T-A Formulation for the Design and AC Loss Calculation of a Superconducting Generator for a 10 MW Wind Turbine

Abstract

The current capacity of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) has encouraged several applications of these materials in electric power systems. These applications in electrical machines represent a promising solution for more compact and efficient designs. Despite no measurable resistance in the superconducting state, HTS could experience losses under time changing transport current or magnetic field. Therefore, loss estimation is a key input for the design. Maxwell’s equations in the T-A formulation form can be used to model and estimate losses in the superconducting tapes of an electrical machine. This formulation requires the current as a function of time in each superconducting tape as an input. A methodology to calculate this current distribution is presented in this article. The procedure introduces a previous step in the building model process and allows a better connection of the machine design with the estimation of losses in the superconductor in order to get a more efficient machine. The approach is applied to a 10 MW superconducting generator, where over one thousand tapes cross-sections are modelled in 2D. The superconductor’s non-linear behaviour and critical current density anisotropy are considered. Losses are estimated for different designs and a sensitivity analysis is presented for different temperatures and frequencies, in addition to other alternatives to reduce losses.