Thermal Characteristics of 275 kV/3 kA Class YBCO Power Cable

Abstract

In Japan, the development of a 275 kV/3 kA class YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) power cable was started in 2008. A high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power cable typically consists of a copper former, HTS conductor layers, an electrical insulation layer, HTS shield layers, and copper shield layers. 275 kV/3 kA class YBCO power cables may be subjected to a fault current of 63 kArms for 0.6 s. Therefore, in order to ensure stability and feasibility of superconducting power cables, we need to investigate the thermal characteristics and current distribution in the cable under fault conditions. In this study, we performed numerical simulations on a YBCO model cable under fault conditions by using a computer program we developed on the basis of 3D finite element method (FEM) and electrical circuit model.