Design and Optimization of a Cryogenic Coreless Inductor with Copper Clad Aluminum Conductor

Unique advantages presented by a cryogenic environment can be used to design and optimize a coreless inductor for electrical power applications. Thermal conductivity, critical heat flux, and inductor topology were studied in liquid nitrogen at its natural boiling point (77K). The research consisted primarily of COMSOL modeling for various inductor topologies, as well as resistivity measurements for conductor candidates in a DC circuit. Recorded cryogenic resistivity results indicate strong viability for the use of copper clad aluminum (CCA) conductors in place of standard copper conductors. At low temperatures, theoretical CCA inductors displayed the potential to match a copper inductor’s performance with a significant reduction in mass and a negligible increase in volume.