters affects the demagnetization factor for samples with p < 0.70. (orig.)

Alternating current losses of a 10 metre long low loss superconducting cable conductor determined from phase sensitive measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krueger Olsen, S.; Kuehle, A.; Traeholt, C.; C Rasmussen, C.; Toennesen, O.; Daeumling, M.; Rasmussen, C.N.; Willen, D.W.A.

1999-01-01

The ac loss of a superconducting cable conductor carrying an ac current is small. Therefore the ratio between the inductive (out-of-phase) and the resistive (in-phase) voltages over the conductor is correspondingly high. In vectorial representations this results in phase angles between the current and the voltage over the cable close to 90 degrees. This has the effect that the loss cannot be derived directly using most commercial lock-in amplifiers due to their limited absolute accuracy. However, by using two lock-in amplifiers and an appropriate correction scheme the high relative accuracy of such lock-in amplifiers can be exploited. In this paper we present the results from ac-loss measurements on a low loss 10 metre long high temperature superconducting cable conductor using such a correction scheme. Measurements were carried out with and without a compensation circuit that could reduce the inductive voltage. The 1 μV cm -1 critical current of the conductor was 3240 A at 77 K. At an rms current of 2 kA (50 Hz) the ac loss was derived to be 0.6±0.15 W m -1 . This is, to the best of our knowledge, the lowest value of ac loss of a high temperature superconducting cable conductor reported so far at these high currents. (author)

Lighting up superconducting stripes

Science.gov (United States)

Ergeçen, Emre; Gedik, Nuh

2018-02-01

Cuprate superconductors display a plethora of complex phases as a function of temperature and carrier concentration, the understanding of which could provide clues into the mechanism of superconductivity. For example, when about one-eighth of the conduction electrons are removed from the copper oxygen planes in cuprates such as La2‑xBaxCuO4 (LBCO), the doped holes (missing electrons) organize into one-dimensional stripes (1). The bulk superconducting transition temperature (Tc) is greatly reduced, and just above Tc, electrical transport perpendicular to the planes (along the c axis) becomes resistive, but parallel to the copper oxygen planes, resistivity remains zero for a range of temperatures (2). It was proposed a decade ago (3) that this anisotropic behavior is caused by pair density waves (PDWs); superconducting Cooper pairs exist along the stripes within the planes but cannot tunnel to the adjacent layers. On page 575 of this issue, Rajasekaran et al. (4) now report detection of this state in LBCO using nonlinear reflection of high-intensity terahertz (THz) light.

Functional model of a high-current high-voltage superconducting switches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menke, Kh.; Shishov, Yu.A.

1977-01-01

Considered are problems of superconducting switches (SS) for energy extraction from magnets at a current of several kiloamperes and a voltage of several kilovolts with a time for transition to the normal state of <0.5 ms. SS is made of a wire of 0.5 mm diameter containing 19 strands of Nb-Ti alloy of 65 μm diameter. The wire matrix was etched out, 19 wires of 4.5 m length were braided together. On each of three groups of wires a heater wire of constantan of 0.12 mm diameter and 6 m length was wound. A second heater intended for slow heating during current feeding into the magnet, is wound over the braid. The wires and heaters are parallel connected and impregnated by an epoxy compound. The following main parameters were obtained in SS testing: critical current of 920 A, resistance in the normal state of 2.5 Ohm, and minimum delay time of 0.2 ms at a nominal current of 0.8 of the critical one

Epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7 on biaxially textured (001) Ni: An approach to high critical current density superconducting tapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norton, D.P.; Goyal, A.; Budai, J.D.

1997-01-01

In-plane aligned, c-axis oriented YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) films with superconducting critical current densities, J c , as high as 700,000 amperes per square centimeter at 77 kelvin have been grown on thermo-mechanically, rolled-textured (001) Ni tapes using pulsed-laser deposition. Epitaxial growth of oxide buffer layers directly on biaxially textured Ni, formed by recrystallization of cold-rolled pure Ni, enables the growth of 1.5 micrometer-thick YBCO films with superconducting properties that are comparable to those observed for epitaxial films on single crystal oxide substrates. This result represents a viable approach for producing long-length superconducting tapes for high current, high field applications at 77 kelvin

Analysis of mechanical characteristics of superconducting field coil for 17 MW class high temperature superconducting synchronous motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, J. H.; Park, S. I.; Im, S. H.; Kim, H. M.

2013-01-01

Superconducting field coils using a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wires with high current density generate high magnetic field of 2 to 5 [T] and electromagnetic force (Lorentz force) acting on the superconducting field coils also become a very strong from the point of view of a mechanical characteristics. Because mechanical stress caused by these powerful electromagnetic force is one of the factors which worsens the critical current performance and structural characteristics of HTS wire, the mechanical stress analysis should be performed when designing the superconducting field coils. In this paper, as part of structural design of superconducting field coils for 17 MW class superconducting ship propulsion motor, mechanical stress acting on the superconducting field coils was analyzed and structural safety was also determined by the coupling analysis system that is consists of commercial electromagnetic field analysis program and structural analysis program.

Inducing Strong Non-Linearities in a Phonon Trapping Quartz Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonator Coupled to a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maxim Goryachev

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A quartz Bulk Acoustic Wave resonator is designed to coherently trap phonons in such a way that they are well confined and immune to suspension losses so they exhibit extremely high acoustic Q-factors at low temperature, with Q × f products of order 10 18 Hz. In this work we couple such a resonator to a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID amplifier and investigate effects in the strong signal regime. Both parallel and series connection topologies of the system are investigated. The study reveals significant non-Duffing response that is associated with the nonlinear characteristics of Josephson junctions. The nonlinearity provides quasi-periodic structure of the spectrum in both incident power and frequency. The result gives an insight into the open loop behaviour of a future Cryogenic Quartz Oscillator in the strong signal regime.

Current control of superconducting coils for fusion experimental facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ise, T.; Etou, D.; Chikaraishi, H.; Takami, S.; Inoue, T.

2003-01-01

The LHD (Large Helical Device) has twelve superconducting coils and six dc power supplies, and following specifications are required for its control system; each coil current must be controlled independently, the steady state control error is less than 0.01% of the reference value, the current settling time for 0.1% of control error is less than 1 second, and the control system must be robust against turbulence caused by appearance and disappearance of the plasma, parameter errors and external electro-magnetic noises. In this paper, the design and test results of the coil current control system for the LHD are described. The good response and robustness are in the relation of trade off each other. H-infinity controller is one of schemes to guarantee robustness for stability. However, the independent responses of six coils were impossible by the H-infinity controller only. To resolve this problem, we applied a feed-forward control with the H-infinity control. Moreover, the advanced design method of H-infinity controller using μ-synthesis was applied to guarantee the control performance in the whole operating condition. As a result, good control results were obtained by experiments. (author)

Superconducting materials for large scale applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dew-Hughes, D.

1975-01-01

Applications of superconductors capable of carrying large current densities in large-scale electrical devices are examined. Discussions are included on critical current density, superconducting materials available, and future prospects for improved superconducting materials. (JRD)

Enhancement of critical currents in bulk and Ag-sheathed Bi(Pb)-2223 superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brauer, D.J.; Eujen, R.; Hudepohl, J.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on the superconducting properties of the Bi(Pb)-2223 phase that have been optimized. Prolonged annealing of coarse powder raised j c in bulk samples to as high as 1100 Acm -2 at 77 K. the temperature dependence was studied between 96 and 4.2 K whereby j c rose gradually from 120 to 2100 Acm -2 . T c dropped from 107 K to 64 K in magnetic fields up to 4 T but decreased by only 1 K/T in higher fields. A tape prepared by rolling and subsequent annealing of Ag tubes containing Bi(Pb)-2223 powder exhibited a j c of 1700 Acm -2 at 77 K and 11000 Acm -2 at 4.2 K. The latter j c dropped to 3000 Acm -2 in a magnetic field of 0.25 t, but it was still 1200 Acm -2 in a 10 T field. A tape fabricated by pressing a drawn and annealed wire proved to be less sensitive to low magnetic fields

Sample of superconducting wiring (Niobium Titanium)

CERN Multimedia

About NbTi cable: The cable consists of 36 strands of superconducting wire, each strand has a diameter of 0.825 mm and houses 6300 superconducting filaments of niobium-titanium (Nb-Ti, a superconducting alloy). Each filament has a diameter of about 0.006 mm, i.e. 10 times smaller than a typical human hair. The filaments are embedded in a high-purity copper matrix. Copper is a normal conducting material. The filaments are in the superconductive state when the temperature is below about -263ºC (10.15 K). When the filaments leave the superconductive state, the copper acts as conductor transports the electrical current. Each strand of The NbTi cable (at superconducting state) has a current density of up to above 2000 A/mm2 at 9 T and -271ºC (2.15 K). A cable transport a current of about 13000 A at 10 T and -271ºC (2.15 K). About LHC superconducting wiring: The high magnetic fields needed for the LHC can only be reached using superconductors. At very low temperatures, superconductors have no electrical resistan...

Sample of superconducting wiring (Niobium Titanium)

CERN Multimedia

About NbTi cable: The cable consists of 36 strands of superconducting wire, each strand has a diameter of 0.825 mm and houses 6300 superconducting filaments of niobium-titanium (Nb-Ti, a superconducting alloy). Each filament has a diameter of about 0.006 mm, i.e. 10 times smaller than a typical human hair. The filaments are embedded in a high-purity copper matrix. Copper is a normal conducting material. The filaments are in the superconductive state when the temperature is below about -263ºC (10.15 K). When the filaments leave the superconductive state, the copper acts as conductor transports the electrical current. Each strand of The NbTi cable (at superconducting state) has a current density of up to above 2000 A/mm2 at 9 T and -271ºC (2.15 K). A cable transport a current of about 13000 A at 10 T and -271ºC (2.15 K). About LHC superconducting wiring: The high magnetic fields needed for the LHC can only be reached using superconductors. At very low temperatures, superconductors have no electrical resista...

Unconventional superconductivity of the heavy fermion compound UNi{sub 2}Al{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zakharov, Andrey

2008-07-01

The heavy fermion compound UNi{sub 2}Al{sub 3} exhibits the coexistence of superconductivity and magnetic order at low temperatures, stimulating speculations about possible exotic Cooper-pairing interaction in this superconductor. However, the preparation of good quality bulk single crystals of UNi{sub 2}Al{sub 3} has proven to be a non-trivial task due to metallurgical problems, which result in the formation of an UAl{sub 2} impurity phase and hence a strongly reduced sample purity. The present work concentrates on the preparation, characterization and electronic properties investigation of UNi{sub 2}Al{sub 3} single crystalline thin film samples. The preparation of thin films was accomplished in a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system. (100)-oriented epitaxial thin films of UNi{sub 2}Al{sub 3} were grown on single crystalline YAlO{sub 3} substrates cut in (010)- or (112)-direction. The high crystallographic quality of the samples was proved by several characterisation methods, such as X-ray analysis, RHEED and TEM. To study the magnetic structure of epitaxial thin films resonant magnetic X-ray scattering was employed. The magnetic order of thin the film samples, the formation of magnetic domains with different moment directions, and the magnetic correlation length were discussed. The electronic properties of the UNi{sub 2}Al{sub 3} thin films in the normal and superconducting states were investigated by means of transport measurements. A pronounced anisotropy of the temperature dependent resistivity {rho}(T) was observed. Moreover, it was found that the temperature of the resistive superconducting transition depends on the current direction, providing evidence for multiband superconductivity in UNi{sub 2}Al{sub 3}. The initial slope of the upper critical field H'{sub c2}(T) of the thin film samples suggests an unconventional spin-singlet superconducting state, as opposed to bulk single crystal data. To probe the superconducting gap of UNi{sub 2}Al{sub 3

Characteristics of transformer-type superconducting fault current limiter depending on reclosing in changing the number of turns of secondary winding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, S.G.; Choi, H.S.; Cho, Y.S.; Park, H.M.; Jung, B.I.; Ha, K.H.

2011-01-01

The amount of consumed power is increasing with industrial development and rapidly increasing population. In accidents due to increased power consumption, the fault current sharply increases. Superconducting fault current limiters (SFCL) are studied widely to limit such fault currents. In this study, the characteristics of a transformer-type SFCL are analyzed depending on reclosing in changing the number of secondary winding turns. For experiment conditions, the turn ratio of the primary and secondary windings of a transformer-type SFCL was set to 4:2 and 4:4. The voltage was incremented by 80 V from 120 V for the experiment. The circuit breaker was operated with two open times of CO-0.17 s -CO-0.17 s -CO seconds (C; closed, O; open), respectively. Comparing the result for the experiment conditions with the case of the turn ratios of the primary and secondary windings at 4:4 and 4:2, the fault current was limited effectively in 4:2 than in 4:4 for the fault current limit ratios. With respect to the result of recovery characteristics, it was examined that the superconducting unit recovered faster when the turn ratio of the primary and secondary windings was 4:2 than 4:4. Comparing the amount of consumed power related to the recovery characteristics of the superconducting element, it was examined that the recovery time was faster in less power consumption for the superconducting unit. As such, since a transformer-type SFCL depending on reclosing in changing the number of turns of the secondary winding controls the turn ratio of the secondary winding to control fault current limiting and recovery characteristics, it can normally operate.

Superconducting joint of Bi-2223/Ag superconducting tapes by diffusion bonding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Wei; Zou Guisheng; Wu Aiping; Wang Yanjun; Bai Hailin; Ren Jialie

2009-01-01

61-Filaments Bi-2223/Ag superconducting tapes have been joined by diffusion bonding. The critical currents (I C s) of the joints are obtained by using standard four probe method under no magnetic field in the liquid nitrogen. The microstructures of the joints are evaluated by the electron microscope in electron backscatter diffraction mode and the phase compositions of the superconducting cores of the joint and the original tape are determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show diffusion bonding is effective bonding technique for HTS tapes, and the bonding time is reduced greatly from hundreds of hours to a few hours, and the bonding pressure also changes from 140-4000 MPa to 3 MPa. Furthermore, the diffusion bonding joints sustain superconducting properties, and the critical current ratios (CCR O ) of the joints are in the range of 35%-80%. Microstructures of the typical joint display a good bonding and some defects existed in traditional method are avoided. XRD results show that the phase compositions of the superconducting cores have no obvious changes before and after diffusion bonding, which offers physical and material bases for high superconducting property of the joints.

Bulk magnon spin current theory for the longitudinal spin Seebeck effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rezende, S.M., E-mail: rezende@df.ufpe.br [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Pernambuco (Brazil); Rodríguez-Suárez, R.L. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Pernambuco (Brazil); Facultad de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla, 306 Santiago (Chile); Cunha, R.O.; López Ortiz, J.C.; Azevedo, A. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901 Recife, Pernambuco (Brazil)

2016-02-15

The longitudinal spin Seebeck effect (LSSE) consists in the generation of a spin current parallel to a temperature gradient applied across the thickness of a bilayer made of a ferromagnetic insulator (FMI), such as yttrium iron garnet (YIG), and a metallic layer (ML) with strong spin orbit coupling, such as platinum. The LSSE is usually detected by a DC voltage generated along the ML due to the conversion of the spin current into a charge current perpendicular to the static magnetic field by means of the inverse spin Hall effect. Here we present a model for the LSSE that relies on the bulk magnon spin current created by the temperature gradient across the thickness of the FMI. We show that the spin current pumped into the metallic layer by the magnon accumulation in the FMI provides continuity of the spin current at the FMI/ML interface and is essential for the existence of the LSSE. The results of the theory are in good agreement with experimental LSSE data in YIG/Pt bilayers on the variation of the DC voltage with the sample temperature, with the FMI layer thickness and with the intensity of high magnetic fields. - Highlights: • We present a theory for the longitudinal spin Seebeck effect based on bulk magnons. • The model explains quantitatively the measured voltage in YIG/Pt created by the LSSE. • The model explains quantitatively the temperature dependence of LSSE measured in YIG/Pt. • The model agrees qualitatively with the measured dependence of LSSE with YIG thickness. • The model agrees qualitatively with the measured dependence of LSSE on magnetic field.

Investigation of structure, specific heat and superconducting transition in Mg1-xAlxB2(x∼0.5)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiang, J.Y.; Zheng, D.N.; Lang, P.L.; Zhao, Z.X.; Luo, J.L.

2004-01-01

We have carried out structure, magnetic and specific heat measurements on aluminum doped magnetism diboride samples Mg 1-x Al x B 2 in order to investigate possible superconductivity at the x=0.5 concentration. A diamagnetic signal was observed in magnetization measurements accompanied by a decrease in resistivity. However, the diamagnetic signal was extremely small as compared to what expected from full diamagnetism. Also, the transition both in magnetization and resistance was very broad. We propose that the diamagnetism is due to a very small amount of superconducting phase such as MgB 2 and the resistive transition is due to the percolation behavior. Furthermore, we performed specific heat measurements, which are considered as a tool to investigate the bulk nature of superconducting transition, on the x=0.5 sample to verify the existence of superconductivity. We observed no evident superconducting transition in the entire temperature region from 2 to 300 K. The undistinguishable data between 0 and 5 T magnetic fields also indicated the absence of bulk superconductivity in the x=0.5 sample

Quantum acoustics with superconducting qubits

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Yiwen

2017-04-01

The ability to engineer and manipulate different types of quantum mechanical objects allows us to take advantage of their unique properties and create useful hybrid technologies. Thus far, complex quantum states and exquisite quantum control have been demonstrated in systems ranging from trapped ions to superconducting resonators. Recently, there have been many efforts to extend these demonstrations to the motion of complex, macroscopic objects. These mechanical objects have important applications as quantum memories or transducers for measuring and connecting different types of quantum systems. In particular, there have been a few experiments that couple motion to nonlinear quantum objects such as superconducting qubits. This opens up the possibility of creating, storing, and manipulating non-Gaussian quantum states in mechanical degrees of freedom. However, before sophisticated quantum control of mechanical motion can be achieved, we must realize systems with long coherence times while maintaining a sufficient interaction strength. These systems should be implemented in a simple and robust manner that allows for increasing complexity and scalability in the future. In this talk, I will describe our recent experiments demonstrating a high frequency bulk acoustic wave resonator that is strongly coupled to a superconducting qubit using piezoelectric transduction. In contrast to previous experiments with qubit-mechanical systems, our device requires only simple fabrication methods, extends coherence times to many microseconds, and provides controllable access to a multitude of phonon modes. We use this system to demonstrate basic quantum operations on the coupled qubit-phonon system. Straightforward improvements to the current device will allow for advanced protocols analogous to what has been shown in optical and microwave resonators, resulting in a novel resource for implementing hybrid quantum technologies.

Bulk superconductivity in Type II superconductors near the second critical field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fournais, Søren; Helffer, Bernard

2010-01-01

We consider superconductors of Type II near the transition from the ‘bulk superconducting’ to the ‘surface superconducting’ state. We prove a new L∞ estimate on the order parameter in the bulk, i.e. away from the boundary. This solves an open problem posed by Aftalion and Serfaty [AS]....

Correlations Between Magnetic Flux and Levitation Force of HTS Bulk Above a Permanent Magnet Guideway

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Huan; Zheng, Jun; Zheng, Botian; Qian, Nan; Li, Haitao; Li, Jipeng; Deng, Zigang

2017-10-01

In order to clarify the correlations between magnetic flux and levitation force of the high-temperature superconducting (HTS) bulk, we measured the magnetic flux density on bottom and top surfaces of a bulk superconductor while vertically moving above a permanent magnet guideway (PMG). The levitation force of the bulk superconductor was measured simultaneously. In this study, the HTS bulk was moved down and up for three times between field-cooling position and working position above the PMG, followed by a relaxation measurement of 300 s at the minimum height position. During the whole processes, the magnetic flux density and levitation force of the bulk superconductor were recorded and collected by a multipoint magnetic field measurement platform and a self-developed maglev measurement system, respectively. The magnetic flux density on the bottom surface reflected the induced field in the superconductor bulk, while on the top, it reveals the penetrated magnetic flux. The results show that the magnetic flux density and levitation force of the bulk superconductor are in direct correlation from the viewpoint of inner supercurrent. In general, this work is instructive for understanding the connection of the magnetic flux density, the inner current density and the levitation behavior of HTS bulk employed in a maglev system. Meanwhile, this magnetic flux density measurement method has enriched present experimental evaluation methods of maglev system.

Running Performance of a Pinning-Type Superconducting Magnetic Levitation Guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okano, M; Iwamoto, T; Furuse, M; Fuchino, S; Ishii, I

2006-01-01

A pinning-type superconducting magnetic levitation guide with bulk high-Tc superconductors was studied for use as a goods transportation system, an energy storage system, etc. A superconducting magnetic levitation running test apparatus with a circular track of ca. 38 m length, 12 m diameter, which comprises the magnetic rail constituted by Nd-B-Fe rare-earth permanent magnets and steel plates, was manufactured to examine loss and high-speed performance of the magnetic levitation guide. Running tests were conducted in air. These tests clarify that a vehicle supported by a superconducting magnetic levitation guide runs stably at speeds greater than 42 km/h above the circular track

Running Performance of a Pinning-Type Superconducting Magnetic Levitation Guide

Science.gov (United States)

Okano, M.; Iwamoto, T.; Furuse, M.; Fuchino, S.; Ishii, I.

2006-06-01

A pinning-type superconducting magnetic levitation guide with bulk high-Tc superconductors was studied for use as a goods transportation system, an energy storage system, etc. A superconducting magnetic levitation running test apparatus with a circular track of ca. 38 m length, 12 m diameter, which comprises the magnetic rail constituted by Nd-B-Fe rare-earth permanent magnets and steel plates, was manufactured to examine loss and high-speed performance of the magnetic levitation guide. Running tests were conducted in air. These tests clarify that a vehicle supported by a superconducting magnetic levitation guide runs stably at speeds greater than 42 km/h above the circular track.

Academic training: Applied superconductivity

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

LECTURE SERIES 17, 18, 19 January from 11.00 to 12.00 hrs Council Room, Bldg 503 Applied Superconductivity : Theory, superconducting Materials and applications E. PALMIERI/INFN, Padova, Italy When hearing about persistent currents recirculating for several years in a superconducting loop without any appreciable decay, one realizes that we are dealing with a phenomenon which in nature is the closest known to the perpetual motion. Zero resistivity and perfect diamagnetism in Mercury at 4.2 K, the breakthrough during 75 years of several hundreds of superconducting materials, the revolution of the "liquid Nitrogen superconductivity"; the discovery of still a binary compound becoming superconducting at 40 K and the subsequent re-exploration of the already known superconducting materials: Nature discloses drop by drop its intimate secrets and nobody can exclude that the last final surprise must still come. After an overview of phenomenology and basic theory of superconductivity, the lectures for this a...

Stability of the superconductive operating mode in high current-density devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wipf, S.L.

1979-01-01

The superconductive operating mode represents a thermal equilibrium that can tolerate a certain amount of disturbance before it is lost. The basin of attraction (BOA), in many ways equivalent to a potential well, is a measure of the size of disturbance needed to lift the device from the superconductive into a resistive operating mode. The BOA for a simple geometry is calculated and discussed. Experimental results are reported, showing how the concept is used to gain information on the disturbances occurring in a superconducting device

The energizing of a NMR superconducting coil by a superconducting rectifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sikkenga, J.; ten Kate, H.H.J.; van der Klundert, L.J.M.; Knoben, J.; Kraaij, G.J.; Spuorenberg, C.J.G.

1985-01-01

NMR magnets require a good homogeneity within a certain volume and an excellent field stability. The homogeneity can be met using a superconducting shim coil system. The field stability requires a constant current, although in many cases the current decay time constant is too low, due to imperfections in the superconducting wire and joints. This can be overcome using a rectifier. The rectifier can also be used to load the coil. The combination and interaction of the superconducting NMR coil (2.0 Tesla and 0.35 m cold bore) and the rectifier (20 W / 1 kA) is tested. The safety of the system is discussed. The shim coil system can compensate the strayfield of the rectifier. The field decay compensation will be discussed

Conceptual design of current lead for large scale high temperature superconducting rotating machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le, T. D.; Kim, J. H.; Park, S. I.; Kim, H. M.

2014-01-01

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) rotating machines always require an electric current of from several hundreds to several thousand amperes to be led from outside into cold region of the field coil. Heat losses through the current leads then assume tremendous importance. Consequently, it is necessary to acquire optimal design for the leads which would achieve minimum heat loss during operation of machines for a given electrical current. In this paper, conduction cooled current lead type of 10 MW-Class HTS rotating machine will be chosen, a conceptual design will be discussed and performed relied on the least heat lost estimation between conventional metal lead and partially HTS lead. In addition, steady-state thermal characteristic of each one also is considered and illustrated.

A hybrid superconducting fault current limiter for enhancing transient stability in Korean power systems

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Sangsoo; Kim, Seog-Joo; Moon, Young-Hwan; Lee, Byongjun

2013-11-01

Additional power generation sites have been limited in Korea, despite the fact load demands are gradually increasing. In order to meet these increasing demands, Korea’s power system company has begun constructing new generators at existing sites. Thus, multi-unit plants can create problems in terms of transient stability when a large disturbance occurs. This paper proposes a hybrid superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) application to enhance the transient stability of multi-unit power plants. SFCLs reduce fault currents, and limitation currents decrease the imbalance of the mechanical and electrical torque of the generators, resulting in an improvement in transient stability.

Measuring the critical current in superconducting samples made of NT-50 under pulse irradiation by high-energy particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasilev, P.G.; Vladimirova, N.M.; Volkov, V.I.; Goncharov, I.N.; Zajtsev, L.N.; Zel'dich, B.D.; Ivanov, V.I.; Kleshchenko, E.D.; Khvostov, V.B.

1981-01-01

The results of tests of superconducting samples of an uninsulated wire of the 0.5 mm diameter, containing 1045 superconducting filaments of the 10 μm diameter made of NT-50 superconductor in a copper matrix, are given. The upper part of the sample (''closed'') is placed between two glass-cloth-base laminate plates of the 50 mm length, and the lower part (''open'') of the 45 mm length is immerged into liquid helium. The sample is located perpendicular to the magnetic field of a superconducting solenoid and it is irradiated by charged particle beams at the energy of several GeV. The measurement results of permissible energy release in the sample depending on subcriticality (I/Isub(c) where I is an operating current through the sample, and Isub(c) is a critical current for lack of the beam) and the particle flux density, as well as of the maximum permissible fluence depending on subcriticality. In case of the ''closed'' sample irradiated by short pulses (approximately 1 ms) for I/Isub(c) [ru

Development of 6.6 kV/600 A superconducting fault current limiter using coated conductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yazawa, T., E-mail: takashi.yazawa@toshiba.co.j [Toshiba Corporation, Power Systems Company (Japan); Koyanagi, K.; Takahashi, M.; Toba, K.; Takigami, H.; Urata, M. [Toshiba Corporation, Power Systems Company (Japan); Iijima, Y.; Saitoh, T. [Fujikura Ltd. (Japan); Amemiya, N. [Superconductivity Research Laboratory, ISTEC (Japan); Shiohara, Y. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Kyoto University (Japan); Ito, T. [Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (Japan)

2009-10-15

As one of the programs in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) project regarding R and D on superconducting coated conductor, three-phase superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) for 6.6 kV application was developed and successfully tested. The developed SFCL was mainly comprised three-phase set of current limiting coils installed in a sub-cooled nitrogen cryostat with a GM cryocooler, circuit breakers and a sequence circuit. The whole system was installed in a cubicle. Two tapes of coated conductor were wound in parallel in each coil to obtain the rated current of 72 A rms. After developing the whole SFCL system, short circuit experiments were implemented with a short circuit generator. In a three-line ground fault test, the SFCL successfully restricted the prospected short circuit current over 1.6 kA to about 800 A by the applied voltage of 6.6 kV. The SFCL was installed in a user field and connected with a gas engine generator, followed by a consecutive operation. In this program, 600 A class FCL coil, with which four coated conductor tapes were wound, was also developed. The coil showed sufficiently low AC loss at the rated current. With these results, the program attained the planned target of the fundamentals for the 6.6 kV/600 A SFCL.

High-Tc superconducting electric motors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schiferl, R.; Stein, J.

1992-01-01

In this paper, the advantages and limitations of using superconductors in motors are discussed. A synchronous motor with a high temperature superconducting field winding for pump and fan drive applications is described and some of its unique design features are identified. A 10,000 horsepower superconducting motor design is presented. The critical field and current density requirements for high temperature superconducting wire in motors is discussed. Finally, recent progress in superconducting wire performance is presented

Superconducting state mechanisms and properties

CERN Document Server

Kresin, Vladimir Z; Wolf, Stuart A

2014-01-01

'Superconducting State' provides a very detailed theoretical treatment of the key mechanisms of superconductivity, including the current state of the art (phonons, magnons, and plasmons). A very complete description is given of the electron-phonon mechanism responsible for superconductivity in the majority of superconducting systems, and the history of its development, as well as a detailed description of the key experimental techniques used to study the superconducting state and determine the mechanisms. In addition, there are chapters describing the discovery and properties of the key superconducting compounds that are of the most interest for science, and applications including a special chapter on the cuprate superconductors. It provides detailed treatments of some very novel aspects of superconductivity, including multiple bands (gaps), the "pseudogap" state, novel isotope effects beyond BCS, and induced superconductivity.

Rotational loss of a ring-shaped flywheel supported by high T{sub c} superconducting levitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teshima, Hidekazu [Nippon Steel Corp., Kawasaki, Kanagawa (Japan). Advanced Materials and Technology Research Labs.; Tawara, Taichi; Shimada, Ryuichi

1997-08-01

This paper describes the experimental results for the rotational loss of a ring-shaped flywheel supported by high T{sub c} superconducting levitation. Superconducting levitation is appropriate for rotating a ring-shaped flywheel which has neither shaft nor hub because it is a non-contact and automatically stable levitation without any control systems. The rotational loss has been investigated using a small-scaled experimental machine consisting of 16 bulk superconductors 46 mm in diameter and a ring-shaped flywheel about 300 mm in diameter. The rotational loss decreased as the levitation gap height increased. In low-speed rotational regions, the rotational loss was in proportion to the rotation speed and depended more on the levitation gap. In high-speed rotational regions, the rotational loss was in proportion to the third power of the rotation speed and depended less on the levitation gap. The cubic rotational loss in He was reduced to one-fifth of that in air. The magnetic field pinned in bulk superconductors induces a loss in the materials composing the ring-shaped flywheel. The rotational loss of a ring-shaped flywheel supported by superconducting levitation can be reduced by improving the uniformity of the magnetic fields along the ring, enlargement of the bulk superconductor(s), and densely arranging the bulk superconductors. (author)

Organic superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jerome, D.

1980-01-01

We present the experimental evidences for the existence of a superconducting state in the Quasi One Dimensional organic conductor (TMTSF) 2 PF 6 . Superconductivity occuring at 1 K under 12 kbar is characterized by a zero resistance diamagnetic state. The anistropy of the upper critical field of this type II superconductor is consistent with the band structure anistropy. We present evidences for the existence of large superconducting precursor effects giving rise to a dominant paraconductive contribution below 40 K. We also discuss the anomalously large pressure dependence of T sb(s), which drops to 0.19 K under 24 kbar in terms of the current theories. (author)

Change in magnetic induction lines during the current-induced destruction of superconductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makiei, B; Golab, S; Sikora, A; Troinar, E; Zacharko, W [Polska Akademia Nauk, Wroclaw. Instytut Niskich Temperatur i Badan Strukturalnych

1976-09-01

Recent results of experimental investigations show that during the current-induced destruction of superconductivity in cylindrical samples a non-azimuthal component of the magnetic induction arises. This 'autoparamagnetic effect' is observable both in type I and type II superconductors. Assuming a helical form for the magnetic flux filaments the angle between the magnetic induction lines and the plane perpendicular to the Pb + In alloy sample axis is estimated in several cases. A conceptual explanation of the energy losses in the resistive state is.

Coherent Voltage Oscillations in Superconducting Polycrystalline Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altinkok, A; Yetis, H; Olutas, M; Kilic, K; Kilic, A; Cetin, O

2006-01-01

We have investigated the voltage response of superconducting polycrystalline bulk Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) material to a bidirectional square wave current with long periods and dc current by means of the evolution of the voltage-time (V-t) curves near the critical temperature. In a well-defined range of amplitudes and periods of driving current, and temperatures, it was observed that a non-linear response to bidirectional square wave current rides on a time independent background voltage value and manifests itself as regular sinusoidal-like voltage oscillations. It was found that the non-linear response disappears when the bidirectional current was switched to dc current. The spectral content of the voltage oscillations analyzed by the Fast Fourier Transform of the corresponding V-t curves revealed that the fundamental harmonics is comparable to the frequency of bidirectional square wave current. The coherent voltage oscillations were discussed mainly in terms of the dynamic competition between pinning and depinning together with the disorder in the coupling strength between the superconducting grains (i.e Josephson coupling effects). The density fluctuations and semi-elastic coupling of the flux lines with the pinning centers were also considered as possible physical mechanisms in the interpretation of the experimental results

A study on metastable superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koyama, Kenichi

1976-01-01

It is important to construct superconducting magnets as cheap as possible. One of the methods to achieve such a purpose is to save the superconducting material and operate the magnets at a high current density. Therefore it is useful to investigate the requirements for the operation of metastable superconducting magnets which can work at a current higher than the recovery current. Using the theory of flux jump, we introduce a ''stable current'' below which no flux jump can occur. On a rough approximation, it is given by I sub(s) =√A P sub(i) H sub(e) T sub(o) f(x)/rho where A : cross-section of the composite conductor. P sub(i) : total perimeter of all the superconducting cores. h sub(e) : effective heat transfer coefficient to the liquid helium through the stabilizer. T sub(o) : a characteristic temperature of the superconducting cores. f(x) : a characteristic function for the relative core radius x. rho : effective resistivity of the composite. Then it is shown that superconducting magnets can operate without unexpected normal transitions in the region enclosed by the two curves of I sub(s) and I sub(c). Next, we discuss the characteristics of our saddle shaped superconducting magnet for an one-KW MHD generator. We found that, 1) the magnet does safely operate in the metastable state; 2) the characteristics of the magnet are consistent with our theoretical results. (auth.)

10th International Symposium on Superconductivity

CERN Document Server

Hirabayashi, Izumi

1998-01-01

The International Symposium on Superconductivity, which has been held annu­ ally since 1988, is a forum for presenting the most up-to-date information about a broad range of research and development in superconductivity, from funda­ mental aspects to applications. More than 10 years have passed since the discovery of oxide superconductors and since various developments of applications began. It may be said that the prospects for application of oxide superconductors recently have opened up. Great progress has been made toward practical use, for example, of the flywheel, which uses bulk materials, and the high-performance cryo-cooled magnet made of bismuth wire. These were the results of persistent efforts to develop materials from the viewpoint of materials science and engineering. Also important is the progress in comprehensive understanding of high­ temperature superconductivity. Unique electronic properties of cuprates such as the non-Fermi liquid normal state, spin-charge separation, spin gap, and d-wav...

Superconducting rotating machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J.L. Jr.; Kirtley, J.L. Jr.; Thullen, P.

1975-01-01

The opportunities and limitations of the applications of superconductors in rotating electric machines are given. The relevant properties of superconductors and the fundamental requirements for rotating electric machines are discussed. The current state-of-the-art of superconducting machines is reviewed. Key problems, future developments and the long range potential of superconducting machines are assessed

A test of a 2 Tesla superconducting transmission line magnet system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piekarz, Henryk; Carcagno, Ruben; Claypool, Brad; Foster, George W.; Hays, Steven L.; Huang, Yuenian; Kashikhin, Vladimir; Malamud, Ernest; Mazur, Peter O.; Nehring, Roger; Oleck, Andrew; Rabehl, Roger; Schlabach, Phil; Sylvester, Cosmore; Velev, Gueorgui; Volk, James; Wake, Masayoshi

2005-01-01

Superconducting transmission line magnet test system for an injector accelerator of a staged VLHC proton-proton colliding beam accelerator has been built and operated at Fermilab. The 1.5 m long, twin-aperture, combined function dipole magnet of 2 Tesla field is excited by a single turn 100 kA transmission line superconductor. The 100 kA dc current is generated using dc-dc switching converters powered by a bulk 240 kW supply. A pair of horizontally placed conventional leads facilitates transfer of this current to the magnet transmission line superconductor operating at liquid helium temperature. Fabrication of magnet components and magnet assembly work are described. The magnet test system and its operation are presented, and the performance is summarized

A test of a 2 Tesla superconducting transmission line magnet system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piekarz, Henryk; Carcagno, Ruben; Claypool, Brad; Foster, George W.; Hays, Steven L.; Huang, Yuenian; Kashikhin, Vladimir; Malamud, Ernest; Mazur, Peter O.; Nehring,; Oleck, Andrew; Rabehl, Roger; Schlabach, Phil; Sylvester, Cosmore; Velev, Gueorgui; Volk, James; /Fermilab; Wake, Masayoshi; /KEK, Tsukuba

2005-09-01

Superconducting transmission line magnet test system for an injector accelerator of a staged VLHC proton-proton colliding beam accelerator has been built and operated at Fermilab. The 1.5 m long, twin-aperture, combined function dipole magnet of 2 Tesla field is excited by a single turn 100 kA transmission line superconductor. The 100 kA dc current is generated using dc-dc switching converters powered by a bulk 240 kW supply. A pair of horizontally placed conventional leads facilitates transfer of this current to the magnet transmission line superconductor operating at liquid helium temperature. Fabrication of magnet components and magnet assembly work are described. The magnet test system and its operation are presented, and the performance is summarized.

The Consequence of Self-field and Non-uniform Current Distribution on Short Sample Tests of Superconducting Cables

CERN Document Server

Verweij, A P

1998-01-01

Electrical measurements on samples of superconducting cables are usually performed in order to determine the critical current $I_c$ and the n-value, assuming that the voltage U at the transition from the superconducting to the normal state follows the power law, U\\sim($I/I_c$)$^n$. An accurate measurement of $I_c$ and n demands, first of all, good control of temperature and field, and precise measurement of current and voltage. The critical current and n-value of a cable are influenced by the self-field of the cable, an effect that has to be known in order to compare the electrical characteristics of the cable with those of the strands from which it is made. The effect of the self-field is dealt with taking into account the orientation and magnitude of the applied field and the n-value of the strands. An important source of inaccuracy is related to the distribution of the currents among the strands. Non-uniform distributions, mainly caused by non-equal resistances of the connections between the strands of the...

Plasma treatment of bulk niobium surface for superconducting rf cavities: Optimization of the experimental conditions on flat samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Rašković

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Accelerator performance, in particular the average accelerating field and the cavity quality factor, depends on the physical and chemical characteristics of the superconducting radio-frequency (SRF cavity surface. Plasma based surface modification provides an excellent opportunity to eliminate nonsuperconductive pollutants in the penetration depth region and to remove the mechanically damaged surface layer, which improves the surface roughness. Here we show that the plasma treatment of bulk niobium (Nb presents an alternative surface preparation method to the commonly used buffered chemical polishing and electropolishing methods. We have optimized the experimental conditions in the microwave glow discharge system and their influence on the Nb removal rate on flat samples. We have achieved an etching rate of 1.7  μm/min⁡ using only 3% chlorine in the reactive mixture. Combining a fast etching step with a moderate one, we have improved the surface roughness without exposing the sample surface to the environment. We intend to apply the optimized experimental conditions to the preparation of single cell cavities, pursuing the improvement of their rf performance.

Low-Cost Superconducting Wire for Wind Generators: High Performance, Low Cost Superconducting Wires and Coils for High Power Wind Generators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2012-01-01

REACT Project: The University of Houston will develop a low-cost, high-current superconducting wire that could be used in high-power wind generators. Superconducting wire currently transports 600 times more electric current than a similarly sized copper wire, but is significantly more expensive. The University of Houston’s innovation is based on engineering nanoscale defects in the superconducting film. This could quadruple the current relative to today’s superconducting wires, supporting the same amount of current using 25% of the material. This would make wind generators lighter, more powerful and more efficient. The design could result in a several-fold reduction in wire costs and enable their commercial viability of high-power wind generators for use in offshore applications.

Emergence of Quantum Phase-Slip Behaviour in Superconducting NbN Nanowires: DC Electrical Transport and Fabrication Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolas G. N. Constantino

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Superconducting nanowires undergoing quantum phase-slips have potential for impact in electronic devices, with a high-accuracy quantum current standard among a possible toolbox of novel components. A key element of developing such technologies is to understand the requirements for, and control the production of, superconducting nanowires that undergo coherent quantum phase-slips. We present three fabrication technologies, based on using electron-beam lithography or neon focussed ion-beam lithography, for defining narrow superconducting nanowires, and have used these to create nanowires in niobium nitride with widths in the range of 20–250 nm. We present characterisation of the nanowires using DC electrical transport at temperatures down to 300 mK. We demonstrate that a range of different behaviours may be obtained in different nanowires, including bulk-like superconducting properties with critical-current features, the observation of phase-slip centres and the observation of zero conductance below a critical voltage, characteristic of coherent quantum phase-slips. We observe critical voltages up to 5 mV, an order of magnitude larger than other reports to date. The different prominence of quantum phase-slip effects in the various nanowires may be understood as arising from the differing importance of quantum fluctuations. Control of the nanowire properties will pave the way for routine fabrication of coherent quantum phase-slip nanowire devices for technology applications.

Superconducting high current magnetic Circuit: Design and Parameter Estimation of a Simulation Model

CERN Document Server

Kiefer, Alexander; Reich, Werner Dr

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) utilizes superconducting main dipole magnets that bend the trajectory of the particle beams. In order to adjust the not completely homogeneous magnetic feld of the main dipole magnets, amongst others, sextupole correctcorrector magnets are used. In one of the 16 corrector magnet circuits placed in the LHC, 154 of these sextupole corrector magnets (MCS) are connected in series. This circuit extends on a 3.35 km tunnel section of the LHC. In 2015, at one of the 16 circuits a fault was detected. The simulation of this circuit is helpful for fnding the fault by applying alternating current at different frequencies. Within this Thesis a PSpice model for the simulation of the superconducting corrector magnet circuit was designed. The physical properties of the circuit and its elements were analyzed and implemented. For the magnets and bus-bars, sub-circuits were created which reflect the parasitic effects of electrodynamics and electrostats. The inductance values and capacitance valu...

Thin Film Approaches to the SRF Cavity Problem Fabrication and Characterization of Superconducting Thin Films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beringer, Douglas [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)

2017-08-01

Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities are responsible for the acceleration of charged particles to relativistic velocities in most modern linear accelerators, such as those employed at high-energy research facilities like Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory’s CEBAF and the LHC at CERN. Recognizing SRF as primarily a surface phenomenon enables the possibility of applying thin films to the interior surface of SRF cavities, opening a formidable tool chest of opportunities by combining and designing materials that offer greater performance benefit. Thus, while improvements in radio frequency cavity design and refinements in cavity processing techniques have improved accelerator performance and efficiency – 1.5 GHz bulk niobium SRF cavities have achieved accelerating gradients in excess of 35 MV/m – there exist fundamental material bounds in bulk superconductors limiting the maximally sustained accelerating field gradient (≈ 45 MV/m for Nb) where inevitable thermodynamic breakdown occurs. With state of the art Nb based cavity design fast approaching these theoretical limits, novel material innovations must be sought in order to realize next generation SRF cavities. One proposed method to improve SRF performance is to utilize thin film superconducting-insulating-superconducting (SIS) multilayer structures to effectively magnetically screen a bulk superconducting layer such that it can operate at higher field gradients before suffering critically detrimental SRF losses. This dissertation focuses on the production and characterization of thin film superconductors for such SIS layers for radio frequency applications. Correlated studies on structure, surface morphology and superconducting properties of epitaxial Nb and MgB2 thin films are presented.

Theory of superconducting spintronic SIsFS devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakurskiy, S.V.; Klenov, N.V.; Soloviev, I.I.; Kupriyanov, M.Yu.; Bol'ginov, V.V.; Ryazanov, V.V.; Vernik, I.V.; Mukhanov, O.A.; Golubov, A.A.

2013-01-01

Full text: Motivated by recent progress in developments of cryogenic memory compatible with single flux quantum (SFQ) circuits we have performed a theoretical study of magnetic SIsFS Josephson junctions, where 'S' is a bulk superconductor, 's' is a thin superconducting film, 'F' is a metallic ferromagnet and 'I' is an insulator. We calculate the Josephson current as a function of s and F layers thickness, temperature and exchange energy of F film. We outline several modes of operation of these junctions and demonstrate their unique ability to have high I C R N product in the π-state, comparable to that in SIS tunnel junctions commonly used in SFQ circuits. We develop a model describing switching of the Josephson critical current in these devices by external magnetic field. The results are in good agreement with the experimental data for Nb-Al/AlOx-Nb-Pd0:99Fe0:01-Nb junctions. This work is supported by RFBR No. 12-02-90010-Bel a .

Change in magnetic induction lines during the current-induced destruction of superconductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makiej, B; Golab, S; Sikora, A; Trojnar, E; Zacharko, W

1976-09-01

Recent results of experimental investigations show that during the current-induced destruction of superconductivity in cylindrical samples a non-azimuthal component of the magnetic induction arises. This ''autoparamagnetic effect'' is observable both in type I and type II superconductors. Assuming a helical form for the magnetic flux filaments the angle between the magnetic induction lines and the plane perpendicular to the Pb + In alloy sample axis is estimated in several cases. A conceptual explanation of the energy losses in the resistive state is presented. 4 refs.

Effect of plasma current breakaway on the operating stability of the superconducting coil of the toroidal magnetic field in the T-10M installation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostenko, A.I.; Kravchenko, M.Yu.; Monoszon, N.A.; Trokhachev, G.V.

1979-01-01

The method and calculation results of stability of a superconducting coil of the toroidal magnetic field in the T-10M installation to plasma current breakaway are presented. The calculations were performed for two values of the magnetic field induction in the centre of the plasma cross section: 3.5 and 5 T. The calculation of energy losses and heating of the superconducting coil was performed assuming the plasma current in case of breakaway decreases to zero with an infinite rate, so that the estimations obtained are maxiaum. It is shown that in case of 3.5 T induction the superconducting coil exhibits resistance to plasma current breakaways, and in case of 5 T it is necessary to use electromagnetic screening to provide stability

Thin Film Approaches to the SRF Cavity Problem: Fabrication and Characterization of Superconducting Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Beringer, Douglas B.

Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities are responsible for the acceleration of charged particles to relativistic velocities in most modern linear accelerators, such as those employed at high-energy research facilities like Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory's CEBAF and the LHC at CERN. Recognizing SRF as primarily a surface phenomenon enables the possibility of applying thin films to the interior surface of SRF cavities, opening a formidable tool chest of opportunities by combining and designing materials that offer greater benefit. Thus, while improvements in radio frequency cavity design and refinements in cavity processing techniques have improved accelerator performance and efficiency - 1.5 GHz bulk niobium SRF cavities have achieved accelerating gradients in excess of 35 MV/m - there exist fundamental material bounds in bulk superconductors limiting the maximally sustained accelerating field gradient (approximately 45 MV/m for Niobium) where inevitable thermodynamic breakdown occurs. With state of the art niobium based cavity design fast approaching these theoretical limits, novel material innovations must be sought in order to realize next generation SRF cavities. One proposed method to improve SRF performance is to utilize thin film superconducting-insulating-superconducting (SIS) multilayer structures to effectively magnetically screen a bulk superconducting layer such that it can operate at higher field gradients before suffering critically detrimental SRF losses. This dissertation focuses on the production and characterization of thin film superconductors for such SIS layers for radio-frequency applications.

A thermally actuated superconducting flux pump

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coombs, Timothy [Engineering Department, Cambridge University, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ (United Kingdom)], E-mail: tac1000@cam.ac.uk; Hong Zhiyong; Zhu Xiaomin [Engineering Department, Cambridge University, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ (United Kingdom)

2008-02-01

The concept of a superconducting flux pump is relatively straightforward. A small magnetic field repeatedly applied will lead to a much larger field being trapped within the superconductor. This field is limited by the volume of the superconductor and by its critical current but not by the excitation field. Here we will describe a new technique which facilitates the creation of high magnetic fields and where the magnitude of the trapped field is limited by the superconductor not the magnetising field. The technique is demonstrated using measurements taken using samples of bulk YBCO as YBCO has a very high irreversibility field and has the potential to trap high magnetic fields. The technique could be applied to other superconductors such as BSCCO or MgB{sub 2} and in other forms such as thin or thick films.

Japan. Superconductivity for Smart Grids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayakawa, K.

2012-11-15

Currently, many smart grid projects are running or planned worldwide. These aim at controlling the electricity supply more efficiently and more stably in a new power network system. In Japan, especially superconductivity technology development projects are carried out to contribute to the future smart grid. Japanese cable makers such as Sumitomo Electric and Furukawa Electric are leading in the production of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power cables. The world's largest electric current and highest voltage superconductivity proving tests have been started this year. Big cities such as Tokyo will be expected to introduce the HTS power cables to reduce transport losses and to meet the increased electricity demand in the near future. Superconducting devices, HTS power cables, Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) and flywheels are the focus of new developments in cooperations between companies, universities and research institutes, funded by the Japanese research and development funding organization New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)

Flux Flow, Pinning, and Resistive Behavior in Superconducting Networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephen Teitel

2005-01-01

Numerical simulators are used to study the behavior of interacting quantized vortices and vortex lines in superconducting networks, films, and three dimensional bulk samples. An emphasis is on the explanation of the phenomenological behavior of the ''high-Tc'' copper-oxide superconductors and related model systems

Inhomogeneous superconductivity in a ferromagnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kontos, T.; Aprili, M.; Lesueur, J.; Genet, F.; Boursier, R.; Grison, X.

2003-01-01

We have studied a new superconducting state where the condensate wave function resulting from conventional pairing, is modified by an exchange field. Superconductivity is induced into a ferromagnetic thin film (F) by the proximity effect with a superconducting reservoir (S). We observed oscillations of the superconducting order parameter induced in F as a function of the distance from the S/F interface. They originate from the finite momentum transfer provided to Cooper pairs by the splitting of the spin up and down bands. We measured the superconducting density of states in F by tunneling spectroscopy and the Josephson critical current when F is coupled with a superconducting counter-electrode. Negative values of the superconducting order parameter are revealed by capsized tunneling spectra in F and a negative Josephson coupling (π-junction)

Synthesis and superconductivity of In-doped SnTe nanostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piranavan Kumaravadivel

2017-07-01

Full Text Available InxSn1−xTe is a time-reversal invariant candidate 3D topological superconductor derived from doping the topological crystalline insulator SnTe with indium. The ability to synthesize low-dimensional nanostructures of indium-doped SnTe is key for realizing the promise they hold in future spintronic and quantum information processing applications. But hitherto only bulk synthesized crystals and nanoplates have been used to study the superconducting properties. Here for the first time we synthesize InxSn1−xTe nanostructures including nanowires and nanoribbons, which show superconducting transitions. In some of the lower dimensional morphologies, we observe signs of more than one superconducting transition and the absence of complete superconductivity. We propose that material inhomogeneity, such as indium inhomogeneity and possible impurities from the metal catalyst, is amplified in the transport characteristics of the smaller nanostructures and is responsible for this mixed behavior. Our work represents the first demonstration of InxSn1−xTe nanowires with the onset of superconductivity, and points to the need for improving the material quality for future applications.

Suppression of guidance force decay of HTS bulk exposed to AC magnetic field perturbation in a maglev vehicle system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Longcai; Wang Suyu; Wang Jiasu

2009-01-01

Superconducting maglev vehicle was one of the most promising applications of HTS bulks. In such a system, the HTS bulks were always exposed to AC external magnetic field, which was generated by the inhomogeneous surface magnetic field of the NdFeB guideway. In our previous work, it was observed that the guidance force of the YBCO bulk over the NdFdB guideway used in the high-temperature superconducting maglev vehicle system was decayed by the application of the AC external magnetic field. In this paper, we adopted a method to suppress the decay by altering the field-cooled height of the bulk. From the experimental results, it was found that the decay rate of the guidance force was smaller at lower field-cooled height. So we could suppress the guidance force decay of HTS bulk exposed to AC external magnetic field perturbation in the maglev vehicle system by reducing the field-cooled height of the bulk. Furthermore, all the experimental results in this paper were explained based on Bean critical-state model.

Suppression of guidance force decay of HTS bulk exposed to AC magnetic field perturbation in a maglev vehicle system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Longcai, E-mail: zhlcai2000@163.co [College of Air Traffic Management, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, Sichuan 618307 (China); Wang Suyu; Wang Jiasu [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, P.O. Box 152, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China)

2009-07-01

Superconducting maglev vehicle was one of the most promising applications of HTS bulks. In such a system, the HTS bulks were always exposed to AC external magnetic field, which was generated by the inhomogeneous surface magnetic field of the NdFeB guideway. In our previous work, it was observed that the guidance force of the YBCO bulk over the NdFdB guideway used in the high-temperature superconducting maglev vehicle system was decayed by the application of the AC external magnetic field. In this paper, we adopted a method to suppress the decay by altering the field-cooled height of the bulk. From the experimental results, it was found that the decay rate of the guidance force was smaller at lower field-cooled height. So we could suppress the guidance force decay of HTS bulk exposed to AC external magnetic field perturbation in the maglev vehicle system by reducing the field-cooled height of the bulk. Furthermore, all the experimental results in this paper were explained based on Bean critical-state model.

Superconducting transformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, J.H.

1982-01-01

A superconducting transformer having a winding arrangement that provides for current limitation when subjected to a current transient as well as more efficient utilization of radial spacing and winding insulation. Structural innovations disclosed include compressed conical shaped winding layers and a resistive matrix to promote rapid switching of current between parallel windings

Determination of the magnetic penetration depth in a superconducting Pb film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brisbois, J.; Silhanek, A. V.; Raes, B.; Van de Vondel, J.; Moshchalkov, V. V.

2014-01-01

By means of scanning Hall probe microscopy technique, we accurately map the magnetic field pattern produced by Meissner screening currents in a thin superconducting Pb stripe. The obtained field profile allows us to quantitatively estimate the Pearl length Λ without the need of pre-calibrating the Hall sensor. This fact contrasts with the information acquired through the spatial field dependence of an individual flux quantum where the scanning height and the magnetic penetration depth combine in a single inseparable parameter. The derived London penetration depth λ L coincides with the values previously reported for bulk Pb once the kinetic suppression of the order parameter is properly taken into account

Initial magnetic field decay of the superconducting magnet in persistent current mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, S.; Yanada, T.

1988-01-01

The initial magnetic field decay in the persistent current mode of a magnetic resonance imaging magnet has been studied experimentally. The field decay is greater than the steady field decay due to joint resistances of conductors. Imaging experiments cannot be carried out during the periods, which last ten or more hours. The current distribution in the multifilamentory conductor is non-uniform just after the energization. It is suggested that the change of the current distribution causes the initial magnetic field decay. A 6th order superconducting magnet was prepared for experiments (central field = 0.35 T, inner diameters = 1 m, length = 1.86 m). The steady state magnetic field decay was 7*10/sup -8//hr. The initial magnetic field decay was 3*10/sup -6//hr. Overshoot currents (101 and 105 percent of the rated current) were applied to the magnet and the current reduced to the rated current to improve the initial decay. The energizing and de-energizing rate of the field was 1.8 gauss/second. No initial decay was observed when 105 percent current pattern was applied to the magnet

Superconductivity: materials and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duchateau, J.L.; Kircher, F.; Leveque, J.; Tixador, P.

2008-01-01

This digest paper presents the different types of superconducting materials: 1 - the low-TC superconductors: the multi-filament composite as elementary constituent, the world production of NbTi, the superconducting cables of the LHC collider and of the ITER tokamak; 2 - the high-TC superconductors: BiSrCaCuO (PIT 1G) ribbons and wires, deposited coatings; 3 - application to particle physics: the the LHC collider of the CERN, the LHC detectors; 4 - applications to thermonuclear fusion: Tore Supra and ITER tokamaks; 5 - NMR imaging: properties of superconducting magnets; 6 - applications in electrotechnics: cables, motors and alternators, current limiters, transformers, superconducting energy storage systems (SMES). (J.S.)

Superconductivity in power engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This proceedings volume presents 24 conference papers and 15 posters dealing with the following aspects: 1) Principles and elementary aspects of high-temperature superconductivity (3 plenary lectures); 2) Preparation, properties and materials requirements of metallic or oxide superconductors (critical current behaviour, soldered joints, structural studies); 3) Magnet technology (large magnets for thermonuclear fusion devices; magnets for particle accelerators and medical devices); 4) Magnetic levitation and superconductivity; 5) Cryogenics; 6) Energy storage systems using superconducting coils (SMES); 7) Superconducting power transmission cables, switches, transformers, and generator systems for power plant; 8) Supporting activities, industrial aspects, patents. There are thirty-eight records in the ENERGY database relating to individual conference papers. (MM) [de

Spontaneous and persistent currents in superconductive and mesoscopic structures (Review)

Science.gov (United States)

Kulik, I. O.

2004-07-01

We briefly review aspects of superconductive persistent currents in Josephson junctions of the S/I/S, S/O/S and S/N/S types, focusing on the origin of jumps in the current versus phase dependences, and discuss in more detail the persistent and the "spontaneous" currents in Aharonov-Bohm mesoscopic and nanoscopic (macromolecular) structures. A fixed-number-of-electrons mesoscopic or macromolecular conducting ring is shown to be unstable against structural transformation removing spatial symmetry (in particular, azimuthal periodicity) of its electron-lattice Hamiltonian. In the case when the transformation is blocked by strong coupling to an external azimuthally symmetric environment, the system becomes bistable in its electronic configuration at a certain number of electrons. Under such a condition, the persistent current has a nonzero value even at an (almost) zero applied Aharonov-Bohm flux and results in very high magnetic susceptibility dM/dH at small nonzero fields, followed by an oscillatory dependence at larger fields. We tentatively assume that previously observed oscillatory magnetization in cyclic metallo-organic molecules by Gatteschi et al. can be attributed to persistent currents. If this proves correct, it may present an opportunity for (and, more generally, macromolecular cyclic structures may suggest the possibility of) engineering quantum computational tools based on the Aharonov-Bohm effect in ballistic nanostructures and macromolecular cyclic aggregates.

Superconducting Electric Machine with Permanent Magnets and Bulk HTS Elements

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, A. V.; Vasich, P. S.; Dezhin, D. S.; Kovalev, L. K.; Kovalev, K. L.; Poltavets, V. N.; Penkin, V. T.

Theoretical methods of calculating of two-dimensional magnetic fields, inductive parameters and output characteristics of the new type of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) synchronous motors with a composite rotor are presented. The composite rotor has the structure containing HTS flat elements, permanent magnets and ferromagnetic materials. The developed calculation model takes into account the concentrations and physical properties of these rotor elements. The simulation results of experimental HTS motor with a composite rotor are presented. The application of new type of HTS motor in different constructions of industrial high dynamic drivers is discussed.

Magnetic field dependence of the critical superconducting current induced by the proximity effect in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishino, T.; Kawabe, U.; Yamada, E.

1986-01-01

The magnetic field dependence of the critical superconducting current induced by the proximity effect in heavily-boron-doped Si is studied experimentally. It is found that the critical current flowing through the p-type-Si-coupled junction decreases with increasing applied magnetic field. The critical current can be expressed as the product of three factors: the current induced by de Gennes's proximity effect, the exponential decrease due to pair breaking by the magnetic field, and the usual diffraction-pattern-like dependence on the magnetic field due to the Josephson effect. The second factor depends on the carrier concentration in the semiconductor. The local critical current shows a rapid decrease at the edge of the electrodes

Frontiers in Superconducting Materials

CERN Document Server

Narlikar, Anant V

2005-01-01

Frontiers in Superconducting Materials gives a state-of-the-art report of the most important topics of the current research in superconductive materials and related phenomena. It comprises 30 chapters written by renowned international experts in the field. It is of central interest to researchers and specialists in Physics and Materials Science, both in academic and industrial research, as well as advanced students. It also addresses electronic and electrical engineers. Even non-specialists interested in superconductivity might find some useful answers.

Magnetic levitation and its application for education devices based on YBCO bulk superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, W.M.; Chao, X.X.; Guo, F.X.; Li, J.W.; Chen, S.L.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • A small superconducting maglev propeller system has been designed and constructed based on YBCO bulk superconductors. • Several small maglev vehicle models have been designed and constructed based on YBCO bulk superconductors. • The models can be used as experimental or demonstration devices for the magnetic levitation applications. -- Abstract: A small superconducting maglev propeller system, a small spacecraft model suspending and moving around a terrestrial globe, several small maglev vehicle models and a magnetic circuit converter have been designed and constructed. The track was paved by NdFeB magnets, the arrangement of the magnets made us easy to get a uniform distribution of magnetic field along the length direction of the track and a high magnetic field gradient in the lateral direction. When the YBCO bulks mounted inside the vehicle models or spacecraft model was field cooled to LN 2 temperature at a certain distance away from the track, they could be automatically floating over and moving along the track without any obvious friction. The models can be used as experimental or demonstration devices for the magnetic levitation applications

Magnetic levitation and its application for education devices based on YBCO bulk superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, W.M., E-mail: yangwm@snnu.edu.cn; Chao, X.X.; Guo, F.X.; Li, J.W.; Chen, S.L.

2013-10-15

Highlights: • A small superconducting maglev propeller system has been designed and constructed based on YBCO bulk superconductors. • Several small maglev vehicle models have been designed and constructed based on YBCO bulk superconductors. • The models can be used as experimental or demonstration devices for the magnetic levitation applications. -- Abstract: A small superconducting maglev propeller system, a small spacecraft model suspending and moving around a terrestrial globe, several small maglev vehicle models and a magnetic circuit converter have been designed and constructed. The track was paved by NdFeB magnets, the arrangement of the magnets made us easy to get a uniform distribution of magnetic field along the length direction of the track and a high magnetic field gradient in the lateral direction. When the YBCO bulks mounted inside the vehicle models or spacecraft model was field cooled to LN{sub 2} temperature at a certain distance away from the track, they could be automatically floating over and moving along the track without any obvious friction. The models can be used as experimental or demonstration devices for the magnetic levitation applications.

Mechanical design of a synchronous rotating machines with Gd-Ba-Cu-O HTS bulk pole-field magnets operated by a pulsed-field magnetization with armature copper coils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuzaki, H [Department of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8533 (Japan); Kimura, Y [Department of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8533 (Japan); Ohtani, I [Department of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8533 (Japan); Morita, E [Department of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8533 (Japan); Ogata, H [Department of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8533 (Japan); Izumi, M [Department of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8533 (Japan); Ida, T [Department of Electronic Control Engineering, Hiroshima National College of Maritime Technology, Hiroshima 725-0231 (Japan); Sugimoto, H [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Fukui University, Fukui 910-8507 (Japan); Miki, M [Kitano Seiki Co. Ltd., Ohta-ku, Tokyo 143-0024 (Japan); Kitano, M [Kitano Seiki Co. Ltd., Ohta-ku, Tokyo 143-0024 (Japan)

2006-06-01

We studied a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) synchronous motor assembled with melt-textured Gd-Ba-Cu-O bulk pole-field magnets. The structure of a HTS motor is an axial gap type with neither brushes/slip rings nor iron core. The specific feature is that the rotor pole-field magnets of bulk are magnetized with pulsed current flow through vortex-type armature copper windings. The rotor pole bulks and armature coils are cooled down with liquid nitrogen. Cooling and magnetization of bulk pole field magnets are performed inside of the rotor. The trapped peak magnetic field of more than 0.5 T of the bulk magnets provided the motor performance of 3.1 kW with 720 rpm. In order to attain high output, single rotor plate with 8 bulks was substituted with a twinned rotor plates with 16 bulks together with triple layer armature units. We report on the test results and performance of the present twinned rotor-type HTS synchronous motor.

The development of superconducting equipment

CERN Document Server

Ueda, T; Hiue, H

2003-01-01

Fuji Electric has been developing various types of superconducting equipment for over a quarter of a century. This paper describes the development results achieved for superconducting equipment and especially focuses on large-capacity current leads and superconducting transmission systems, the development of which is being promoted for application to the field of nuclear fusion. High temperature superconductor (HTS) is becoming the mainstream in the field of superconductivity, and the HTS floating coil and conduction-cooled HTS transformed are also introduced as recent developments for devices that utilize this technology. (author)

Kinetics and thermodynamics of ceramic/metal interface reactions related to high T(sub c) superconducting applications

Science.gov (United States)

Notis, Michael R.; Oh, Min-Seok

1990-01-01

Superconducting ceramic materials, no matter what their form, size or shape, must eventually make contact with non-superconducting materials in order to accomplish current transfer to other parts of a real operating system, or for testing and measurement of properties. Thus, whether the configuration is a clad wire, a bulk superconducting disc, tape, or a thick or thin superconducting film on a substrate, the physical and mechanical behavior of interface (interconnections, joints, etc.) between superconductors and normal conductor materials of all kinds is of extreme importance to the technological development of these systems. Fabrication heat treatments associated with the particular joining process allow possible reactions between the superconducting ceramic and the contact to occur, and consequently influence properties at the interface region. The nature of these reactions is therefore of great broad interest, as these may be a primary determinant for the real capability of these materials. Research related both to fabrication of composite sheathed wire products, and the joining contacts for physical property measurements, as well as, a review of other related literature in the field are described. Comparison are made between 1-2-3, Bi-, and Tl-based ceramic superconductors joined to a variety of metals including Cu, Ni, Fe, Cr, Ag, Ag-Pd, Au, In, and Ga. The morphology of reaction products and the nature of interface degradation as a function of time will be highlighted.

Development of innovative superconducting DC power cable

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsushita, Teruo; Kiuchi, Masaru [Dept. of Computer Science and Electronics Kyushu Institute of Technology, Iizuka (Japan)

2017-09-15

It is required to reduce the cost of superconducting cable to realize a superconducting DC power network that covers a wide area in order to utilize renewable energy. In this paper a new concept of innovative cable is introduced that can enhance the current-carrying capacity even though the same superconducting tape is used. Such a cable can be realized by designing an optimal winding structure in such a way that the angle between the tape and magnetic field becomes small. This idea was confirmed by preliminary experiments for a single layer model cable made of Bi-2223 tapes and REBCO coated conductors. Experiments of three and four layer cables of practical sizes were also done and it was found that the current-carrying capacity increased as theoretically predicted. If the critical current properties of commercial superconducting tapes are further improved in a parallel magnetic field, the enhancement will become pronounced and this technology will surely contribute to realization of superconducting DC power network.

Properties of niobium superconducting bridges prepared by electron-beam lithography and ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, J.; Cha, W.; Gamo, K.; Namba, S.

1979-01-01

Niobium superconducting bridges having a variable-thickness geometry consisting of a thin narrow implanted region joining two much thicker bulk films have been fabricated. The temperature dependence of the critical current is described well by the static theory of Likharev and Yakobson. The direct current and alternate current Josephson effects were observed at temperatures above the transition temperature T'/sub c/ of the bridge. The magnetic field period of the ''diffraction pattern'' dependence on magnetic field is analyzed taking into account demagnetizing effects in an approximate way. This field period H/sub p/ is found as a function of the bridge width w and the length L for wide bridges (w/L>>1), i.e., H/sub p/= (Phi 0 /μ 0 )/ 2/sup 2/3/w/sup 5/3/L/sup 1/3/

Superconductivity in the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O compounds some characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escudero, R.

1989-01-01

The authors have prepared 90% single phase bulk samples of the 110K superconducting phase of the Bi-Sr- Ca-Cu-O compounds with different Pb amounts. This paper presents critical superconducting temperatures (zero resistance) of up to 109K were measured in the bulk samples. X-ray powder diffraction patterns of the almost isolated 110K phase. Computer simulated diffractograms were obtained, which are in general agreement with the measured ones. A discussion of the role of Pb in the stability of the 110K phase in this compounds is presented. Tunnelling measurements were made using Bi-based material. The authors studied break junctions and point contact junctions. The energy gap was determined to be about 25.5 meV and the ratio 2Δ/KBTc = 7.5. The data also show structure at energies of 67 and 120 meV

Rated-voltage enhancement by fast-breaking of the fault current for a resistive superconducting fault current limiter component

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, C.-R.; Kim, M.-J.; Yu, S.-D.; Yim, S.-W.; Kim, H.-R.; Hyun, O.-B.

2010-01-01

Performance of a resistive superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) component is usually limited by temperature rise associated with energy input by fault current application during a fault. Therefore, it is expected that short application of the fault current may enhance the power ratings of the component. This can be accomplished by a combination of a HTS component and a mechanical switch. The fast switch (FS) developed recently enables the fault duration to be as short as 1/2 cycle after a fault. Various second-generation (2G) high temperature superconductors (HTS) and YBCO thin films have been tested. The relation between the rated voltage V and the fault duration time t was found to be V 2 ∼ t -1 . Based upon the relation, we predict that when the FS break the fault current within 1/2 cycle after a fault, the amount of HTS components required to build an SFCL can be reduced by as much as about 60%, of that when breaking the fault current at three cycles.

Vector superconductivity in cosmic strings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dvali, G.R.; Mahajan, S.M.

1992-03-01

We argue that in most realistic cases, the usual Witten-type bosonic superconductivity of the cosmic string is automatically (independent of the existence of superconducting currents) accompanied by the condensation of charged gauge vector bosons in the core giving rise to a new vector type superconductivity. The value of the charged vector condensate is related with the charged scalar expectation value, and vanishes only if the latter goes to zero. The mechanism for the proposed vector superconductivity, differing fundamentally from those in the literature, is delineated using the simplest realistic example of the two Higgs doublet standard model interacting with the extra cosmic string. It is shown that for a wide range of parameters, for which the string becomes scalarly superconducting, W boson condensates (the sources of vector superconductivity) are necessarily excited. (author). 14 refs

Crystal growth of YFe{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} and the dependence of its superconducting properties on sample preparation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Jiasheng; Semeniuk, Konstantin; Reiss, Pascal; Brown, Philip; Grosche, Malte [Cavendish Lab., Cambridge (United Kingdom); Feng, Zhuo [London Centre of Nanotechnology, UCL, London (United Kingdom); Lampronti, Giulio [Cambridge Univ., Dept. of Earth Sciences, Cambridge (United Kingdom)

2016-07-01

The d-electron system YFe{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} exhibits an unusually high Sommerfeld ratio of specific heat capacity of C/T ∝ 100 mJ/(molK{sup 2}), signaling strong electronic correlations. Evidence of superconductivity has been reported in polycrystals and in flux-grown single crystals with residual resistance ratios (RRR) of the order of 50, but these samples show no thermodynamic signatures of a bulk superconducting transition. We find that by combining (i) a prereaction of YFe{sub 2}, (ii) careful control of nominal composition, and (iii) subsequent annealing procedures, the polycrystalline YFe{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} samples grown using a radio-frequency (RF) induction furnace can reach RRR values ∝ 200 with resistive superconducting transitions temperatures of around 1.85 K. This new generation of sample displays clear heat capacity anomalies as well as nearly 100% diamagnetic screening, confirming the bulk nature of its superconductivity. We present details of the sample preparation and characterization and discuss the correlation between nominal composition and superconductivity.

1998 Annual Study Report. Research and development of power storage by high-temperature superconducting flywheels. Research and development of high-temperature superconducting materials; 1998 nendo seika hokokusho. Koon chodendo flywheel denryoku chozo kenkyu kaihatsu (koon chodendozai no kenkyu kaihatsu)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-05-01

This R and D program is aimed at optimization of superconductors for improved levitation force of the superconducting magnetic bearings which support a 10 MWh power storage system by high-temperature superconducting flywheel (FW), to clarify possibility of sizing up the FW body and R and D themes for the commercialization. The processes are screened to simultaneously solve the conflicting targets of sizing up the sample of the Y-based bulk superconducting material and improved crystal orientation of the whole bearing, leading to selection of multi-seeding. The sample made on a trial basis improves levitation force by approximately 30%. It is considered that the OCMG-processed rare-earth-based superconducting material can generate very strong electromagnetic force, when combined with a permanent magnet. The Ag-doped Sm-based bulk material shows a reduced creep-caused loss of loading force, and a lower loss of Jc resulting from increased temperature than the Y-based one, decreasing AC loss and controlling temperature rise. The running characteristics and mechanical strength of the FW, and causes for temporal changes are investigated, in order to evaluate the superconducting material characteristics. (NEDO)

Coherent current states in mesoscopic four-terminal Josephson junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zareyan, M.; Omelyanchouk, A.N.

1999-01-01

A theory is offered for the ballistic 4-terminal Josephson junction. The studied system consist of a mesoscopic two-dimensional normal rectangular layer which is attached on each side to the bulk superconducting banks (terminals). A relation is obtained between the currents through the different terminals, that is valid for arbitrary temperatures and junction sizes. The nonlocal coupling of the supercurrent leads to a new effect, specific for the mesoscopic weak link between two superconducting rings; an applied magnetic flux through one of the rings produces a magnetic flux in the other ring even in the absence of an external flux through the other one. The phase dependent distributions of the local density of Andreev states, of the supercurrents and of the induced order parameter are obtained. The 'interference pattern' for the anomalous average inside the two-dimensional region cam be regulated by the applied magnetic fluxes or the transport currents. For some values of the phase differences between the terminals, the current vortex state and two-dimensional phase slip center appear

Magnetotransport and induced superconductivity in Bi based three-dimensional topological insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veldhorst, M.; Snelder, M.; Hoek, M.; Molenaar, C.G.; Leusink, D.P.; Golubov, A.A.; Hilgenkamp, H.; Brinkman, A.

2013-01-01

The surface of a three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator is conducting and the topologically nontrivial nature of the surface states is observed in experiments. It is the aim of this paper to review and analyze experimental observations with respect to the magnetotransport in Bi-based 3D topological insulators, as well as the superconducting transport properties of hybrid structures consisting of superconductors and these topological insulators. The helical spin-momentum coupling of the surface state electrons becomes visible in quantum corrections to the conductivity and magnetoresistance oscillations. An analysis will be provided of the reported magnetoresistance, also in the presence of bulk conductivity shunts. Special attention is given to the large and linear magnetoresistance. Superconductivity can be induced in topological superconductors by means of the proximity effect. The induced supercurrents, Josephson effects and current-phase relations will be reviewed. These materials hold great potential in the field of spintronics and the route towards Majorana devices. (copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Magnetotransport and induced superconductivity in Bi based three-dimensional topological insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veldhorst, M.; Snelder, M.; Hoek, M.; Molenaar, C.G.; Leusink, D.P.; Golubov, A.A.; Hilgenkamp, H.; Brinkman, A. [MESA + Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands)

2013-02-15

The surface of a three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator is conducting and the topologically nontrivial nature of the surface states is observed in experiments. It is the aim of this paper to review and analyze experimental observations with respect to the magnetotransport in Bi-based 3D topological insulators, as well as the superconducting transport properties of hybrid structures consisting of superconductors and these topological insulators. The helical spin-momentum coupling of the surface state electrons becomes visible in quantum corrections to the conductivity and magnetoresistance oscillations. An analysis will be provided of the reported magnetoresistance, also in the presence of bulk conductivity shunts. Special attention is given to the large and linear magnetoresistance. Superconductivity can be induced in topological superconductors by means of the proximity effect. The induced supercurrents, Josephson effects and current-phase relations will be reviewed. These materials hold great potential in the field of spintronics and the route towards Majorana devices. (copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

State of the art of superconducting fault current limiters and their application to the electric power system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morandi, Antonio

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The state of the art of superconducting fault current limiters is reviewed. ► An innovative concept of FCL is discussed and the potential of MgB 2 is outlined. ► The use of FCL to allow more interconnection of MV bus-bar is discussed. ► The use of FCL to increase the immunity from voltage dips is discussed. ► The use of FCL to integrate more distributed generation is pointed out. -- Abstract: Modern electric power systems are becoming more and more complex in order to meet new needs. Nowadays a high power quality is mandatory and there is the need to integrate increasing amounts of on-site generation. All this translates in more sophisticated electric network with intrinsically high short circuit rate. This network is vulnerable in case of fault and special protection apparatus and procedures needs to be developed in order to avoid costly or even irreversible damage. A superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is a device with a negligible impedance in normal operating conditions that reliably switches to a high impedance state in case of extra-current. Such a device is able to increase the short circuit power of an electric network and to contemporarily eliminate the hazard during the fault. It can be regarded as a key component for future electric power systems. In this paper the state of the art of superconducting fault current limiters mature for applications is briefly resumed and the potential impact of this device on the paradigm of design and operation of power systems is analyzed. In particular the use of the FCL as a mean to allow more interconnection of MV bus-bars as well an increased immunity with respect to the voltage disturbances induced by critical customer is discussed. The possibility to integrate more distributed generation in the distribution grid is also considered

Percolation modelling for highly aligned polycrystalline superconducting tapes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rutter, N A; Glowacki, B A; Evetts, J E [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ (United Kingdom); IRC in Superconductivity, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom)

2000-11-01

Surface and bulk texture measurements have been carried out on highly aligned NiFe tapes, suitable for use as coated conductor substrates. Data from small-area electron backscatter diffraction measurements are compared with those from bulk x-ray analysis in the development of a two-dimensional percolation model, and the two are shown to give very similar results. No evidence of grain-to-grain correlation is found. The model is then developed to assess how the properties of a superconducting layer grown epitaxially on buffered tapes will depend on parameters such as sample size, grain size and the extent of grain alignment. (author)

Characterization of etch pits found on a large-grain bulk niobium superconducting radio-frequency resonant cavity

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xin; Ciovati, G.; Bieler, T. R.

2010-12-01

The performance of superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) resonant cavities made of bulk niobium is limited by nonlinear localized effects. Surface analysis of regions of higher power dissipation is thus of intense interest. Such areas (referred to as “hotspots”) were identified in a large-grain single-cell cavity that had been buffered-chemical polished and dissected for examination by high resolution electron microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction microscopy (EBSD), and optical microscopy. Pits with clearly discernible crystal facets were observed in both “hotspot” and “coldspot” specimens. The pits were found in-grain, at bicrystal boundaries, and on tricrystal junctions. They are interpreted as etch pits induced by crystal defects (e.g. dislocations). All coldspots examined had a qualitatively lower density of etch pits or relatively smooth tricrystal boundary junctions. EBSD mapping revealed the crystal orientation surrounding the pits. Locations with high pit density are correlated with higher mean values of the local average misorientation angle distributions, indicating a higher geometrically necessary dislocation content. In addition, a survey of the samples by energy dispersive x-ray analysis did not show any significant contamination of the samples’ surface. The local magnetic field enhancement produced by the sharp-edge features observed on the samples is not sufficient to explain the observed degradation of the cavity quality factor, which starts at peak surface magnetic field as low as 20 mT.

Transport current anisotropy in oriented grained bulk YBa2Cu3Ox superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selvamanickam, V.; Salama, K.

1990-01-01

The anisotropy in transport current density has been studied on bulk YBa 2 Cu 3 O x superconductor. The transport current density measurements were performed on oriented grained YBa 2 Cu 3 O x superconductor with the current aligned at different angles to the a endash b plane. The angular dependence of J c shows a rapid drop when the transport current is misaligned from the a endash b plane at small angles and then a slow decrease at higher angles. An anisotropy ratio of about 25 is observed at 77 K and zero field between the J c along a endash b plane and that perpendicular to the plane

Novel Approach to Linear Accelerator Superconducting Magnet System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashikhin, Vladimir

2011-01-01

Superconducting Linear Accelerators include a superconducting magnet system for particle beam transportation that provides the beam focusing and steering. This system consists of a large number of quadrupole magnets and dipole correctors mounted inside or between cryomodules with SCRF cavities. Each magnet has current leads and powered from its own power supply. The paper proposes a novel approach to magnet powering based on using superconducting persistent current switches. A group of magnets is powered from the same power supply through the common, for the group of cryomodules, electrical bus and pair of current leads. Superconducting switches direct the current to the chosen magnet and close the circuit providing the magnet operation in a persistent current mode. Two persistent current switches were fabricated and tested. In the paper also presented the results of magnetic field simulations, decay time constants analysis, and a way of improving quadrupole magnetic center stability. Such approach substantially reduces the magnet system cost and increases the reliability.