High temperature superconducting CORC cable with variable winding angles for low AC loss and high current carrying SMES system

Abstract Owing to the rising demand for enhanced high-current capacity within superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) system used in power grids, there is a growing focus on enhancing the current-carrying capability of SMES setups wound with conductor on round core (CORC) cables. However, it is crucial to note that the dissipation of AC losses in CORC cables during rapid charge and discharge cycles can substantially impact the safe operation of SMES. The CORC cable is crafted by spirally winding numerous ReBCO tapes around copper tubes. Even slight alterations in the winding angles of these tapes can result in shifts at current distribution across the ReBCO tapes, thus leading to differences in AC losses. Hence, the primary objective of this paper is to study the effect of varying winding angles of each ReBCO layer on AC loss. The adoption of variable angles results in the reduction of current flowing through the outermost tapes. And the AC losses in the outermost tapes happen to account for the majority of the total AC losses. Through simulations and experiments, it was observed that the AC loss in the CORC cable with variable angles (4 × 12, 25°–40°) was 25% lower than that in the case of fixed angles (3 × 11, 45°). These findings demonstrate a noteworthy downward trajectory in AC losses when variable angles are applied to the CORC cable. These insights hold significant value for the practical application of CORC cables within SMES systems.