All SMES-ed up and no place to go
In 1987, as part of an eleven-point Presidential initiative on the development of superconductivity, the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative Organization allocated funds for a three-year, $31-million program to design, construct and test a 20-MWh, 400-MW engineering test model (ETM) for superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES). SMES was to be an integral part of the Reagan Administration's Star Wars technology. This paper reports that because of dwindling defense applications the DNA nearly brought about the demise of the SMES-ETM, despite the fact that $31 million was already invested in the project. Today, four years and millions of dollars later, Congressional pressure for dual-use programs and two additional $4.7 million contract have kept the SMES-ETM program alive.
- OSTI ID:
- 7234569
- Journal Information:
- Superconductor Industry; (United States), Journal Name: Superconductor Industry; (United States) Vol. 5:2; ISSN SUINE; ISSN 1042-4105
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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250100 -- Energy Storage-- Magnetic
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290400 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources
290500 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research
Development
Demonstration
& Commercialization
665412* -- Superconducting Devices-- (1992-)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
CONTRACTS
DESIGN
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROMAGNETS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY STORAGE
EQUIPMENT
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
MAGNETIC ENERGY STORAGE
MAGNETS
NATIONAL DEFENSE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
REVIEWS
STORAGE
SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES
SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNETIC ENERGY STORAGE
SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNETS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
TEST FACILITIES