LOW MASS MAGNESIUM BASED CONDUCTORS
Purpose of the Research: Today’s electrical grid capacity must expand to support the anticipated growth of wind power and solar power generation in the coming decades. The U.S. Department of Energy is looking for ideas that “develop technologies, methodologies, processes, materials, or tools that will advance the state of the art of bulk power transmission”. Most renewable power generation sites in the U.S. generally are distant from the more densely populated regions and require new transmission systems. The US expects to require as much as $200B in utility investments over the next decade. Reducing the cost of installing new and expanding existing power lines can provide substantial benefits to the US. Description of the Research: Terves identified overhead conductors as an area of power transmission that offered a chance to develop breakthrough technologies. Improvements to overhead conductors utilizing low mass, high strength, conductive materials would allow for potential improvements to tower spacing (increased) and reduction of cable sag leading to cost saving though a reduction in required infrastructure for the US electrical grid. To meet this need, Terves proposed using high conductivity carbon fillers dispersed in a magnesium matrix to improve conductivity and strength in wrought form using ultrasonic dispersion casting. Research Findings and Results: In this Phase I SBIR, Terves has developed and processed lightweight, high-strength magnesium nano-composites, achieving ultimate tensile strength of 31.1 ksi which is 179% of the specific strength of aluminum 1350 (the current state-of-the art overhead cable conductor). These composites are extremely light, at 1.739 g/cc in density they are 36% lower than that of aluminum 1350 (2.7 g/cc). When taking into account strength, density, conductance as a figure of merit (Strength/Density*IACS), the magnesium conductor produced showed a 12% improvement over Al 1350. Cast samples were machined, extruded, and then wire drawn into 10-gauge wires in lengths over 8 feet. The process demonstrated using high aspect ratio, highly conductive carbon fillers incorporated into magnesium through ultrasonic dispersion processing of molten metal, followed by extrusion and wire drawing to produce a low mass, high strength magnesium conductor. Potential Applications of the Research: A 180% increase in the strength to weight in electrical conductors could potentially increase the span between transmission line support towers by 25%, reducing grid costs, or alternatively enabling increased cable design options for niche conductor applications that require reduction in cable sag due to environmental or safety requirements. This is accomplished by using low density, high strength magnesium composite to reduce sag through placing the new cabling in higher tension than existing conductor materials. Magnesium-Carbon conductors could also serve in other weight sensitive applications, such as hybrid cars, aircraft actuators, and wind generators, reducing cost and energy use in these applications.
- Research Organization:
- Terves Inc
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0020747
- OSTI ID:
- 1775309
- Type / Phase:
- SBIR (Phase I)
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-TERVES-20747
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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