Flux Pumps for Contactless Energization of Superconducting Magnets

Superconducting magnets play a crucial role in various applications, requiring efficient and reliable energization methods. Traditionally, power supplies for superconducting magnets rely on dissipative power electronic converters and current leads, which pose thermal and efficiency challenges. However, flux pumps offer a promising alternative as contactless, low-voltage, and high-current power supplies. Despite their potentially disruptive impact, the complex and counterintuitive physical mechanism of flux pumps presents significant engineering challenges. This talk focuses on the innovative flux pump technology, describing its mechanism, advantages, and challenges. Drawing from experience at the University of Bologna, the intricacies of flux pump operation and strategies for addressing engineering hurdles are explored in this talk. An application-oriented optimal design procedure for flux pumps is presented, beginning with a comprehensive overview of the underlying numerical model that has been developed and is currently being utilized. Specifically, the numerical model incorporates artificial intelligence methods to capture the HTS material properties and provide results in agreement with the experimental tests. By moving away from trial-and-error methods and adopting structured engineering approaches, the application-oriented procedure was applied to develop conceptual designs for real-world applications of superconducting magnets, like superconducting wind turbines and DC fusion magnets. These designs will be presented and discussed in detail during the talk.