Hysteresis losses in a thin high-temperature superconductor strip exposed to ac transport currents and magnetic fields

In many prospective power applications based on high-temperature supercondu ctors, the hysteresis losses will be an important parameter. To obtain an o ptimized device, models of the hysteresis losses valid at applicationlike c onditions are needed. In this article the superconductor is modeled as a th in strip with negligible thickness, a geometry which probably is especially suitable for the new wires of the coated-conductor type. The strip is assu med to carry a transport current in phase with an externally applied magnet ic field perpendicular to the strip. Calculations of the hysteresis losses, based on the critical state theory, are performed resulting in exact analy tical equations. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.