Superconductor Cable Clocking Feature Magnetic Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High temperature superconducting (HTS) cables suffer from reduced current carrying capacity when background magnetic fields impinge at angles other than parallel to the conductor, leading to increased costs, weight, and cross-sectional area in devices like SMES and MRI due to anisotropic behavior of HTS materials.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a 'clocking' feature that aligns superconducting cables or conductors to optimize their angular orientation relative to the background magnetic field, ensuring magnetic fields impinge parallel to the conductor, thereby enhancing current carrying capacity and reducing AC losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If HTS cables are used without angular orientation control, then device complexity is reduced, but current carrying capacity decreases due to anisotropic behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-aligning the HTS conductors to specific angular orientations (0°, 45°, 90°, 135°) relative to the magnetic field direction before operation. This pre-orientation ensures optimal current carrying capacity from the start, eliminating the need for complex real-time adjustment mechanisms while maintaining high performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the conductor orientation adjustable rather than fixed. The ability to rotate and reposition conductors at different angular positions allows the system to adapt to varying magnetic field conditions, optimizing performance dynamically without requiring complex control systems.
2Reliability
If more superconducting material is used to compensate for angular misalignment losses, then current carrying capacity is maintained, but cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
By pre-orienting conductors at optimal angles (0°, 45°, 90°, 135°) relative to the magnetic field, the system ensures maximum current carrying capacity from the beginning. This preliminary alignment eliminates the need to add extra superconducting material to compensate for angular misalignment losses, thereby reducing weight.
3Reliability
If conductor orientation is optimized for magnetic field alignment, then critical current is maximized, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetry by using discrete angular orientations (0°, 45°, 90°, 135°) rather than requiring continuous precise alignment. These specific asymmetric angles are optimized for different magnetic field directions, allowing manufacturers to achieve high critical current without needing extremely tight tolerances for conductor positioning.
4Loss of energy
If AC losses are reduced through proper angular orientation, then energy efficiency improves, but device complexity increases due to orientation control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces AC losses through preliminary action by pre-orienting conductors at optimal angles (0°, 45°, 90°, 135°) relative to the magnetic field before operation. This initial alignment minimizes hysteresis and eddy current losses without requiring complex real-time control mechanisms, thereby reducing energy losses without significantly increasing device complexity.
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 maximizes the critical current of HTS materials, minimizes AC losses, and reduces the amount of superconducting material required, lowering costs and weight while maintaining high energy and power densities in devices.
Implementation Method 1
Superconductors are materials that when cooled below their superconducting transition temperature (Tc), have many wonderful and remarkable properties including: a) perfect diamagnetism, b) zero electrical resistance at direct current
Implementation Method 2
when a component of the background magnetic field impinges at an angle, other than parallel relative to the longitudinal axis of the HTS conductor, the current carrying capacity rapidly decreases
Data Source
AI summary
Superconductor cable or superconductor cable-in-conduit-conductor having a plurality of generally flat, ribbon-shaped superconductor tapes assembled to form a single stack or multiple stacks or a plurality of round or nearly round superconducting wires assembled to form a single bundle or multiple bundles. The superconductor cable or superconductor cable-in-conduit-conductor has at least one or more clocking features that identify its angular position with respect to the background magnetic field. Multiple types and geometries of superconductor cables and superconductor cable-in-conduit-conductor are disclosed. Superconductor power cable disposed within and separated from an electrical insulator with a space passing cryo-coolant between the superconducting cable and insulator is also disclosed.