IEC 61788-26:2020 specifies a test method for determining the DC critical current of short RE (rare earth)-Ba-Cu-O (REBCO) composite superconductor specimens that have a shape of straight flat tape. This document applies to test specimens shorter than 300 mm and having a rectangular cross section with an area of 0,03 mm² to 7,2 mm², which corresponds to tapes with width ranging from 1,0 mm to 12,0 mm and thickness from 0,03 mm to 0,6 mm.
This method is intended for use with superconductor specimens that have critical current less than 300 A and n-values larger than 5 under standard test conditions: the test specimen is immersed in liquid nitrogen bath at ambient pressure without external magnetic field during the testing. Deviations from this test method that are allowed for routine tests and other specific restrictions are given in this document.