AC loss in high-temperature superconducting conductors, cables and windings for power devices

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) transformers and reactor coils promise decreased weight and volume and higher efficiency. A critical design parameter for such devices is the AC loss in the conductor. The state of the art for AC-loss reduction in HTS power devices is described, starting from the loss in the single HTS tape. Improved tape manufacturing techniques have led to a significant decrease in the magnetization loss. Transport-current loss is decreased by choosing the right operating current and temperature. The role of tape dimensions, filament twist and resistive matrix is discussed and a comparison is made between state-of-the-art BSCCO and YBCO tapes. In transformer and reactor coils the AC loss in the tape is influenced by adjacent tapes in the coil, fields from other coils, overcurrents and higher harmonics. These factors are accounted for by a new AC-loss prediction model. Field components perpendicular to the tape are minimized by optimizing the coil design and by flux guidance pieces. High-current windings are made of Roebel conductors with transposed tapes. The model iteratively finds the temperature distribution in the winding and predicts the onset of thermal instability. We have fabricated and tested several AC windings and used them to validate the model. Now we can confidently use the model as an engineering tool for designing HTS windings and for determining the necessary tape properties.