Now that YBCO-coated conductors have been commercialized, a number of YBCO coils have been developed. However, their basic performances have not been systematically investigated so far. Here, we demonstrate that of a YBCO double pancake coil. The critical current of an epoxy impregnated YBCO double pancake coil was substantially degraded, i.e. the normal voltage appears above 8 A, only 18 % of that for the dry coil. It was inferred that degradation occurs if the cumulative radial stress developed during cool down exceeds the critical transverse stress for the YBCO-coated conductor (typically 10 MPa). Under these conditions, the conductor was debonded at the interface between the buffer layer and YBCO layers, or fractured in the YBCO layer itself, causing cracks on the YBCO layer, resulting in a significant decline of the critical current. These negative effects are suppressed if the coils are dry wound or impregnated with paraffin, as the bonding strengths between turns are negligible and therefore turns are separated if the cumulative radial stress tends to be tensile. For non-circular coils in which epoxy impregnation is inevitable, degradation due to cumulative tensile transverse stress is still the major problem.

Recent progresses in the second generation REBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 − x (RE123) coated conductor (CC) have paved a way for the development of superconducting solenoids capable of generating fields well above 23.5 T, i.e. the limit of NbTi−Nb 3 Sn-based magnets. However, the RE123 magnet still poses several fundamental and engineering challenges. In this work we review the state-ofthe-art of conductor and magnet technologies. The goal is to illustrate a close synergetic relationship between evolution of high-field magnets and advancement in superconductor technology. The paper is organized in three parts: (1) the basics of RE123 CC fabrication technique, including latest developments to improve conductor performance and production throughput; (2) critical issues and innovative design concepts for the RE123-based magnet; and (3) an overview of noteworthy ongoing magnet projects.

High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) materials have the potential to generate magnetic field beyond the level obtainable with Low Temperature Superconducting (LTS). This review reports the past and present R&D on HTS cables and conductors for high field tokamaks, accelerator dipoles and large solenoids. Among the HTS wires and tapes available commercially, coated conductor tapes are the most appealing because of the outstanding critical strength and large improvement margin. Limitations are the weakness against peeling and shearing and the short piece length. The prices for technical superconductors are reviewed because they play an important role in large projects; moreover the perspective of industrial production of HTS wires and tapes is discussed considering the historical development of the LTS wire market. Various designs have been proposed for HTS cables and conductors: some are better suited for soft materials, while others can exploit the anisotropy of coated conductors (by aligning the tape with the field), providing the highest current density. The last decade has seen an increase in the size and complexity of the prototypes; however some peculiar features of HTS, such as high stability margin and high mechanical limits, have not yet been fully incorporated in the designs: for example the transposition requirements for HTS have not yet been studied in detail. Several facts indicate that tapes (even if anisotropic) can be used for manufacturing cables and magnets of any size and have advantages with respect to round wires.

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A numerical simulation method which deals with the screening current-induced magnetic field for YBCO coils, including the self field effect induced by the transport current, has been developed. The simulation agrees well with the experimental results for an YBCO solenoid. Based on the numerical simulation, the effect of coil shape on the screening current-induced magnetic field intensity for the YBCO coils has been investigated. The field was demonstrated to reach a maximum if the solenoid corresponds to the minimum-volume design; it amounts to as large as 18% of the central magnetic field. Two major problems must be considered for YBCO coils regarding the screening current: (a) a reduction in the central magnetic field by the screening current and (b) a temporal drift of the apparent magnetic field due to relaxation of the screening current by flux creep. It is suggested that the latter can be suppressed by a current sweep reversal technique.Index Terms-Coil shape factor, screening current-induced magnetic field, YBCO coil.