Abstract.A homogenization method to model a stack of second generation (2G) High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) tapes under AC applied transport current or magnetic field has been obtained. The idea is to find an anisotropic bulk equivalent for the stack, such that the geometrical layout of the internal alternating structures of insulating, metallic, superconducting and substrate layers is "washed" out while keeping the overall electromagnetic behavior of the original stack. We disregard assumptions upon the shape of the critical region and use a power law E-J relationship allowing for overcritical current densities to be considered. The method presented here allows for a computational speedup factor of up to 2 orders of magnitude when compared to full 2-D simulations taking into account the actual dimensions of the stacks without compromising accuracy.

We have examined the potential of 10 MW superconducting direct drive generators to enter the European offshore wind power market and estimated that the production of about 1200 superconducting turbines until 2030 would correspond to 10% of the EU offshore market. The expected properties of future offshore turbines of 8 and 10 MW have been determined from an up-scaling of an existing 5 MW turbine and the necessary properties of the superconducting drive train are discussed. We have found that the absence of the gear box is the main benefit and the reduced weight and size is secondary. However, the main challenge of the superconducting direct drive technology is to prove that the reliability is superior to the alternative drive trains based on gearboxes or permanent magnets. A strategy of successive testing of superconducting direct drive trains in real wind turbines of 10 kW, 100 kW, 1 MW and 10 MW is suggested to secure the accumulation of reliability experience. Finally, the quantities of high temperature superconducting tape needed for a 10 kW and an extreme high field 10 MW generator are found to be 7.5 km and 1500 km, respectively. A more realistic estimate is 200–300 km of tape per 10 MW generator and it is concluded that the present production capacity of coated conductors must be increased by a factor of 36 by 2020, resulting in a ten times lower price of the tape in order to reach a realistic price level for the superconducting drive train.

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In this paper the commercial activities in the field of superconducting machines, particularly superconducting wind turbine generators, are reviewed and presented. Superconducting generators have the potential to provide a compact and light weight drive train at high torques and slow rotational speeds, because high magnetic fields can be produced by coils with very little loss.Three different superconducting wind turbine generator topologies have been proposed by three different companies. One is based on low temperature superconductors (LTS); one is based on high temperature superconductors (HTS); and one is a fully superconducting generator based on MgB 2 . It is concluded that there is large commercial interest in superconducting machines, with an increasing patenting activity.Such generators are however not without their challenges. The superconductors have to be cooled down to somewhere between 4K and 50K, depending on what type of superconductor is employed, which poses a significant challenge both from a construction and operation point of view. The high temperature superconductors can facilitate a higher operation temperature and simplified cooling, but the current price and production volumes prohibit a large scale impact on the wind sector. The low temperature superconductors are readily available, but will need more sophisticated cooling.Eventually the CoE from superconducting wind turbines, with particular emphasis on reliability, will determine if they become feasible or not and for such investigations large-scale demonstrations will be needed.