Abstract Body

Numerical modeling is an effective tool for predicting the behavior and optimizing the performance of superconducting applications. When it comes to high-temperature superconductors (HTS), a particular aspect of interest is the understanding of their electromagnetic behavior, which requires to know the distribution and temporal evolution of electric current and magnetic fields. In the past three decades, and particularly in the last two, different numerical models have been developed, based on different mathematical methods. In this contribution, the current state of the art of this field is described. Particular attention is given to HTS coated conductors, for which the challenge of simulating a superconducting layer with high width-to-thickness ratio contributed to the development of new models that are both accurate and fast. The current limits of the field of numerical modeling of superconductors, the upcoming challenges and the foreseeable trends are also discussed, always with a look at realistic applications.

Figure 1. Magnetostatic simulation of a non-planar HTS coil for a compact fusion reactor. Figure courtesy of N. Riva (Proxima Fusion).

Keywords: Numerical modeling, HTS applications, numerical methods.