High-temperature Superconducting Transformer Windings Research Articles

High Temperature Superconducting Transformer Operating at an Increased Frequency of Alternating Current

The study's aim is to substantiate and employ materials with high technical characteristics for the active elements of a transformer, particularly in the context of increased operating frequencies. To accomplish this objective, the following tasks were addressed: An analysis and synthesis of the properties of a magnetic core composed of amorphous iron and superconducting windings in a high-temperature superconducting transformer (HST) were conducted. Dependencies and graphs illustrating the impact of frequency increase on heat losses related to hysteresis and eddy currents were derived. These losses occur within the magnetic circuit. The study also demonstrates the relationship between reducing size and weight parameters and material consumption of windings in high-temperature superconducting (HST) tapes. Current densities in these tapes can reach up to 500 A/mm². The most noteworthy outcome, taking advantage of superconductivity in the HST, is that HST acts as an ideal diamagnetic material. Additionally, the windings exhibit high electrical conductivity. This resolves issues related to current displacement to the conductor's surface, commonly known as the "skin effect," and effectively addresses concerns about increased resistance in transformers and electrical machines. The absence of the skin effect in HST conductors has been rigorously demonstrated using Bessel functions. The significance of these results is in enhancing the efficiency of transformers operating at high frequencies. This is achieved by synthesizing the properties of the transformer's active elements, which include an amorphous iron magnetic core, HST windings, and a dielectric medium utilizing liquid nitrogen.

Study of Electromagnetic and Thermal Transients in a High-temperature Superconducting Transformer during a Short Circuit

Today, high-temperature superconducting (HTS) current limiters and transformers allow to limit the surge short circuit current during failure without negatively affecting on the power grid complex at the normal operation mode. However, the transition of a superconductor to a resistive state at the moment of current limitation can cause significant heat generation, which can destroy the transformer windings. The research goal is to provide optimal technical characteristics of the HTS transformer to achieve effective short circuit current limitation and prevent thermal breakdown of its windings. To achieve this goal, a mathematical model of a HTS transformer was developed. The presented method considers the material type and geometry of the superconducting tape, the critical parameters of the superconductor (current and temperature), the parameters of the cryogenic liquid, dependence of the resistance and heat capacity of the HTS tape layers on temperature. The simulation model was created in the Matlab/Simulink software. The most important result is the possibility of obtaining optimal electrical and thermal parameters of the HTS transformer windings during the short circuit current limitation, as well as ensuring the thermal stability of the superconducting tape at the quench moment. The obtained results are significant in the design and operation of HTS transformers. For efficient and safe operation in the current-limiting mode, it is necessary to take into account heat generation on the transformer windings. It is important for the superconductor returning to the superconducting state without causing significant overheating of the windings.

Application of Flux Diverters in High Temperature Superconducting Transformer Windings for AC Loss Reduction

Flux diverters (FDs) are used in High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) transformers for AC loss reduction and flux optimization. In this paper, a 2D axial symmetric superconducting winding model is proposed and two designs of flux diverters are applied to the windings. A homogenization approach is used to analyze the windings with large turn numbers. The key parameters including the number, width, height and the spatial positions of the FDs are adjusted for AC loss and magnetic flux analysis. The means of obtaining optimum designs of the FDs is provided and can be used to develop new winding designs with FDs, which contributes to better electromagnetic performance and higher efficiency of HTS transformers.

Precise appraisement of the harmonic loads impact on hysteresis losses in a 3-phase HTS transformer

Nowadays, the application of non-linear loads such as, rectifiers, electronic phase control, PWM drives, gives rise to a vastly increased level of harmonics in the power network. As such, the transport currents of transformers are non-sinusoidal alternating currents. On the other hand, AC losses are one of the most critical characteristics for the design and operation of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) transformers. The amount of hysteresis losses is a key parameter for the design of HTS windings affecting equipment, cooling cost, efficiency, and transformer economic feasibility. The computation of AC losses by traditional techniques, is suitable for the sinusoidal current condition. While, non-linear loads brings about different number of peaks and amplitudes in the current waveform passing through the HTS transformer windings. So that, in addition to the major hysteresis loop, a number of minor hysteresis loops are also formed changing the hysterical nature of the AC losses.Hence, this paper proposes an accurate, yet efficient analytical algorithm, for calculating hysteresis losses in a three-phase HTS transformer's windings in the presence of the harmonic loads accounting for the AC losses estimation. This is accomplished by performing a numerical Finite Element Method to verify the analytical results. The analysis of the hysteresis losses in an exemplary 315 kVA three-phase HTS distribution transformer for different harmonic loads, is another object of this paper.

Computational and experimental study of air-core HTS transformer electrothermal behaviour at current limiting mode

The paper provides the results of the experimental and computational study of the processes occurring in high temperature superconducting transformer windings while secondary winding is short-circuited. The obtained mathematical simulation matches closely with the experimental results. The temperature variation curves for superconducting windings were analysed, and conclusions were made on the necessity of changes in HTS transformer design, namely the necessity of windings heat-insulation from each other and adding a high-resistance coating material for HTS wire in HTS transformer primary winding.

Survey on High-Temperature Superconducting Transformer Windings Design

Utilization of superconducting equipment increases every day due to availability of the HTS tapes with reasonable prices, commercially. Since 1997, many high-temperature superconducting (HTS) transformers have been designed and fabricated. In this paper, all the different developments of HTS transformer windings since 1997 will be reviewed. Additionally, the advantages and disadvantages of the application of the two main winding types (the pancake and the layer) in the HTS transformer will be studied.

The Influence of Flux Diverter Structures on the AC Loss of HTS Transformer Windings

Compared to conventional transformers, high temperature superconducting (HTS) transformers have higher efficiency and fewer hazards, whose main loss comes from the ac loss of high temperature superconducting windings carrying ac current. Their radial leakage magnetic fields are perpendicular of HTS winding tapes, which is the main parameter affecting the ac loss. In the study of superconducting magnets, the flux diverter has been used to reduce the radial leakage magnetic field. The effect of the flux diverter installed at the top of the transformer windings on the coil ac loss was explored in this paper. The influence of different structure, slotting, and the number of slots on the transformer was also discussed, which laid a theoretical foundation for the optimization of flux diverter on the 6.6 MVA HTS transformers. Besides, in this paper, we choose the homogenization treatment method to reduce the computing time and memory when modeling.

HTS Transformer Windings Design Using Distributive Ratios for Minimization of Short Circuit Forces

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) transformers have a promising feature in reduction of total weight, total size, and the losses of large-scale distribution transformers. However, the lower leakage reactance of HTS transformers results in a higher short-circuit fault currents and electromagnetic forces. Therefore, optimization of short-circuit electromagnetic forces is one of the crucial aspects in the design of HTS transformers. In this paper, a novel analytical method is proposed for determination of optimum distributive ratios resulting in minimization of these forces for asymmetrical multi-segment windings of an HTS transformer. Employing these distributive ratios, radial and axial components of short-circuit electromagnetic forces in an HTS transformer are significantly reduced. Two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) finite element method (FEM) simulations are employed to verify the analytical method results.

Design and Electromagnetic Analysis of a 330 kVA Single-Phase HTS Transformer

This paper focuses on conceptual design and electromagnetic analysis of a single-phase high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power transformer with a capacity of 300 kVA by using GdBCO tapes, which is one-third model of a 1 MVA/10 kV/0.4 kV HTS transformer. The conceptual design consists four parts: iron core, HTS windings, current lead, and cryostat. In the electromagnetic optimization of the 330 kVA HTS transformer windings via finite element method, the influence of winding configurations on the radial magnetic field and the current nonuniformity are considered. The details about the design and optimization of radial magnetic field will be discussed in this study.

Analysis of leakage field and current non-uniformity for HTS transformer windings using three dimension coupled field-circuit approach

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of different types of winding configurations on the distribution of leakage field and branch currents for a 330-kVA high-temperature superconducting (HTS) transformer winding.Design/methodology/approachA three-dimensional electromagnetic model coupled with a circuit model validated by an experiment is developed to calculate the leakage field and current uniformity under four different types of secondary winding configurations. The four types of gaps between secondary windings are uniform gap, arithmetic progression (AP) gap, six sections with three different gaps and eight sections with four different gaps. A coefficient named as uneven degree is used to define the current nonuniformity.FindingsThe simulation results show that the currents and leakage field of double pancakes (DPs) on both sides are larger than those of the other DPs, and the currents of several middle DPs are smaller than the average rated current with an ISOB gap and larger than the average rated current with an IBOS gap. For any one of the four types of winding configurations, the type with the ISOB gap can prohibit the current nonuniformity more effectively, whereas the IBOS gap can decrease the leakage field more. The AP with the ISOB gap is a wise choice for decreasing the uneven degree and leakage field.Practical implicationsThere is an optimal winding configuration for decreasing the leakage field and uneven degree of branch currents. The results and numerical model are very useful for the design of a HTS transformer.Originality/valueThe leakage field distribution and branch currents nonuniformity for 25 parallel DPs are investigated and optimized.

Influence of Flux Diverter on Magnetic Field Distribution for HTS Transformer Windings

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) transformers employ highly efficient HTS windings to replace the conventional windings. However, the magnetic field in an HTS transformer affects the transformer's HTS winding performances. The relationship between HTS tape characteristics and the magnetic field has been studied. The HTS windings critical current can be increased with the perpendicular magnetic field decreasing. A concept of unbalanced degree is introduced in this paper. The unbalanced degree of critical current distributions at the ends of windings decreases with the perpendicular magnetic field and the unbalanced degree of perpendicular magnetic field distributions decreasing. For the effects of flux diverter, the unbalanced degrees of perpendicular magnetic field and critical current distributions are analyzed and optimized.

Winding Design and Electromagnetic Analysis for a 1250-kVA HTS Transformer

Because high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coils possess low-resistivity, large-current-carrying, and state transition characteristics, the design of HTS transformers is much different from that of conventional ones. The general design of 10.5-kV/1250-kVA HTS transformer is given first. In the electromagnetic design of the 1250-kVA HTS transformer windings via field-circuit coupling simulation, the influence of leakage magnetic field on the critical current of tapes and the circulating current of parallel branches was considered. Moreover, the transient stability of transformer windings combined with superconducting fault current limiter in the HTS power substation is discussed. Based on electromagnetic analysis, the primary and the secondary windings are constructed, and a special transposed method for double pancakes wound with four parallel tapes is proposed. Finally, the current-carrying ability of the primary and the secondary windings is tested in 77 K. Their critical currents are higher than 200 and 3200 A, respectively, which is enough in rated operating condition.

Analysis of Magnetic Field and Circulating Current for HTS Transformer Windings

In a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) transformer, the leakage magnetic field decreases the critical current and increases the ac loss in the tapes. Moreover, because of nearly zero resistance of HTS tapes, a slight unbalance of the branch inductances of the windings might result in heavy circulating current. So, the numerical analysis of the leakage magnetic field and circulating current is especially necessary for an HTS transformer design. In this paper, the influence of the winding configurations on the stray field and circulating current is studied. That is, the magnetic field distribution is analyzed by finite-element method and then, based on the inductance matrix obtained after a magnetic field analysis, the circulating current is calculated by circuit analysis. Some measures for improving the leakage field and circulating current distribution are also proposed to make HTS transformers more efficient.