Over-Current Characteristics Influenced by Ag Stabilizer Thickness in a GdBCO Coated Conductor (CC)

In general, the stabilizer of a ReBCO-coated conductor (CC) plays a very important role in bypassing and transferring the excessive heat when quench occurs. For an optimal design, selecting the appropriate materials and stabilizer thickness is an important issue for enhancing the thermal/electrical stability of superconducting power devices. This study examined the electrical and thermal behavior of GdBCO CC tape in terms of the stabilizer thickness as well as the effects of variations of the Ag stabilizer thickness on the thermal/electrical stability through an over-current test. An electroplating technique was employed to obtain a Ag stabilizer with various thicknesses without serious degradation of the superconducting properties.