Effect of Self-field and Loosening of Stacked Superconducting Tapes on Critical Current of a Single Pancake Coil

Research on superconducting systems is getting pace due to the increasing demand of efficient machines to fulfill the need of the society. Applications like motors, transformers and magnetic energy storage systems involve the pancake coils tightly bounded with the superconducting tapes. Moreover, all such devices are sensitive to the number of turns and operating current. Critical current of the superconducting tape is most important parameter while designing such machines as if operating current exceeds this value it will turn to a normal conductor. Critical current of the tape is further depending upon the operating temperature, external and self-field. In this work, effect of both self-field and degree of tightness or looseness on the critical current of the tape has been studied. The results showed that the critical current of the tape is significantly affected by both self-field and the inter-distance among the adjacent tapes.