Testing for High-Temperature
Superconducting Transmission Line
 
 

Oak Ridge researchers are assisting Southwire Company of Carrollton, Georgia , in designing and testing a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) transmission line. An HTS cable carries three to five times as much electrical current as a traditional copper cable. Aging copper cables can therefore be replaced with HTS cables with much larger capacities to accommodate increased power demands in dense urban areas. Because HTS cables contain none of the oil found in conventional cable systems, they are also more environmentally attractive.

In its Fusion Energy Division facilities, Oak Ridge has tested nine HTS cables manufactured by Southwire Company to determine the amount of current they can carry and the extent of ac losses. The Life Sciences Division is testing the ability of the cables to withstand lightning strikes and switching surges. The results of the Oak Ridge testing are influencing the final cable design.

HTS cable is composed of bismuth-strontium-calcium-copper oxide (BSCCO) tapes. Oak Ridge's Metals and Ceramics Division is measuring the critical current of the BSCCO tapes and the effect of strain tolerance upon the critical current.

 

Technologies used by Oak Ridge in HTS testing include: 
  • cryogenic engineering,
  • high-temperature superconducting materials,
  • HTS tape developmenthigh-voltage testing, and
  • data acquisition and trending.
Initial testing of a 5-m cable system will be completed in 1998. In 1999, the Southwire Company will use the results to construct and install a 3-phase, 30-m cable to power two of its manufacturing plants and a machine shop. The cable will be ready for use by the year 2000.
 
 
 
In recognition of the Y-12 National Security Complex's diverse, integrated capabilities and its commitment  
to succeeding with high-risk projects, the U.S. Congress in 1997 designated Y-12   
as the National Prototype Center.  

For information, phone 1-800-356-4USA or visit our web site: /npc.html