Thesis
DC superconducting busbar for all electric aircraft propulsion system
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2025
- Thesis identifier
- T17209
- Person Identifier (Local)
- 202173303
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- Second-generation, high-temperature superconducts (HTS) offer high current densities suitable for various high-power applications such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) magnets, electrical propulsion systems for aircraft, high-field magnets for fusion power plants, and magnetic levitation trains. While HTS is an effective solution for high-current applications, challenges arise due to the limited critical current capacity of a single HTS tape, typically in the order of a few hundred amps. To make them suitable for high-current applications, multiple tapes need to be grouped together. However, this process is complicated by the flat geometry of the HTS tape. This thesis explores the design of a superconducting busbar for use in high-power applications within electric aircraft power distribution systems. A prototype of the superconducting busbar was created based on electromagnetic modelling and underwent testing in a laboratory environment. A 2D electromagnetic busbar model with multiple high-temperature superconducting tapes was developed using TA-formulation. The electromagnetic model helps to understand the effect of self-field on critical current, this effect can’t be neglected especially for high current scenarios, where multiple tapes are involved in the design. The modeling demonstrates how to reduce the impact of self-field on the critical current. Additionally, a 2D electromagnetic model of the busbar is developed with H-formulation. This model helps to understand the current-sharing between the layers of the busbar during the steady-state and fault conditions. The busbar is equipped with a fault-tolerant design capable of withstanding fault events during transients. For the analysis and understanding of the fault-tolerant mechanism, H-formulation is used. A prototype was developed based on the modelling analysis and tested in a laboratory environment. The prototype superconducting busbar was tested against DC using a DC power supply in a liquid nitrogen environment. It was observed from modelling that introducing a gap between the HTS tapes reduces the effect of self-field on the critical current, which was not previously demonstrated. In the literature the superconducting busbar designs are developed for high current applications but not much emphasis given on the design which helps to reduce the effect of self-field on critical current. In this work, a novel design was developed to increase efficiency and reduce the overall cost. Copper tapes were used to introduce gaps between the HTS tapes, enhancing the design’s fault tolerance capability. The prototype was also tested under fault current conditions, and its ability to ride through faults was explored. Additionally, low-resistive joints were implemented with multiple ReBCO tapes, and both 90-degree and 180-degree joints were tested. The busbar with these joints underwent thermal and power cycling to assess any degradation in electrical parameters, an aspect not previously demonstrated. In this thesis, a superconducting busbar design is proposed and tested, which can ride through fault events with a design that reduces the effect of self-field on critical current. This busbar is also equipped with low-resistive joints and has undergone rigorous thermal and power cycling to assess the reliability and durability. Overall, the design offers a compact and efficient solution for high-current applications.
- Advisor / supervisor
- Yuan, Weijia, 1978-
- Resource Type
- DOI
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PDF of thesis T17209 | 2025-03-20 | Public | Download |