BELFEM

The Berkeley Lab Finite Element Framework is dedicated to advancing our understanding of the thermal-electromagnetic behaviors in superconducting cables and magnets, with a focus on VIPER and CORC cables, as well as coils in superconducting magnets.

Central to our approach are the mixed h-ɸ formulations, designed for the detailed study of thin structures such as REBCO tapes. BELFEM seeks to uncover deeper insights into critical phenomena like quenching behavior and inter-tape current sharing—knowledge crucial for crafting more reliable and efficient superconducting magnets. These advancements promise to revolutionize the design of particle accelerators and nuclear fusion reactors.

This endeavor is a collaborative effort, pooling the strengths of the Berkeley Center for Magnet Technology at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, embodying a multidisciplinary approach to push the boundaries of superconducting technology.

BELFEM is currently in development and not available to the public at this time. However, we aim to publish the code under a BSD 3-clause license once a sufficient level of maturity is reached. Check our Publications section for more information.