Experimental and numerical studies of thermal characteristics of tape superconducting composites based on YBa2Cu3O7-x


Аuthors

Martirosyan I. V.1, 2*, Alexandrov D. A.1, Malyavina A. Y.1, Pokrovsky S. V.1, Batulin R. G.2

1. National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Moscow, Russia
2. Kazan Federal University, 18, Kremlyovskaya St., 420008, Russia

*e-mail: mephizic@gmail.com

Abstract

Modern high-temperature superconductors based on YBa₂Cu₃O₇₋ₓ (YBCO) possess a complex layered architecture and pronounced anisotropy of thermal properties, complicating the numerical analysis of large-scale systems using homogenization methods. To address this challenge, comprehensive experimental and numerical studies were conducted in this work to investigate heat propagation in YBCO composites under transverse heat flow across a wide temperature range. The samples are circular fragments (6,4 mm diameter) of HTS tapes with a multilayer structure: a 1-μm YBCO layer on a Hastelloy C-276 substrate (0,1 mm thick), silver layers (2 μm), and epoxy adhesive. For heat capacity measurements, samples also included a 5-μm copper coating on both sides. The experimental part involved measuring thermal conductivity and heat capacity using the Thermal Transport Option (TTO) of the PPMS-9 system under high vacuum (~10⁻⁴ Torr). Thermal conductivity was determined by applying a square-wave heat pulse to one end of the sample and measuring temperature gradients (ΔT) between heated and cooled sections. Heat capacity was measured via a relaxation method, analyzing postheating temperature dynamics to determine specific heat. Numerical modeling was performed using the finite element method in COMSOL Multiphysics. The results revealed that the effective transverse thermal conductivity of the HTS tape is primarily governed by the Hastelloy substrate. However, below 30 K, the high thermal conductivity of silver significantly contributes to the composite’s effective thermal conductivity. The effective heat capacity of the HTS tape is also dominated by the substrate, which accounts for over 90 % of the composite’s mass. The contributions of YBCO, silver, and copper layers become noticeable only above 50 K due to their lower volumetric heat capacity. Numerical and experimental data agree within an error margin of less than 10 %. Modeling further showed that the low thermal conductivity of the epoxy adhesive (~0,2 W/(m×K) at 10 K) has a negligible impact on the experimental results for effective thermal conductivity. The findings highlight the critical role of substrate properties in the thermal characteristics of HTS tapes. The obtained temperature-dependent thermal conductivity and heat capacity data provide a foundation for optimizing the design of superconducting devices, such as resistive fault current limiters and fusion reactor magnets. Future work will integrate these results into large-scale numerical models of quench propagation and thermal-electric stability in HTS systems to account for the material’s thermal anisotropy. Overall, the experimental and computational data enable accurate prediction of thermal behavior in YBCO composites, facilitating the design and optimization of superconducting systems across various scales. 

Keywords:

tape HTS composites, anisotropy of thermal properties, numerical modeling, thermal stability, anisotropy of thermal conductivity, effective heat capacity

References

  1. Zhang Y, Xin C, Gao P et al. Strain Measurement Method Based on External Symmetrical Compensation Bridge Composed of Strain Gauges with Four-Wire Configuration for a Large-Scale NbTi Superconducting Dipole Magnet Detector. Journal of Low Temperature Physics. 2023;213:1–17. DOI: 10.1007/s10909023-02989-9
  2. Takeda Y, Maeda H, Ohki K et al. Review of the temporal stability of the magnetic field for ultra-high field superconducting magnets with a particular focus on superconducting joints between HTS conductors. Superconductor Science and Technology. 2022;35(4). DOI: 10.1088/1361-6668/ac5645
  3. Russo G, Yazdani-Asrami M, Scheda R, et al. Artificial intelligence-based models for reconstructing the critical current and index-value surfaces of HTS tapes. Superconductor Science and Technology. 2022;35(12). DOI: 10.1088/1361-6668/ac95d6
  4. Zampa A, Holleis S, Badel A et al. Influence of Local Inhomogeneities in the REBCO Layer on the Mechanism of Quench Onset in 2G HTS Tapes. IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity. 2022;32(3): 1–7. DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2022.3151950
  5. Zhu J, Chen S, Jin Z. Progress on Second-Generation High-Temperature Superconductor Tape Targeting Resistive Fault Current Limiter Application. Electronics. 2022;11(3).
  6. Li M, Zheng J, Sheng J et al. Research on a novel HTS double pancake coil based on CORC: used for kA-level SMES of accelerator. Superconductor Science and Technology. 2022;35(12). DOI: 10.1088/1361-6668/ac96b4
  7. Qin MJ, Dou SX. Superconductors, High Tc. In: Bassani F, Liedl GL, Wyder P, editors. Encyclopedia of Condensed Matter Physics. Oxford: Elsevier; 2005. p. 112–120.
  8. Wolf MJ, Bagrets N, Fietz WH et al. Critical Current Densities of 482 A/mm2 in HTS CrossConductors at 4.2 K and 12 T. IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity. 2018;28(4):1–4. DOI: 10.1109/TASC.201 8.2815767
  9. Lee J, Ko TK. Estimation of the Engineering Critical Current Criteria for HTS Wire Carrying an Alternating Current. IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity. 2014;24(3):1–5. DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2013.2290507
  10. Dong F, Huang Z, Xu X et al. Method and Process of Mechanical Evaluation of a 2G HTS Magnet System for Maglev Applications. IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity. 2020;30(4):1–5. DOI: 10.1109/TASC. 2020.2973600
  11. Pi W, Liu Z, Ma S et al. Investigation on Thermal Stability of Quasi-Isotropic Superconducting Strand Stacked by 2 mm Wide REBCO Tapes and Cu Tapes. IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity. 2020; 30(4):1–6. DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2020.2977904
  12. Pi W, Liu Z, Li G et al. 4D simulation of quench behavior in quasi-isotropic superconducting cable of stacked REBCO tapes considering thermal contact resistance. Superconductor Science and Technology. 2020;33(8). DOI: 10.1088/1361-6668/ab9aa3
  13. Zubko VV, Ryabov SM, Fetisov SS et al. Heat Transfer Simulation to Liquid Nitrogen from HTS Tapes at the Overload Currents. Physics Procedia. 2015;67:619-24. DOI: 10.1016/j.phpro.2015.06.105
  14. Lu J, Choi ES, Zhou HD. Physical properties of Hastelloy ® C-276™ at cryogenic temperatures. Journal of Applied Physics. 2008;103(6). DOI: 10.1063/1.2899058
  15. Amils RI, Gallego JD, Sebastian JL et al. Thermal conductivity of silver loaded conductive epoxy from cryogenic to ambient temperature and its application for precision cryogenic noise measurements. Cryogenics. 2016;76:23–28. DOI: 10.1016/j.cryogenics.2016.03.001
  16. Ikebe M, Fujishiro H, Naito T et al. Thermal conductivity of YBCO(123) and YBCO(211) mixed crystals prepared by MMTG. Cryogenics. 1994;34(1):57–61. DOI: 10.1016/0011-2275(94)90053-1

mai.ru — informational site of MAI

Copyright © 2009-2025 by MAI