Advances in second generation high temperature superconducting wire manufacturing and R&D at American Superconductor Corporation

TLDR

The RABiTS/MOD‑YBCO route is a low‑cost process for producing high‑performance second‑generation superconducting wire. The paper reviews AMSC’s 2G wire development history, current manufacturing capabilities, and outlines future R&D improvements. AMSC’s wide‑web manufacturing, coupled with slitting and lamination, customizes wire width and stabilizer composition, while ongoing R&D targets thicker YBCO layers and enhanced flux pinning. AMSC’s production line can produce 2G wire up to 500 m long with critical currents exceeding 250 A cm⁻² at 77 K, and supplies wire for cables, fault‑current limiters, and coils.

Abstract

The RABiTS?/MOD-YBCO (rolling assisted biaxially textured substrate/metal?organic deposition of YBa2Cu3O7??) route has been established as a low-cost manufacturing process for producing high performance second generation (2G) wire. American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) has used this approach to establish a production scale manufacturing line based on a wide-web manufacturing process. This initial production line is currently capable of producing 2G wire in lengths to 500?m with critical currents exceeding 250? A?cmwidth?1 at 77?K, in the self-field. The wide-web process, combined with slitting and lamination processes, allows customization of the 2G wire width and stabilizer composition to meet application specific wire requirements. The production line is currently supplying 2G wire for multiple cable, fault current limiter and coil applications. Ongoing R&D is focused on the development of thicker YBCO layers and improved flux pinning centers. This paper reviews the history of 2G wire development at AMSC, summarizes the current capability of the 2G wire manufacturing at AMSC, and describes future R&D improvements.