Effect of the Rate of the Rise in Current on Transient Processes in a Superconducting Fault Current Limiter

The effect of the rate of the rise in the current to 1700 A/ms on the characteristics of a transition of units of superconducting (HTSC) modules from a superconducting to normal state has been experimentally studied. The units differed by the critical current of the HTSC tape and design. The units of HTSC modules are used as a part of the resistive superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) for ac and dc grids. The obtained dependences should be taken into account when designing a resistive SFCL.     

Interaction of a surface magnetostatic wave with an inhomogeneous granular HTSC medium

In the present paper the dispersion properties of surface magnetostatic waves (SMSWs) propagating in a stratified structure, ferrite film—high-temperature superconducting layer, have been investigated. The problem of SMSW propagation in an inhomogeneous stratified medium has been solved and the dispersion equation has been obtained. In the solution of this problem, the granular nature of the high-temperature superconducting (HTSC) medium and the exposure to a constant magnetization field have been taken into account. Upon exposure to the constant magnetic field the HTSC film becomes an inhomogeneous anisotropic medium with respect to a variable magnetic field. The nonhomogeneous wave equation describing the SMSW field in a granular HTSC medium has been solved by the method of sequential iterations. Corrections for the SMSW velocity and attenuation, calculated with the use of the exact dispersion equation, are significant in comparison with previously obtained approximate values and exceed 20 and 40%, respectively. The method of analyzing electromagnetic fields in inhomogeneous granular high-temperature media can be used to solve some other problems, where spatially inhomogeneous HTSC media are used. Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 4, pp. 45–48, April, 1999.     

Effect of heat capacity and conductivity of NbTi normal matrix of a composite superconductor on the stability to magnetic flux jumps

The stability against magnetic flux jumps has experimentally been studied in the external magnetic field for three samples from NbTi composite superconductors, one monofilamentary and two multifilamentary. A comparison between the experiment and theory of thermomagnetic stability of composite superconductors has been carried out. We have determined threshold values of the rates of the external magnetic fields, starting from which heat capacity and conductivity of the normal composite matrix become determining stabilizing factors. For the first time, the increasing dependence of field of first magnetic flux jump on the rate of the rise in the external magnetic field has been experimentally registered in the superconducting wire for MRI. The reason for this effect is the shunting effect of a high pure copper matrix and the low volume fraction of a superconductor in the composite (~10%).     

Induced current of high temperature superconducting loops by combination of exciting coil and thermal switch

With its commercialization, the second-generation (2G) high temperature superconducting (HTS) RE—Ba—Cu—O (REBCO, RE is rare earth) tape is extensively applied to the superconducting magnets in the high magnetic fields. However, unlike low temperature superconducting (LTS) magnets, the HTS magnet cannot operate in the persistent current mode (PCM) due to the immature superconducting soldering technique. In this paper, an exciting method for two HTS sub-loops, so-called charging and load loops, is proposed by flux pump consisting of exciting coil and controllable thermal switch. Two HTS sub-loops are made of an REBCO tape with two slits. An exciting coil with iron core is located in one sub-loop and is supplied with a triangular waveform current so that magnetic field is generated in another sub-loop. The influence of magnetic flux on induced current in load loop is presented and verified in experiment at 77 K. The relationship between the induced magnetic flux density and the current on the sub-loops having been calibrated, magnetic flux density, and induced current are obtained. The results show that the HTS sub-loops can be excited by a coil with thermal switch and the induced current increases with magnetic flux of exciting coil increasing, which is promising for persistent current operation mode of HTS magnets.     

Magnetoresistance of porous polycrystalline HTSC: Effect of the transport current on magnetic flux compression in intergranular medium

The hysteretic dependences of the magnetoresistance of porous (38% of the theoretical density) granular high-temperature superconductor (HTSC) Bi_1.8Pb_0.3Sr_1.9Ca₂Cu₃O _x have been analyzed in the model of the effective intergranular field. This effective field has been defined by the superposition of the external field and the field induced by magnetic moments of superconducting grains. The magnetic flux compression in an intergranular medium, characterized by the effective field, controls the hysteretic behavior of the magnetoresistance. It has been found that the magnetoresistance hysteresis width for the studied porous HTSC depends on the transport current, in contrast to the superconductor of the same composition with high physical density (more than 90% of the theoretical value). For a porous superconductor, a significant current concentration occurs in the region of the grain boundaries, which is caused by features of its microstructure. A current-induced increase in the effective boundary length results in a decrease in the flux compression, a decrease in the effective field in the intergranular medium, and a magnetoresistance hysteresis narrowing with increasing current.     

Levitating states of superconducting rings in the field of a fixed ring with constant current

We consider the possibility of designing a plasma trap with a magnetic system formed by super-conducting rings and coils levitating in the field of a fixed coaxial coil carrying constant current. An analytic dependence of the potential energy of such a system with one or two levitating superconducting rings having trapped preset magnetic fluxes on their coordinates in the uniform gravitational field is obtained in the thin ring approximation. Calculations performed in the Mathcad system show that equilibrium states of such a system exist for certain values of parameters. Levitating states of a single superconducting ring and two superconducting rings in the field of the coil with constant current are observed experimentally in positions corresponding to calculated values.     

Analysis of the magnetic field distribution and estimation of the critical current density based on a magnetooptical study of the superconducting strip composites

The results of magnetic flux penetration into high-temperature superconducting composites of the second generation have been analyzed and described. The distribution of magnetic flux was observed experimentally using the magnetooptical visualization technique at various temperatures of 4.2–80 K. The experimental data have been found to coincide with the results of analytical and semi-numeric calculations of magnetic field profiles carried out for regimes of full and partial field penetration into superconducting composites. The method of estimating the critical current density based on measurements of the topography of the transverse magnetic flux has been considered, and an approach to estimating the critical current density for strips from measurements of the tangential field component has been proposed.     

Investigation into the critical current of second-generation wire-tapes based on the GdBa2Cu3O7 (GdBCO) high-temperature superconductor fabricated by pulsed laser deposition

The results of measurements of the functional characteristics of 2G HTSC wires produced by SuperOx-Japan using pulsed laser deposition are given. Our investigations show that the HTSC tape fabricated by pulsed laser deposition is practically not worse than the HTSC tape fabricated by chemical vapor deposition (SuperPower, United States) in its current-carrying characteristics in an external magnetic field.     

Thermal electrodynamic mechanisms of a rise of current-voltage characteristic (IVC) of technical superconductors at magnetic flux creep

The processes of the formation of the macroscopic states of a superconducting tape induced by the transport current at magnetic flux creep have been studied. It has been shown that there are characteristic values of electric field intensity that are affected by a rate of current injection, properties of a superconductor, cooling conditions, and properties of a stabilizing matrix. These values are the basis of thermal electrodynamic mechanism, which determines the slope of a rise of IVC of technical superconductors. The conditions of formation of current instabilities have been studied taking into account a nonuniform temperature distribution over the cross section of a technical superconductor. The conditions of the existence of the IVC of technical superconductors have been formulated. These conditions allow for the stable heating of a superconductor as high as the critical temperature. The results of the carried out studies should be taken into account when measuring the IVC of superconducting materials and determining their critical parameters and the current of instability occurrence.     

On some consequences of an external magnetic field applied to HTS coils

A computational model which enables to evaluate the distribution of the critical currents, electric fields and the voltage in the winding of a solenoidal high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets subjected to an external magnetic field parallel with the magnet axis, was developed. The model comes out from the well-known power law between the electric field and the transport current of the HTS tape short sample. It allows to predict the voltage–current V(I) characteristics of both the pancake coils and the complete magnet. The model was applied to the magnet system consisting of 22 pancake coils made of multifilamentary Bi(2223)/Ag tape at 20 K, which is subjected to an external uniform magnetic field parallel with the coil axis. A rather unexpected behavior of the magnet at different operating conditions (operating current and external magnetic field strength) is predicted, analyzed and reported together with a theoretical explanation. On one hand, the external uniform magnetic field parallel with the coil axis increases the resulting magnetic field strength, however, on the other hand it simultaneously decreases the angle between the resulting magnetic field and the tape surface. Thus, the effect of higher magnetic loading caused by the presence of an external magnetic field strength which is acting on individual turns located close to the coil’s flanges is compensated by more favorable orientation of the tape with respect to the resulting magnetic field. As a result, increase in the critical currents of these turns is expected. Further, the results indicate, that in case of the high field HTS insert coils the anisotropy in the I_c(B) characteristic does not play a substantial role. As a consequence, the technology of the production of the tapes for high field insert HTS coils should concentrate rather on the tapes having the current carrying capacity as high as possible, than on the attempt how to decrease the anisotropy in the I_c(B) by changing the architecture of the filaments in the tape.     

Magnetic Acceleration of the Levitating Sabot Made of Type-II Superconductors

Creation of a delivery system based on noncontact positioning and transport of the cryogenic fuel targets represents one of the major tasks in a general program of inertial fusion energy (IFE) research. The purpose is to maintain the fuel layer quality during acceleration and injection of IFE targets at the focus of a powerful laser facility or IFE reactor. The program of the Lebedev Physical Institute (LPI) includes much development work on creation of different designs of the hybrid accelerators for IFE target transport with levitation. One of the main directions is an electromagnetic accelerator (EM-AC) + PMG system, where PMG is the permanent magnet guideway. The operational principle is based on quantum levitation of type-II high-temperature superconductors (HTSC) in the magnetic field. At the current stage, conceptual development of “EM-AC + PMG” hybrid accelerator is complete, and proof-of-principle experiments in mutually normal magnetic fields are made. This accelerator is a combination of the acceleration system (field coils generating the traveling magnetic waves) and the levitation system (PMG including a magnetic rail or magnetic track). The results obtained show that the HTSCs can be successfully used to maintain friction-free motion of HTSC sabots over the PMG, and also provide the required stability of the levitation height over the whole acceleration length due to the pinning effect. Additionally, using the driving body from MgB₂ superconducting coils as a sabot component (critical current 5,000 A at magnetic induction 0.25 T) allows one to reach injection velocities of 200 m/s under 400 g at 5 m acceleration length.     

1.3 GHz超导腔磁通排出效应研究

设计并搭建了一套高精度的磁场测量和补偿系统,并结合中国科学院高能物理研究所(IHEP)的2K超导腔垂直测试平台对1.3 GHz单加速间隙超导腔的磁通排出效应开展了实验研究:利用研制的磁场测量和补偿系统能够精密地测量超导腔赤道位置磁场,并能够将磁场补偿至小于5.0×10-8 T;并对超导腔不同表面温度梯度下的磁通排出效应进行了测量分析;对钉扎了磁场的超导腔进行了射频性能测试,研究了超导腔电阻对磁通钉扎的敏感度,以及在不同电场梯度下超导腔的表面电阻变化情况。结果表明,研制的高精度磁场测量和补偿系统能够满足超导腔磁通排出研究的需求;高的超导腔表面温度梯度有利于磁通的排出;磁通钉扎电阻的敏感度随着加速电场梯度的增加而增大,导致超导腔的性能下降。此实验研究也为后续超导腔的研制奠定了一定基础。     

Superconducting quantum interference device without Josephson junctions

A new type of a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) based on a single superconducting loop without Josephson junctions and with asymmetric contacts has been proposed. This SQUID offers advantages in simplicity of fabrication and a steeper dependence of measured quantities on the magnetic flux. To confirm the possibility of making this type of SQUID, the magnetic field dependence of the critical current in an aluminum ring with asymmetric contacts has been experimentally investigated.     

多结超导环在外磁场中的行为

分析和计算了双结超导环在无偏置电流时的磁通、环流、自由能与外磁场的关系.发现双结环与单结环在磁场中的行为有所不同.当两个结的Ic相等时，双结环在1＜β=2πLIcΦ0＜2时，若无偏置电流，总磁通Φ、环流I与外磁通Φe的关系仍然是非回滞的曲线.仅当β≥2时，曲线才出现回滞.另外双结环有两支解，并且每支解的周期为2Φ0. 关键词： 双结环 双支解 2Φ0周期 回滞     

Levitation in the field of a nonsuperconducting coil with magnetic flux stabilization

A method providing the “frozen flux” conditions in a nonsuperconducting coil is suggested and demonstrated with a model. The feasibility of permanent magnet stable levitation in the field of the coil with magnetic flux stabilization and mean current control is shown. The method allows researchers to exploit permanent magnet-superconducting body interaction in physical devices, for example, to reproduce, using nonsuperconducting coils, the frozen magnetic flux conditions required for the stable levitation of the magnet over a superconducting body.     

Effect of large-heat-capacity substances doping of superconducting coils on their dynamic stability

The dependence of the quench currents on the ramp rate was studied for four small NbTi coils. Two pairs of superconducting coils were tested. In one pair the SC 0.85-mm-dia wire with 2970 filaments was used, in the other two coils the SC wire contained 8910 filaments of smaller size. Two coils (with different number of filaments) contained 4.9 vol % of Large-Heat-Capacity Substance (LHCS) in the form of tiny powder evenly distributed over the winding volume, therefore their heat capacity at 4.2 K was an order of magnitude larger than that for coils without LHCS. The LHCS was introduced into the winding in a mixture with epoxy resin (“wet” winding). When the self-magnetic field varied with a rate of ≥5 T/s, premature quenches were observed in the central turns of the undoped coil made of a wire with 2970 filaments. These transitions are likely to be caused by magnetic flux jumps. In the LHCS-doped coil made of the same wire, the quenches took place at currents two to three times higher, since the sample was heated up to a critical temperature because of electrical losses (as confirmed by calculations). Thus, the improved stability of the LHCS-containing coils not only against long-term (0.1–1.0 s) disturbances but also against much shorter (10–100 μs) jumps of the magnetic flux is demonstrated.     

Effect of current sweep reversal on the magnetic field stability for a Bi-2223 superconducting solenoid

The effect of current sweep reversal on the temporal drift in magnetic field intensity for a Bi-2223 solenoid was investigated by experiment and using numerical simulation. Current sweep reversal, by as small as 1% of the peak current, was found to stabilize the drift in magnetic field intensity for a Bi-2223 tape solenoid. The field drift was due to flux creep in the Bi-2223 tape and the current sweep reversal formed a barrier for flux entrance at the upper and lower surface of the conductor, preventing flux creep. With a current reversal of several% of the peak current, the barrier formation extended over half of the solenoid and the magnetic field intensity became constant with time. The current sweep reversal technique should prove useful to stabilize an ultra-high field low/high-temperature superconducting nuclear magnetic resonance magnet operated at frequencies (field intensities) beyond 1 GHz (23.5 T).     

Influence of a constant magnetic field on the dispersion of surface magnetostatic waves in a structure consisting of ferrite and granular high-temperature superconductor

The dispersional properties of a surface magnetostatic wave (MSW) in a laminar structure consisting of ferrite film and a high-temperature superconducting (HTSC) layer are studied in detail. The propagation of surface MSW in this structure is investigated, and the dispersional equation is obtained; the granular character of the HTSC films and the influence of constant magnetic field are taken into account here. The magnetic field is responsible for breakdown of the Josephson layer of granular HTSC films and the appearance of nonsuperconducting layers close to the film surface. It follows from the calculation results that, when the HTSC film passes to the superconducting state, the dispersional characteristics of the MSW undergo a discontinuity. The magnitude of the discontinuity depends on the film thickness, the critical current, and the granule size. The results obtained may be used in designing various microelectronic devices based on granular HTSC films. Tomsk State Academy of Control Systems and Radioelectronics. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 6, pp. 72–77, June, 1996.     

目标场法在悬浮超导球体的球形线圈设计中的应用

文中把目标场法引入到悬浮超导球体的球形线圈设计中,根据目标场法产生均匀磁场的原理,通过离散化绕组来近似处理球形线圈在超导球体和球形线圈的间隙内产生均匀磁场的电流密度分布规律。利用有限元分析和验证,在超导球体与球形线圈之间的间隙内产生了具有很好均匀性的悬浮磁场,这会明显提高超导球体悬浮的刚度和稳定性。     

Effect of a constant magnetic field on echo signals in high-temperature superconductor powders

The generation of acoustic and vortex oscillations in high-temperature superconductor (HTSC) powders excited by radiofrequency (rf) pulses was analyzed in detail in our earlier publications. The rf magnetic field stimulates oscillations of magnetic vortices on the surface of an HTSC grain, which are transformed into lattice vibrations via the pinning centers at the surface, thus inducing a propagating acoustic wave. The allowance for second-order nonlinearity in the gradient of deviation of the crystal lattice from its equilibrium position in the equation for the acoustic wave leads to a dependence of the natural frequency of crystal lattice vibrations on the amplitude and duration of pulses exciting these vibrations. Such a dependence is responsible for echo signals that can be detected experimentally. The proposed model makes it possible to interpret most experimental results for BiPbSrCaCuO superconducting samples. We consider the effect of a constant magnetic field on the amplitude and the echo signal decay time. We observed a clearly manifested peak that was not described by other authors. The model proposed here provides an obvious explanation for this peak.