Estimation of maximum possible trapped field in superconducting permanent magnets in 2D and 3D

The ability of stacks of superconducting tapes to trap large magnetic fields makes them ideal candidates for creating powerful permanent magnets of compact size and mass. Experimentally, several techniques are used to trap the maximum possible field in a given practical application. However, regardless of the magnetization method used, there is a physical limit to the maximum magnetic field that a given superconducting magnet can trap. This limit is given by the geometric design, the particular superconducting material used and the temperature of operation. Knowing the maximum possible trapped field is important for device design as it provides an upper limit for applications such as magnetic bearings or rotating machinery. In this work we present a collection of finite element method (FEM) models in 2D and 3D capable of estimating the maximum trapped field of stacked tape superconducting magnets. The models are computationally fast and can be used to perform parametric studies with ease. For the case of square stacks tape magnets, various sizes are considered and their estimated maximum trapped field is compared with experimental results.