Numerical analysis of AC losses in REBCO thin film for coated conductor and fault current limiter

Abstract

A numerical analysis method of AC losses in high temperature superconducting (HTS) thin film for coated conductors and resistive-type superconducting fault current limiters is proposed. The AC losses are calculated by the finite element method based on the current vector potential method assuming current flow only in the tangential direction in the HTS thin film, taking account of the transport current distributions in the HTS thin film. A nonlinear E– J relation ( E: electric field, J: current density) based on the power law is used for modeling electromagnetic properties of the superconductor. So far current imbalance phenomena in HTS thin film at any given time have been well described by this method. In this paper, the analysis method is described briefly and the calculation results are discussed. The analysis results give more accurate and detailed characteristics of AC losses in the HTS thin film than Norris’s formula derived from the Bean model.