High-current dc power transmission in flexible RE-Ba2Cu3O7-δ coated conductor cables

Published

December 1, 2011

Author(s)

Daniel C. van der Laan, Loren F. Goodrich, Timothy J. Haugan

Abstract

Transmission cables made from high-temperature superconductors have been successfully demonstrated within the electric power grid. These cables carry an ac current of up to 3,000 A in a much smaller size than conventional transmission lines, but they are not flexible enough for certain applications that involve very tight cable bends. Certain on-board Air Force applications require 5 MW of dc power transmission at 270 V and 18,500 A and would benefit from superconducting transmission in lightweight, flexible cables that would be cooled with helium gas to about 55 K. To address these needs, we have constructed a 10 mm diameter RE-Ba₂Cu₃O_7-δ (RE = rare earth) coated conductor cable that is lighter and more flexible than the current generation of superconducting cables, and that has a critical current of 7,561 A at 76 K. The cable is expected to have a critical current of more than 20,000 A at 55 K and therefore will likely exceed the requirements for 5 MW on-board power transmission. The cable consists of two electrically insulated phases that can be operated in different modes, which allows us to study the effect of self-field on the cable performance.

Citation

Superconductor Science and Technology

Pub Type

Journals

Citation

van, D. , Goodrich, L. and Haugan, T. (2011), High-current dc power transmission in flexible RE-Ba₂Cu3O_7-δ coated conductor cables, Superconductor Science and Technology (Accessed October 18, 2025)