Optimization of the Terminations of an HTS Cable Operating on a DC Railway Network

In recent years, many projects have initiated to use superconducting cables to meet industrial challenges. More specifically, the integration of superconducting cables into DC railway network. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of a single-pole superconducting cable and the losses caused by its associated components. The model used features a two-layer unipolar cable with a copper screen layer, a nominal current of 3 kA, and a nominal voltage of 1.5 kV. Furthermore, a coupled electric and thermal study is presented to assess the losses resulting from the terminations. The current flowing through the superconducting cable and terminations is simulated using a dynamic model of the railway network. Additionally, a detailed evaluation of the losses was conducted, along with a novel termination optimization approach which accounts for the true simulated current flow in the cable. This approach has considerably reduced the system's overall consumption, by 37%.