Coaxial magnetic brakes using single-domain YBCO

In coaxial magnetic brakes, the changing field produced by movement of a solenoidal magnet induces a current in the wall of a conductive tube. The interaction of the field and current leads to a repulsive force that slows the motion of the magnet. For brake applications that require high force density, melt-textured YBCO is a clear choice of material for the magnet because it can carry high currents at a given field and temperature, and is inherently capable of operating in persistent current mode. We present calculations of the performance of this type of brake as a function of magnet current density for catch tubes composed of aluminum and titanium. These results are validated with low speed (20 m/s) tests. Calculations indicate that melt-textured magnets can decelerate projectiles with a mass of 1 kg from 2000 m/s to rest in distances on the order of 10 m. This suggests that this type of brake is suitable for use in hypervelocity experiments, which sometimes requires nondestructive deceleration of projectiles for diagnostic purposes.