Revisiting the homogenized domain model for fast simulation of AC transport power losses in first generation high temperature superconducting tapes and cables

Abstract

Challenges, linked with FEM modelling of HTS power cables, include the long computational time required to simulate the small domains that Bi-2223 superconductors possess in a large device. To decrease that time, in this paper the models of AC transport power losses for a tape and a simplified cable are achieved by a homogenization technique via a ”filamentary-equivalent domain” approach. In it, a single homogenous domain with effective material properties is used to represent the superconducting material, where the domain would have the approximate shape of the multifilamentary region. In order to investigate its validity for a range of transport currents, including overcurrent, four tapes from the literature are modelled in three configurations. A simplified cable model is modelled via the homogenized model and an analytical equivalent circuit model. The homogenization technique can accurately predict the transport power losses of the majority of configurations while demonstrating fast computational times and is promising for simulation of real power cables.