Estimation of hysteretic losses in the HTS coils made of coated conductor tapes of an electric generator during transient operation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a modeling tool to estimate hysteretic losses in superconducting coils of an electric generator during transient operation, aiding design and performance optimization.

Contribution

A novel two-stage segregated modeling approach that simulates the generator and superconducting coils with one-way coupling for loss estimation.

Findings

Effective estimation of hysteretic losses during transients

Identification of quench-prone regions in coils

Insights into coil design and cryocooler requirements

Abstract

In this work we present a modeling tool designed to estimate the hysteretic losses in the coils of an electric generator with coils made of coated conductor tapes during transient operation. The model is based on a two-stage segregated model approach that allows simulating the electric generator and the current distribution in the superconducting coils using a one-way coupling from the generator to the HTS coils model. The model has two inputs: the rotational speed and the electric load signal. A homogeneous anisotropic bulk model for the coils allows computing the current distribution in the coils. From this distribution, the hysteretic losses are estimated. Beyond the interest on providing an estimate on the global energy dissipation in the machine, in this work we present a more detailed local analysis that allows addressing issues such as coil design, critical current ratting, electric load change rate limits, cryocooler design, identification of quench-prone regions and overall transient performance.