BEST reports improved in-field critical current performance of second gen high-temperature superconductor YBCO tapes

HANAU, GERMANY: Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies, Inc. (BEST) has reported in-field high magnetic field test results for its second-generation (2G) high temperature superconductor (HTS) tape, demonstrating enhanced performance as a result of improvements to its proprietary manufacturing technology.

Recently, the 2G HTS coated conductors (YBCO material) produced by BEST have achieved a new record critical current of 1,925 Amperes (A) in a 4 millimeter (mm) wide tape tested at a temperature of 4.2 Kelvin (K) in an 18 Tesla (T) magnetic field parallel to the tape surface.

This current corresponds to 4,810 A per cm-width and a superconductor current density of 27 MA/cm2. With a perpendicular field orientation, the critical current reached 1,000 A in a 7 T magnetic field, and 732 A in a 10 T field. These critical current test results were verified in collaboration with the high magnetic field test laboratory at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany.

Dr. Alexander Usoskin, R&D Manager for 2G HTS materials and superconducting fault current limiters (SFCL) at BEST, commented: “We believe these new critical current test values are more than twice the highest critical currents previously observed in 4 mm wide HTS coated conductors in such magnetic fields. The results were obtained from 5 to 10 meter long tapes that we consider to be representative samples of our large scale YBCO manufacturing process. With our new proprietary deposition technique based on multi-beam pulsed laser deposition, the manufacturing of such ‘high-field’ HTS tapes is now feasible, and we also expect these processes to be more robust for increasing processing yields.”

Dr. Klaus Schlenga, CTO at BEST, added: “These in-field critical current test results are especially impressive since the high current capacity is accompanied by high intrinsic mechanical tape strength, without the need for any additional reinforcement, for example with steel tapes. Significantly improved in-field performance should positively influence high magnetic field applications that are tightly linked to the technical critical current density of the YBCO superconductor, such as superconducting dipole magnets, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) ultra-high field superconducting magnets, and other new superconducting magnet designs in energy research.”

Professor Dr. Mathias Noe, Director of the Institute for Technical Physics of the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), said: “We are glad to confirm the measured data with BEST HTS tapes. Our HOMER high field test facility allows high resolution measurements of critical currents in a fully superconducting magnet up to 20 T, and our plans are to go for even higher fields in the future with HTS tapes. The measured tapes are particularly strong candidates for such a high field insert. These improved critical current test results are another highlight in our long-lasting partnership with BEST in various fields of applied superconductivity.”