1. Superconductivity: Power in the Fast Lane
Paul M. Grant
EPRI Lead, Tech Forecast
Strategic Science & Technology
IEEE Power Engineering Winter Meeting
4 February 1998

2. Fathers of Electricity

3. Fathers of Cryogenics CH4 112 K O 90 N2 77 Ne 27 H2 20 He 4.2 Dewar
Kammerlingh-Onnes

4. Models of Electrical Conductivity
The First Idea: ( ( ( R
Just Goes
to Zero! ( ( ( ( ( ( • • e- ( ( e- ( T

5. Models of Electrical Conductivity
The Most Popular: R e-
Freezes Out! T

6. Models of Electrical Conductivity
Reality: R
Limited by
Impurities!  • e- T

7. 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)

8. Physics of Superconductivity
Electrons Pair Off!
BCS Equation • + + e- + + • e-

9. TC vs. Year: The Past Cubic Metals Nb3Ge Nb3Sn V3Si NbN25
Nb3Ge 20
Nb3Sn
V3Si
NbN 15
Temperature (K) 10 Pb 5 Hg
Cubic Metals
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
Year

10. Superconductivity: What’s It Good For?
MRI Surgical Unit
General Electric
Tevatron
Fermi National Laboratory

11. Superconductivity: High-Tc Surprise!
Bednorz and Mueller
IBM Zuerich, 1986

12. 1987: “The Prize!”

13. Type II Superconductivity-M H
HC2
HC1
1/4p
HC2
Normal
Magnetic Field
Irreversibility
Line
Mixed
HC1
Meissner TC
Temperature

14. Abrikosov Vortex Lattice
Lorentz
Force
Vortices

15. 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

16. BSCCO OPIT/Ag Tape Generation I Wire

17. Power Applications: Wire for Cables

18. Layered CuO PerovskitesBi
-2223

19. Coated HTSC Conductors Generation II Wire
Biaxially Oriented Y-123
Out of Japan, LANL, ORNL
EPRI/ASC Alliance to Commercialize

20. “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
$1,000
Siemens
1000
4.2K, 2T
Target Nb Sn 3
4.2K, T
Bi-2212
Operating Current, Ic (A)
100
4.2K, 0T
Y-123 IBAD
IGC
EURUS
Bi-2223
77K, 0T 10
Bi-2223
NKT Target
77K, 0T
IGC 1
1000
100 10 1
0.1
Cost ($/m)

21. Wire C/P Market Entry Thresholds
Substation Elimination
C/P ($/kA×m)
SMES/FCL/Transformers
70% New UG Cables
Time

22. 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

23. 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

24. Global Electrification: A Superconductivity Solution

25. The Superconducting Electricity Pipe!
Total Cryo System
Power: GW dc
Cost: < Gas, HVDC > 500 Miles

26. Gas/HVDC Comparison
Marginal Cost of Electricity (Mid Value Fuel Costs)
2.20
LVDC 65K)
2.00
LVDC 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

27. Electricity Delivery Is Its Future dc?
Tesla
Inventor,
Polyphase ac System
Edison
Maybe he was right after all!