Fault Tolerant Superconducting Busbar With Reduced Self-Field Effect on Critical Current Design for All Electric Aircraft

High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) are promising solution for high current applications such as in all-electric aircraft. According to Paschen's law of voltage breakdown, low voltage is recommended for electric aircraft and high current is required to provide sufficient thrust. A superconducting high current low voltage DC busbar for electric aircraft power distribution system design is proposed and tested in liquid nitrogen at range of 77 K temperature. The emphasis gives to create a design that allows modularity, ride through transients or fault events and reduced effect of self-field on critical current (IC). Design is developed through finite element modelling (FEM) using COMSOL software to study effect of gap between HTS tapes on critical current. A prototype is developed, and experimented with 1 kA at 77 K, which measured V-I characteristics and tested against fault current.