AC transport current loss analysis for anti-parallel current flow in face-to-face stacks of superconducting tapes

Abstract

In this study we investigated ac transport current losses in the face to face stack for the anti-parallel current flow, and compared the electromagnetic properties with those of the single SC tape as well as those of the same stack for the parallel current path. The gap between the SC tapes in the stack varied in order to verify the electromagnetic influence of the neighbors when current flows in opposite direction, and the model was implemented in the finite element method program by the commercial software, COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2a. Conclusively speaking, the loss was remarkably decreased for the anti-parallel current case, which is attributed the magnetic flux compensation between the SC layers due to the opposite direction of the current flows. As the gap between SC tapes was increased, the loss mitigation became less effective. Besides, the current density distribution is very flat cross the sample width for the narrower gap case, which is believed to be benefit for the power electric system. These results are all in good agreement with those predicted theoretically for an infinite bifilar stack.