Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header

FABRICATION OF HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTING WIRES AND TAPES

Objective


T1-based tapes have been fabricated with reproducible engineering-Jc values greater than 3,000 A/cm {2} using several compositions of superconducting material. However, the intrinsic weak link properties of this class of materials means that work on new ways to texture the T1-1223 materials still needs to be carried out.
Highly textured YBCO appears to be a good candidate for application in tapes but conventional fabrication techniques are extremely slow and expensive. We have demonstrated the potential of an alternative semi-continuous electrochemical deposition process that deserves further study.

Overall, the project has been successful in fabricating and testing several small magnet demonstrators. The first two technical targets specified in the original workplan, to design and demonstrate new high strength silver cladding alloys and to fabricate tapes with superconductor critical current levels above 10,000 A/cm {2} have been achieved. However, the project has also helped to identify a major technical problem with the application of T1-based HTS devices in magnetic fields - a serious weak link effect. The work on the electrochemical deposition of the precursors for YBCO tapes has demonstrated that this relatively simple and low cost process has considerable potential for the deposition of YBCO.
This programme is aimed at improving the properties of long wires and tapes fabricated from high temperature superconducting ceramics in order to assemble demonstrator devices generating significant magnetic fields at 77K. This objective can only be achieved by fabricating composite superconducting wire with very uniform properties, substantially improved mechanical strength to resist degradation by lorentz forces in operation, and in which the problem of flux creep at temperatures above 30K has been reduced.

These problems will be addressed by development of novel cladding materials for improved mechanical integrity, and the design of new composite superconducting core materials with increased flux pinning by carefully controlled precipitation and mechanical deformation processes.

At a later stage in the programme work will be carried out on the design and assembly of demonstrator devices making optimal use of the properties of long lengths of composite superconducting wire and tape.

It is intended to develop devices which can generate at least 0.25T at 77K.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
EU contribution
No data
Address
PARKS ROAD
OX1 3PH OXFORD
United Kingdom

See on map

Total cost
No data

Participants (2)