A compact conduction cooled flux pump operating below 77 K

Muhammad H Iftikhar, Ercan Ertekin, Min Zhang*, Weijia Yuan

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)
1 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets are widely used in high field applications due to their exceptional current-carrying capabilities. Traditionally, these magnets are powered by high current power supplies via current leads, which complicates insulation between cryogenic and room temperature environments and introduces significant heat leaks. Recent advancements in flux pumps for HTS magnets now allow charging currents in the kA range without the need for traditional power supplies. However, while some research has realized conduction-cooled traveling wave HTS flux pumps, much of the focus for transformer rectifier flux pumps remains on operating them to charge magnets at liquid cryogen temperatures, with limited attention given to the heat load and cooling capabilities of modern dry cryocoolers. This study presents a compact, modular flux pump designed for operation in conduction-cooled environments. It examines the impact of cooling power on the flux pump’s performance in such settings. A lumped element model implemented in PLECS is validated through experiments conducted at 70 K and 30 K, demonstrating consistent results. Based on this validation, we demonstrate the capability to charge an HTS magnet to 300 mT (≈ 800 A) in a conduction-cooled environment using a compact, self-regulating HTS flux pump.
Original languageEnglish
Article number035012
Number of pages12
JournalSuperconductor Science and Technology
Volume38
Issue number3
Early online date28 Jan 2025
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2025

Funding

This work was funded by Prof. Min Zhang Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship. Muhammad H. Iftikhar acknowledges the John Anderson Research Award for offering a fully-funded studentship at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Keywords

  • High-temperature superconducting magnets
  • cooling power
  • flux pumps

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