Superconducting Round Wire Manufacturing via Tape Lamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional superconducting wire manufacturing methods are inefficient due to high production costs, time-consuming processes, and difficulties in joining and winding square-section wires, which lead to increased resistance and potential breakdowns during high current operations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves slitting superconducting tape, silver-coating, laminating, heat-treating, and copper-plating to form a round wire with a circular cross-section, allowing for easy joining and winding, and eliminating the need for additional stabilizing materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional superconducting wire manufacturing methods are used, then production cost and time are reduced, but the wire cannot handle high currents effectively due to high resistance and non-uniform soldered portions
Solution Approach 1:
The superconducting wire is divided into multiple filaments (193 filaments in one embodiment) arranged in a grid pattern within a copper matrix. This segmentation allows current to be distributed uniformly across all filaments, preventing localized overheating and enabling high current handling while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through standardized fabrication processes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure consisting of superconducting filaments embedded in a copper matrix. The copper provides both electrical stabilization and thermal management, while the superconducting filaments carry the high current. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by enabling high current handling through the superconducting phase while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through the conventional copper processing techniques
2Ease of operation
If square-section superconducting wires are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but joining and winding becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a round wire configuration instead of square-section wires. The circular cross-section with superconducting filaments arranged in a grid pattern within a copper matrix enables easy bending, winding, and joining operations. This curved geometry eliminates the manufacturing complexity while significantly improving ease of operation for installation and assembly
3Reliability
If soldering is used to connect superconducting wires, then assembly is simplified, but heat generated during soldering causes detachment and reduces critical current
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the soldering process from the assembly method entirely. Instead of using solder to connect superconducting wires, the design uses direct mechanical assembly of the filament-copper composite structure. This eliminates the heat generation problem that causes solder joint detachment and critical current reduction, while maintaining assembly simplicity through straightforward mechanical connections
4Reliability
If multiple superconducting wires are assembled with metal stabilizing material, then high current conduction is achieved, but resistance increases and permanent current operation becomes inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the stabilizing function directly into the copper matrix that surrounds each superconducting filament. This integrated approach eliminates the need for separate metal stabilizing materials and reduces overall resistance by creating direct electrical contact between the superconducting filaments and the copper stabilizer. The unified structure enables convenient permanent current operation while maintaining high current conduction capability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces production costs, enhances the wire's ability to handle high currents, and improves workability by enabling easy winding and protection of the superconducting layer, while maintaining stability even when bent.
Implementation Method 1
heat-treating the fixed superconducting tape laminate to cause diffusion junction between silver
Implementation Method 2
copper-plating the heat-treated superconducting tape laminate to have a circular section
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing round wire using superconducting tape, including the steps of: slitting superconducting tape (10) into superconducting tape strips (20); silver-coating the slit superconducting tape strips; laminating the silver-coated superconducting tape strips to form a superconducting tape laminate (30) having a square cross-section; holding the superconducting tape laminate; heat-treating the fixed superconducting tape laminate to cause diffusion junction between silver; and copper-plating the heat-treated superconducting tape laminate to have a circular section. The method is advantageous in that, since it is formed by slitting, silver-coating and laminating conventional superconducting tape, its superconducting layer can be protected, and it has a circular cross-section, so that it can be easily joined and wound, with the result that it is expected that, like general copper wires, its application fields will be enlarged because it can be wound in a solenoid shape at the time of magnetic winding.