at extremely low temperatures. These materials have zero electrical resistance and can conduct electricity with 100% efficiency. The discovery of superconductivity in 1911 by Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes set off a race to find new materials that exhibit this behavior at higher temperatures, a goal that is still being pursued today.
One of the most promising areas of research in superconductivity is the use of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) in electrical power systems. HTS materials can operate at temperatures above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen, making them much more practical for use in power systems than traditional low-temperature superconductors.
One application of HTS that has generated significant interest is the use of superconducting cables in electrical transmission and distribution systems. These cables have the potential to carry large amounts of electrical power over long distances with minimal energy loss. This would greatly reduce the need for power lines and substations, and could potentially save billions of dollars in energy costs.
Another area where HTS is being researched is in the use of superconducting magnets in electric vehicles. Superconducting magnets are much more efficient than traditional magnets and can significantly reduce the size and weight of the motors used in electric vehicles. This would greatly improve the range and performance of electric vehicles, making them more practical for everyday use.
In recent years, China has made significant progress in the field of HTS, particularly in the development of HTS tapes and wires. Chinese scientists have successfully developed HTS tapes with a critical temperature (the temperature at which a material becomes superconducting) of over 100 Kelvin (about -173 degrees Celsius).
One of the most ambitious projects in the field of HTS is the development of the “40m Tiger”, a high-temperature superconducting fault current limiter (HTS-FCL) by Chinese company, Shanghai Electric Group. The goal of the project is to develop a HTS-FCL that can handle a current of 40 million amperes, significantly more than the current state-of-the-art HTS-FCLs.
The “40m Tiger” is designed to be used in power grids to limit fault currents, which are large, sudden increases in electrical current that can damage equipment and cause power outages. The HTS-FCL works by using superconducting materials to rapidly limit the current to a safe level, reducing the risk of equipment damage and power outages.
superconductive great expectations 40m tiger
The development of the “40m Tiger” is a significant step forward in the application of HTS in power systems, as it can handle currents that are much larger than those that can be handled by current HTS-FCLs. This will greatly improve the stability and reliability of power grids, and could potentially save billions of dollars in damage costs and lost revenue.
However, the development of the “40m Tiger” is not without its challenges. One of the biggest obstacles is the high cost of HTS materials. HTS tapes and wires are still expensive to produce, and their cost must be significantly reduced before they can be used on a large scale. Additionally, the “40m Tiger” must be designed and built to withstand the extreme temperatures and high currents it will be exposed to.
Overall, the development of the “40m Tiger” is a promising step forward in the field of high-temperature superconductivity. If successful, it could greatly improve the stability and reliability of power grids and open the door to new applications of HTS in other areas such as electric vehicles and medical imaging. However, much work still needs to be done to overcome the challenges that still exist in the field
