Earticle

The unique features of HTS offer opportunities and challenges to a number of applications. In this paper we focus on NMR and MRI magnets, illustrating them with the NMR/MRI magnets that we are currently and will shortly be engaged: a 1.3 GHz NMR magnet, an “annulus” magnet, and an MgB2 wholebody MRI magnet. The opportunities with HTS include: 1) high fields (e.g., 1.3 GHz magnet); 2) compactness (annulus magnet); and 3) enhanced stability despite liquid-helium-free operation (MgB2 wholebody MRI magnet). The challenges include: 1) a large screening current field detrimental to spatial field homogeneity (e.g., 1.3 GHz magnet); 2) uniformity of critical current density (annulus magnet); and 3) superconducting joints (MgB2 magnet).

This study introduced wastewater treatment method by High Gradient Magnetic Separation (HGMS). HGMS treatment was high efficient method for various industrial wastewaters. The system is currently research state, but we have surveyed commercialize the technology for industry. In rolling plate process, coolant wastewater was recycled by sedimentation and sand filter system. It needs several large reservoirs and long time to remove suspended solid (SS) like metal fines and iron oxide in hot rolling plate making process. If removing rate of suspended solid in rolling coolant wastewater is improved by using HGMS system, the productivity of working process can be increased and the area of reservoir can be reduced. We manufactured high temperature superconducting HGMS system that had a purpose to treatment of coolant wastewater in rolling plate process. We fabricated the prototypes of magnetic matrix filter consisting of stainless steel 430 mesh, which is a core component in the magnetic separation system. In our basic preliminary experiment using HGMS system, it has been clear that the fine paramagnetic particles in the coolant wastewater obtained from rolling plate process of POSCO can be separated with high efficiency.

The Ic degradation behavior of critical current in differently processed YBCO and SmBCO CC tapes with IBAD template has been investigated. It has been known that the residual strain in the CC tape will influence the shape of the Ic-strain window; Ic may show a peak value if there exist a residual strain induced in the tape during manufacturing. The difference of residual strain may be resulted from the adopted different deposition techniques. In this study, bending test of CC tapes has been done using the Goldacker bending test rig which can produce both compressive and tensile bending strain continuously or alternately to the sample. For SmBCO CC tapes, in continuous compressive bending test, Ic showed a minimal increase and did not degrade up to the largest strain that can be applied using the bending rig equivalent to 1.15% based on the sample thickness. However, in the case of alternate application of compressive and tensile bending strain, Ic showed a larger degradation and a lower reversible limit when compared with the case of continuous application of the bending strain. When Ic started to degrade significantly at the tension side, the reversibility ended, also at the compression side which is resulted from the permanent deformation like delamination or cracks that was induced due to tensile bending strain.

The influence of nanorods grown on substrate prior to YBCO deposition has been investigated. We studied the microstructures and characteristic of YBa2Cu3O7-δ films fabricated on SrTiO3 (100) substrates with ZnO nanorods as one of the possible pinning centers. The growth density of ZnO nanorods was modulated through Au nanoparticles synthesized on top of the STO(100) substrates with self assembled monolayer. The density of Au nanoparticles is approximately 240~260 μm-2 with diameters of 41~49 nm. ZnO nanorods were grown on Au nanoparticles by hot-walled PLD with Au nanoparticles. Typical size of ZnO nanorod was around 179 nm in diameter and 2~6 μm in length respectively. The ZnO nanorods have apparently randomly aligned and exhibit single-crystal nature along (0002) growth direction. Our preliminary results indicate that YBCO film deposited directly on STO substrate shows the c-axis orientation while YBCO films with ZnO nanorods exhibit any mixed phases without any typical crystal orientation.

YBCO coated conductors (CC) on the CeO2-buffered IBAD-MgO template were fabricated by metal-organic deposition (MOD) process with Ba-trifluoroacetate and fluorine-free Y and Cu precursor materials. The precursor solution was coated on CeO2-buffered IBAD MgO templates using the multiple dip-coating method, decomposed into inorganic precursors by pyrolysis up to 400 oC within 3 h, and finally fired at 740~800 oC in a reduced oxygen atmosphere. Microstructure, texture, and superconducting properties of YBCO films were found highly sensitive to both the firing temperature and time. The high critical current density (JC) of 1.15 MA/cm2 at 77.3K in the self-field could be obtained from 1 μm thick YBCO CC, fired at 740 oC for 3.5 h, implying that high performance YBCO CC is producible on IBAD MgO template. Further enhancement of JC values is expected by improving the in-plane texture of CeO2-buffer layer and avoiding the metal substrate contamination.

In order to apply superconducting electric machineries such as a Superconducting Fault Current Limiter (SFCL) to the power grid, the single module should be connected in series to have reasonable size. Superconducting tapes in the module also should be stacked to satisfy requirements such as large operation current of the power grid. This is because a single superconducting tape has restricted applicable current capacity. Moreover especially in SFCL at the fault, there should be equal voltage distribution in series-connected SFCL modules. In this paper, we investigated the voltage distribution in fault current of series-connected YBCO coated conductors (CC). Depending on characteristics of the CC samples such as critical current, even voltage distribution could be achieved or not. In addition, the effect of stacked CC on the change of voltage distribution comparing to non-stack cases in series connection was confirmed by experiments. As the CC stacked, voltage difference could be reduced.

This paper proposes the bus-tie application scheme of 154 kV SFCL (superconducting fault current limiter) in Korean power system. The reduced amount of fault current by SFCL is different by where the SFCL is installed. Therefore the inflow ratio of fault current (IRFC) is suggested to consider the effect of an SFCL’s location. The proposed scheme was applied to the Korean Power System of 2010, and fault currents were calculated and analyzed with this coefficient. Simulations show that the location with high IRFC is adequate to install SFCL but more consideration of other things is required to determine the location and capacity of SFCL.

An air gap between the pancake windings was provided in this paper to increase the central magnetic field of a high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet consisting of pancake windings. Unlike the LTS magnet, providing an air gap between the pancake windings increases the central magnetic field of a HTS magnet. Furthermore, the uniformity of the magnetic field near the center of the magnet increased because the pancake windings spread out in wider area. Effects of the air gap on the central magnetic field of an HTS magnet was described in this paper. Calculation of the critical current was carried out by using E-J relation of the HTS wire and the optimization technique was adopted to obtain the appropriate critical current which could maximize the central magnetic field. Pancake windings with BSCCO-2223 HTS wire were wound on glass epoxy bobbin. 6 double pancake windings with 200 turns were used to construct a HTS magnet. Characteristics of the HTS magnet including the central magnetic field and the uniformity of the magnetic field were measured and compared with the results of calculation.