Enhancement of Coated Conductor Performance by Increasing Pinning in Thick YBCO Films

High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) have been targeted for future electricity transmission; yet, present methods, which use chemical pinning to enhance the current-carrying capacity of second-generation HTS, are insufficient for the development of cost-effective, industrial manufacturing processes for HTS conductors. Current processing techniques require multiple technologically-distinct steps, resulting in increased manufacturing time. This project will develop the industrial methods and pinning techniques that can be used in situ to produce coated conductors, thereby reducing the overall production time (and thus the overall cost) of coated HTS, while simultaneously increasing the current carrying capacity of the conductors. The fabrication approach involves the in situ introduction of pinning centers in conjunction with a unique, ultra-thick, Y1Ba2Cu3O7 (YBCO) layer, in order to increase total current carrying capacity by a factor of 5 -7. Phase I will utilize a Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) process to fabricate thick (5¿10 microns) YBCO layers with introduced pinning centers. In Phase II, an ultra-thick-wire pilot line will be developed for the cost-effective fabrication of coated conductor wire, with current carrying capacity greater than 1,000A/cm-width, at lengths greater than 100 meters. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The fabrication of ultra-high-current-carrying-capacity HTS wire not only would advance the development of high-field magnets for fusion energy applications, but also would deliver ultra-high-performance, low-cost HTS wire to the commercial markets for integration into motors, transformers, transmission lines, etc. The low cost of the HTS wire (projected to be approximately $10-15/kA-m) should open the HTS application market (projected over $5 billion) and lead to significant economic growth