Dr Felix Huber
Graduated PhD Student
Biography
My name is Felix Huber and I am doing my PhD at the University of Strathclyde. After completing my master’s degree, I joined the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory lead by Prof. Yuan and Dr. Zhang. Although my background is in Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering, I was working on numerical simulations throughout my studies, which allowed me to shift my expertise to the modelling of 2G HTS materials.
In this project, I am developing and improving numerical models for the simulation of HTS materials, mainly, the computation of large electromagnetic coils, which are a key component in a Tokamak fusion reactor. Current experimental reactors in fusion research use bitter magnets or low temperature superconductors, which are limited in their magnetic field strength.
The use of HTS materials in the magnet system of a fusion reactor has the potential to improve the power output, since the fusion power scales with the fourth power of the magnetic field. Due to the high costs and limited availability of HTS materials, it is not feasible to build a large-scale coil and test it experimentally.
Therefore, it is necessary to run numerical simulations in order to evaluate different configurations and limiting parameters. The focus of this project is on the evaluation of the critical current as well as the AC loss of Poloidal and Toroidal Field Coils, which are essential in the operation and performance of a Tokamak fusion reactor.
This research project will help in reducing the size of the magnet system as well as increasing the cryogenic operating temperature by means of 2G HTS, which will reduce the overall cost of a future fusion reactor.
Email: felix.huber@strath.ac.uk
