Assessment study of superconducting fault-current limiters operating at 77K

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:10152341

Giese, R F ^[1]; Runde, M ^[2]

---

1. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
2. Energiforsyningens Forskningsinstitutt A/S, Trondheim (Norway)

The possible impact of nitrogen-cooled superconductors on the design and cost of superconducting fault-current limiters is assessed by considering the technical specifications such devices must meet and by comparing material properties of 77-K and 4-K superconductors. The main advantage of operating superconductors at 77 K is that the refrigeration operating cost is reduced by a factor of up to 25, and the refrigeration capital cost is reduced by a factor of up to 10. The heat capacity of 77 K is several orders of magnitude larger than at 4 K. This phenomenon increases conductor stability against flux jumps but makes switching from the superconducting to normal state slow and difficult. Consequently, a high critical current density, probably at least 10{sup 5} A/cm{sup 2}, is required.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Norges Almenvitenskapelig Forskningsraad, Oslo (Norway)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 10152341
• Report Number(s): ANL/CP--75500; CONF-920713--1; ON: DE92015273
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
240201
665412
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
AC SYSTEMS
CAPITALIZED COST
COOLING SYSTEMS
COST
CRITICAL CURRENT
CURRENT DENSITY
EVALUATION
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
LIMITERS
POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
REFRIGERATION
SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0000-0013 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K