Superconductivity: Power in the Fast Lane Paul M. Grant EPRI Lead, Tech Forecast Strategic Science & Technology IEEE Power Engineering Winter Meeting 4 February 1998
Fathers of Electricity
Fathers of Cryogenics CH4 112 K O 90 N2 77 Ne 27 H2 20 He 4.2 Dewar Kammerlingh-Onnes
Models of Electrical Conductivity The First Idea: ( ( ( R Just Goes to Zero! ( ( ( ( ( ( • • e- ( ( e- ( T
Models of Electrical Conductivity The Most Popular: R e- Freezes Out! T
Models of Electrical Conductivity Reality: R Limited by Impurities! • e- T
A Big Surprise! Thus the mercury at 4.2 K has entered a new state, which, owing to its particular electrical properties, can be called the state of superconductivity H. Kamerlingh-Onnes (1911)
Physics of Superconductivity Electrons Pair Off! BCS Equation • + + e- + + • e-
TC vs. Year: The Past Cubic Metals Nb3Ge Nb3Sn V3Si NbN 25 Nb3Ge 20 Nb3Sn V3Si NbN 15 Temperature (K) 10 Pb 5 Hg Cubic Metals 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 Year
Superconductivity: What’s It Good For? MRI Surgical Unit General Electric Tevatron Fermi National Laboratory
Superconductivity: High-Tc Surprise! Bednorz and Mueller IBM Zuerich, 1986
1987: “The Prize!”
Type II Superconductivity -M H HC2 HC1 1/4p HC2 Normal Magnetic Field Irreversibility Line Mixed HC1 Meissner TC Temperature
Abrikosov Vortex Lattice Lorentz Force Vortices
BSCCO OPIT/Ag Process Wire is the electrical commodity ASC Wire Forming Process Oxide Powder Mechanically Alloyed Precursor 1. Powder Preparation 2. Billet Packing & Sealing 3. Deformation A. Extrusion C. Rolling & Processing B. Wire Draw 4. Oxidation - Heat Treat Wire is the electrical commodity
BSCCO OPIT/Ag Tape Generation I Wire
Power Applications: Wire for Cables
Layered CuO Perovskites Bi -2223
Coated HTSC Conductors Generation II Wire Biaxially Oriented Y-123 Out of Japan, LANL, ORNL EPRI/ASC Alliance to Commercialize
“The SokPlot” Operating Current, Ic (A) Cost ($/m) "Sokolowski Plot" of HTSC Wire Performance and Cost 10000 $10 $1 /kAm $100 Bi-2223 77K, 0T NbTi $1,000 Siemens 1000 4.2K, 2T Target Nb Sn 3 4.2K, 12-15 T Bi-2212 Operating Current, Ic (A) 100 4.2K, 0T Y-123 IBAD IGC EURUS Bi-2223 77K, 0T 10 Bi-2223 NKT Target 77K, 0T IGC 1 1000 100 10 1 0.1 Cost ($/m)
Wire C/P Market Entry Thresholds Substation Elimination C/P ($/kA×m) SMES/FCL/Transformers 70% New UG Cables Time
Electricity & SC: Weakest Scenario Fuel Types & Location Gas, Renewables Dominate - No More Nukes Distributed Generation Grows Geopolitics Regional Instability Economic Gap between Nations Continues Environment Carbon Sequestration Successful Risk Abatement Deferred
Electricity & SC: Strongest Scenario Fuel Types & Location Nukes, Hydro, Non-Transportables Dominate Centralized Generation Grows Geopolitics Regional Stability Achieved Economic Gap between Nations Shrinks Environment Risk Abatement Implemented Global Climate Change Proven/Perceived
Global Electrification: A Superconductivity Solution
The Superconducting Electricity Pipe! Total Cryo System Power: 5 GW dc Cost: < Gas, HVDC > 500 Miles
Gas/HVDC Comparison Marginal Cost of Electricity (Mid Value Fuel Costs) 2.20 LVDC ($5.5/kA-m @ 65K) 2.00 LVDC ($10/kA-m @ 77K) 1.80 HVDC 1.60 gas pipeline c/kWh 1.40 1.20 1.00 0.80 0.60 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 Miles
Electricity Delivery Is Its Future dc? Tesla Inventor, Polyphase ac System Edison Maybe he was right after all!