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This paper reports experimental and analytical studies on the capture efficiency of a superconducting high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) system, employing ferromagnetic filters with various wire diameters and packing fractions. The magnetization force was inversely proportional to wire diameter because the magnetic field gradient increased with decreasing wire diameter. In addition, the capture efficiency of the HGMS system was increased with decreasing wire diameter and increasing packing fraction. The experimental results from the filtration tests via the superconducting HGMS system were in reasonably good agreement with the capture efficiency using the magnetization force obtained by magnetic field analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While GdBa2Cu3O7 − δ (GdBCO) coated conductors (CCs) have been proposed for superconducting applications, they have not been used in devices with persistent current mode (PCM) operation because of a lack of joining techniques. A superconducting joint of CCs, formed via melting diffusion and oxygenation annealing, offers no electrical resistance between the CCs, thus establishing a superconducting closed loop for PCM operation. Because superconductivity degrades with oxygen out-diffusion during melting diffusion, oxygenation annealing allows oxygen diffusion into the GdBCO lattices. As effective oxygenation annealing requires oxygen pathways in the joint, low solubility and diffusivity of oxygen in the buffer and CC substrate hinder full superconductivity recovery. Here we show a laser-drilling technique to produce microholes as conduits on the surfaces of GdBCO CCs’ to promote oxygen in-diffusion, which resulted in reduced superconductivity recovery time. Superconductivity was fully recovered after laser drilling, melting diffusion at 850 °C for 1 min, and oxygenation annealing at 500 °C for 350 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]