Report on Progress Towards a 10 kA Transformer-Rectifier Flux Pump

High-current flux pumps are an enabling technology for high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets operating in a quasi-persistent current mode (qPCM). For fusion energy specifically, flux pumps must be capable of delivering more than 10 kA of DC output to a superconducting magnet. Recent HTS flu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity 2024-08, Vol.34 (5), p.1-6
Main Authors: Rice, James H.P., Francis, Adam C., Mallett, Ben P.P., Moseley, Dominic A., Petrov, Alexander, Zhang, Heng, Wray, Steven, Badcock, Rodney A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Coils
Flux pumps
Fusion energy
High temperature
high-current
High-temperature superconductors
HTS flux pump
Magnets
Rectifiers
Resistance
Solenoids
Superconducting magnets
Superconductivity
Topology
transformer-rectifier
Transformers
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Summary:High-current flux pumps are an enabling technology for high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets operating in a quasi-persistent current mode (qPCM). For fusion energy specifically, flux pumps must be capable of delivering more than 10 kA of DC output to a superconducting magnet. Recent HTS flux pumps have yet to achieve more than 1-3 kA of current. In this report, we present progress towards a 10 kA HTS flux pump using the transformer-rectifier circuit topology at the Paihau-Robinson Research Institute. A 10 kA test solenoid has been designed and the fabrication has been commenced. The main requirements of the rectifier switches and transformer have been identified and evaluated, with a circuit simulation demonstrating 10 kA of output expected in under 15 s, with a current ripple of only 0.33%. Finally, a method of low-resistance solder joint fabrication using indium-foil is validated.
ISSN:1051-8223
1558-2515
DOI:10.1109/TASC.2024.3369589