Cobham’s QUENCH electromagnetic software tool for modeling the quenching process in superconducting materials now comes with a library containing comprehensive manufacturer-supplied material characterization data for Sumitomo’s DI-BSSCO bismuth-based superconducting wire. The combination will simplify the design and prototyping stages of applying high temperature superconductors (HTS). Among the application sectors currently exploring HTS-based solutions are electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure, hydroelectric and wind turbine generators, electric motor propulsion systems for ships, and high performance magnets.
Sumitomo Electric was the first company in the world to produce long bismuth-based superconducting wire, a material that has become an industry standard and is considered to be the major candidate for commercial HTS applications. Sumitomo’s bismuth-based superconducting wire – DI-BSSCO – is made of bismuth-strontium-calcium-copper-oxygen and operates at temperatures up to 110 K. Sumitomo’s BSSCO materials have been used in pioneering superconducting applications for almost 20 years, including the world’s first superconductor electric vehicle, the first underground in-grid cable, transformers for high speed trains, and windings for ship propulsion motors.
The QUENCH tool for modeling the superconducting “quenching” process – when a wire turns from a superconducting to resistive state – is available as part of Cobham’s Opera CAE software suite for low frequency electromagnetic simulation. QUENCH has become the standard simulation tool for superconducting equipment because of its sophisticated multi-physics modeling which couples the electromagnetic and thermal modeling processes. Results can be post-processed to provide users with clear views and analyses of the potentially damaging effects of quench propagation as the wire heats up and becomes resistive including displays of the voltages between coil layers, temperature gradients, and so on. This analysis helps users to find the optimal design and incorporate protection circuitry.
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
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Cobham Technical Services
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