BELFEM: a special purpose finite element code for the magnetodynamic modeling of high-temperature superconducting tapes

Predicting the performance and reliability of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) cables and magnets is a critical component of their research and development process. Novel mixed finite element formulations, particularly the h-φ-formulation with thin-shell simplification, present promising opportunities for more efficient simulations of larger geometries. To make these new methods accessible in a flexible tool, we are developing the Berkeley Lab Finite Element Framework (BELFEM). This paper provides an overview of the relevant formulations, discusses the current state of the art, and discusses the main aspects of the BELFEM code structure. We validate a first 2D thin-shell implementation in BELFEM against selected benchmarks computed in COMSOL Multiphysics and compare the performance of our code with a comparable formulation in GetDP. We also outline the next steps in the development process, paving the way for more advanced and robust modeling capabilities.