Influence of the multilayer HTS-cable conductor design on the current distribution

The work presents the basic principles of the multilayer cable conductor design to achieve the maximum current-carrying capacity and the minimum losses in a superconductor and constructive cable elements. The multilayer conductors of two to ten layers are analyzed. The results show that the traditional core design with alternative winding directions from layer to layer is useful only for two-layer conductor. The conductor with more layers must have either the layers wound in one direction but with different pitch lengths or two layer groups wound with different pitch lengths. Only for these cases, the balanced design can be realized and current distribution will be uniform. In such balanced design, the interlayer electrical voltage and as a result, the coupling losses, are absent and interlayer electrical insulation is not needed. The recommendations to achieve the maximum critical current as a function of conductor dimensions are derived. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.