Superconductor Power Cables

Cost-effective, high-capacity power delivery


Utilities today face two daunting and interrelated grid management and operation challenges:

Congestion. Demand for power has begun to outpace the transmission and distribution capabilities and capacity of the existing infrastructure.
Environmental and aesthetic concerns. Urban and suburban communities are increasingly opposing infrastructure development initiatives based on concerns over siting and quality-of-life issues.

High-capacity, very low impedance superconductor cables are now being deployed in live grid cable projects – paving the way for a brighter, smarter, more secure electricity future.

With markedly greater power-handling capacity, superconductor cables provide clear siting and environmental advantages.

Superconductor cable: A smart infrastructure solution
Superconductor power cables offer numerous advantages over conventional transmission and distribution systems, including:

  • The ability to transmit up to 10 times more power in the same footprint to support new sources of generation and load growth.
  • Increased grid reliability and security. Superconductor cables can be designed to be smart and controllable, enabling power networks to adjust rapidly and automatically to disruptions caused by weather, willful destruction or other factors. Learn more about Secure Super Grids.
  • Significantly lower impedance. Placed strategically in the transmission grid, superconductor cables can draw flow from overtaxed cables and overhead lines and relieve network congestion.
  • High power capacity at lower voltage—enables easier siting and reduced ancillary system costs.
  • Extended operating life. Since the operating temperature of superconductor cables is kept constant, they do not degrade like copper-based systems.
  • Minimal environmental impact—no electromagnetic field emissions, no soil heating, no oil.

      >> Learn more about the benefits of superconductor power cables.
      >> Download Superconductor Cable Application Note.
 

Meet a range of infrastructure requirements with a choice of cable architectures.

For transmission, sub-transmission, distribution and retrofit installations, four principal superconductor cable architectures are in production:

  • Single core
  • “Triplex” distribution
  • Triaxial distribution
  • Coaxial transmission    

     >> Learn more about the principal HTS cable architectures.

 

 The figure below illustrates a cold dielectric design. 


Example Superconductor cable design by Nexans

 

 

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AMSC offers an array of proprietary technologies and solutions spanning the electric power infrastructure – from generation to delivery to end use. The company is a leader in alternative energy, providing proven, megawatt-scale wind turbine designs and electrical control systems.

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