1. Superconductivity -- The Future of Power Delivery ??
EPRI TGIF
September 28, 2001
Steve Eckroad, Paul Grant & Ray Lings

2. What is Superconductivity?
Simply put: Superconductivity is the complete absence of resistance to the flow of electricity in a conductor

3. What is Superconductivity?
All materials have electrical resistance - some more than others
For many materials, their resistance decreases with decreasing temperature
But, at a certain temperature (very low) the resistance disappears altogether!

4. Superconductivity for Power
Phenomenon known for almost a century
Until recently, non-power applications were only feasible use
In the last decade research has opened up the possibility of electric power use of superconductivity
Key discovery was “high temperature superconductivity” --> “HTS”

5. Characteristics of Superconductors
Carry large currents with no DC losses
AC losses minimized by design and material choice
Physically small
Very high current densities reduce material requirements
Operate at cryogenic temperatures
Enclosure provides environmental isolation
Limited commercial production today

6. EPRI’s HTS Cable Project
Initial vision
Challenges
Project history
Current Status
Vision for future

7. HTS Cable Timeline
1987: High temperature superconductivity (HTS) announced
1996: EPRI & DOE test a 50-meter HTS conductor manufactured by Pirelli with ASC wire (SPI-Phase I)
1990: EPRI-patented warm dielectric HTS cable design
1989: EPRI begins R&D to develop HTS power cables for utilities
1998: DOE SPI-Phase II award: Detroit Edison demonstration of warm dielectric cable ($5.5M)
1993: Pirelli “fleshes out” EPRI cable design
2001: First Utility HTS Cable Commissioned at Detroit Edison

8. Project Participants
Pirelli Cables & Systems (PC&S): “Cable System provider” (also Team Leader & Project Manager)
Detroit Edison Co (DTE): “Utility End User”, Test Site provider
American Superconductor Corporation (ASC):
“HTS Tape provider”
Lotepro Corporation: “Refrigeration System provider”
EPRI (Electrical Power Research Institute): “Utilities Group expertise, systems studies”
US Department of Energy: “Program Sponsor”

9. Project Objectives
Design, install and operate a 24 kV, 3-phase, 100MVA warm dielectric HTS cable system at Detroit Edison
Demonstrate long term operation in “real life” conditions to prove reliability and gain experience

10. Project Deliverables Design and fabrication of 24 kV HTS cable system
Delivery to Detroit of cable, accessories and auxiliary equipment
Installation and commissioning of cable system

11. Detroit’s Frisbie Substation & Cable Route
Project Description
Detroit’s Frisbie Substation & Cable Route

12. Cable Route, Cont’d.
Nitrogen
Refrigeration
120 to 24 kV
Transformer

13. HTS Cable Structure Liquid N2 Refrigerant Operates at -200°C
BSCCO (Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10)
HTS Tape
Liquid N2 Refrigerant
Operates at -200°C

14. HTS Cable

15. Liquid Nitrogen Circuit Diagram
Phase X
Phase Y
Phase Z T1 T2 T3 T5 T4 T6
Refrigerator

16. Cable Installation Successful!
Nine copper cables replaced by three superconducting cables
Cable successfully installed without significant performance degradation
Installation by DECo & Pirelli crews
Video courtesy of ASC & Paul Grant

17. Status
Cable and refrigeration system installation completed September 2001
Pumping on cryostat began in September
Cable to be commissioned November 2001

18. Status, Cont’d. EPRI Patent on cable design granted August 2001
EPRI/DECO sponsored Visitor Center at site opened and displays finished

19. Issues/Concerns Will cable work? (It should …)
Continuous pumping on cable not cost-effective: hermetically sealed design needed
Need demonstration of alternate cable designs for high voltage transmission
Will there be large enough supply of HTS wire?

20. Applications and Opportunities for HTS Cables
Densely Populated Load Centers
Higher Transfer Capability through Existing Infrastructure
“Virtual” Substations
Underground High Capacity Feeds
Non-traditional Generator Siting Practices
Transmission at Generator Voltages
Reduced Project Planning Period (Underground vs Overhead)
System Upgrades
Load Flow Improvements and Circuit Reinforcement
Remove Transmission Constraints for Economic Generation Dispatch
Overload Capability without Loss of Life

21. Electricity Technology Roadmap
“We must reverse
current trends and make a renewed commitment
to energy R&D.”
Kurt Yeager
CEO, EPRI
29 October 1999
NPC Speech

22. A Power Delivery Vision For The Future
Superconducting cables in urban locations
All superconducting substations
Continental superconducting power grid
Large scale energy storage with superconducting magnets
Closed-loop hydrogen systems incorporating renewable nuclear power, superconducting transmission and substations, distributed fuel cells and hydrogen storage

23. The All Superconducting Substation
Substation comprised of (mostly) all superconducting power components
Transformer, Cable & Bus, Fault Current Limiter, SMES
Single Cryostation Support
“Full 4-Quadrant” Power
Uninterruptible Substation Power (superconducting generator?)

24. Four Powerful Motives ... … For the All Superconducting Substation
Environment
Energy efficiency
Space
Operating cost & life

25. Superconducting Substation Advantages
Insensitive to environmental variations — particularly elevated temperatures
Reduced personnel and equipment hazard:
Fewer exposed parts (e.g., bushings)
Fewer arcs and other failures associated with environmental conditions
Less exposure to lightning
Reduced impact on the environment
No oil spills
Reduced fire hazard

26. Superconducting Substation Advantages - II
Can accommodate more power in a given area
Can handle more power at a given maximum voltage
Will be more efficient (lower losses)
Will have fewer mechanical systems because of enclosure and integration of components

27. Superconducting Substation Disadvantages
Superconducting components are not available today.
Cost for initial units will be high
Superconducting systems will have an inherent learning curve.
But, no long term technical disadvantages anticipated

28. The Path to Superconducting Substations
Superconducting substations will be used to replace conventional substations where:
Additional power demands must be met at an existing site.
Existing cables must be upgraded and superconducting cables are to be used to increase capacity
Transformer life is reduced due to extensive overload conditions
Component life is short due to environmental conditions

29. The Path to Superconducting Substations - II
Nearterm impact will be small - will initially fill niche markets
Will first be installed where one or more superconducting device is required and the effectiveness of multiple components is apparent.
First commercial devices---superconducting cables and transformers---will become available in 3 to 5 years.
These devices must be used independently to obtain confidence and to assure operational integrity

30. Powering the 21st Century
Looking Further Out ...
Large-scale superconducting transmission systems
Use of superconducting magnets for bulk storage (SMES)
Novel “closed-loop” energy/delivery systems using superconducting system synergies

31. Continental Superconducting Superhighway

32. The Ideal Energy Infrastructure
Safe, “renewable,” nuclear fission power
“Pebble”-based, He cooled
Fuel reprocessing to capture actinide cycle
“All-Superconducting” electric power generation and delivery
Cables, transformers, storage
The “hydrogen economy” realized
Cryogen for superconductivity
End-use thermal energy

33. Industrial/Residential
A Closed Loop System
“Laguna Genome”
An emission-free
Industrial/Residential
community
Escuelas
Casas Lagunas H2
El coche de
la familia O2
Energia Durango, SSA H H
MgB2
Renewable Nuclear
Hydrogen
dc Superconductivity
CyroEnergy
DNA-to-order.com
Supermercado