Numerical Modeling of Superconducting Applications : Simulation of Electromagnetics, Thermal Stability, Thermo-Hydraulics and Mechanical Effects in Large-Scale Superconducting Devices

This book aims to present an introduction to numerical modeling of different aspects of large-scale superconducting applications: electromagnetics, thermal, mechanics and thermo-hydraulics. The importance of computational modeling to advance current superconductor research cannot be overlooked, especially given the enormous benefits provided by superconductors in many human endeavours, including energy generation, medical treatments, and future electrical technologies.

Aimed at graduate students, researchers and practitioners in different fields of applied superconductivity, this book consists of four chapters. The chapter on electromagnetics provides a review of the state-of-the-art modeling of electromagnetic phenomena in superconductors, emphasising the theoretical aspects of the different numerical formulations. This is followed by a chapter on thermal effects, dedicated to the simulation of thermal stability and quench in superconducting magnets, with specific examples of magnets used in particle accelerators. Then, the chapter on mechanics provides details of the modeling of forces and stresses in cables composed of second-generation high-temperature superconducting wires. Finally, the chapter on thermo-hydraulics focuses on the fundamental thermal-hydraulic aspects involved in the cooling of superconducting magnets, with special reference to the issues related to the forced-flow cooling.

Bertrand Dutoit was at the head of the Applied Superconductivity Group at EPFL. His PhD in 1993 at the Université de Lausanne was on dynamic magneto-optical observation of intermediate state in type I superconductors, he developed EuSe magneto-optical thin films allowing the first flux flow videos in lead sample at 4 K. His research interests include high precision transport AC losses measurements, dynamical Hall probe magnetic field mapping and quench measurements. His group was active on superconducting device numerical modeling mainly HTS cables and Fault Current Limiters. He made EPFL participate in several Swiss and European projects on applied superconductivity, he was teaching Applied superconductivity to EPFL Electrical Engineering Master students.

Francesco Grilli received the MS degree in physics from the University of Genoa, Italy, in 1998, the PhD degree in technical sciences from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2004, and the Habilitation degree in superconductivity for energy applications from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, in 2017. From 2004 to 2007, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher with the Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM, USA, and from 2007 to 2009, with Polytechnique Montréal, QC, Canada. Since 2009, he has been with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, where he is currently außerplanmäßiger Professor. His main research interests include the 2-D and 3-D modeling of high-temperature superconductors and the characterization of their properties.

Frédéric Sirois received the BEng degree from Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada, in 1997, and the PhD degree from Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada, in 2003, both in electrical engineering. From 1998 to 2002, he was a PhD Scholar with the Hydro-Québec's Research Institute (IREQ), Varennes, QC, Canada, where he has also been a Research Engineer from 2003 to 2005. Since 2005, he has been with Polytechnique Montréal, where he is currently a Full Professor. His research interests include characterization and modeling of electric and magnetic properties of materials, modeling, and design of electromagnetic and superconducting devices, and integration studies of superconducting equipment in power and transportation systems. Prof. Sirois is a regular Reviewer for several international journals and conferences.