Superconductivity

The extraordinary properties of superconductors make them a very attractive material for use in many sectors of life, including the energy sector. Application of superconducting elements allows to create energy devices with parameters impossible to achieve when using classical materials.

Features of superconductors

The special feature of superconductors, which is the total lack of electrical resistance under certain strictly defined conditions, means the elimination of energy losses for the release of heat during current flow, and thus a reduction in the energy consumption of devices made of superconductors or an increase in their efficiency and performance while maintaining a certain level of power.

Application of superconductors

A rapid increase of the resistance in superconducting materials when the critical current value is exceeded, allows them to be used to build short-circuit current limiters in electromagnetic networks. They constitute an excellent protection against the dangers resulting from high-current short circuits. Superconducting current limiters do not affect the flow of current during normal operation of the network, and after being tripped they immediately return to operation without any additional actions.

One of the properties of superconductors is their diamagnetism. This feature allows to build more efficient electromagnets. The magnetic field obtained by using superconducting material is stronger, while superconducting coils allow to reduce energy losses.

RANGE OF SERVICES

Coil winding

Design

Testing

SC systems assembly

Distribution

HTS Superconductors

REBCO

In our offer we would like to introduce High-Temperature Superconductors (HTS). The second generation (2G) HTSes are ceramic materials that is able to conduct higher current in relatively small current tapes. Comparing against other superconductors, the biggest advantage of such materials is their critical temperature, which allows the use of cheap and common liquid nitrogen LN2 as cryogenic agent.

LTS Superconductors

MgB₂

MgB₂ is a intermetallic superconductor classified as a medium temperature superconductor. Despite being a intermetallic superconductor, it can be manufactured in wire form and can be used in most applications at higher temperatures, thus enable conduction cooling for large magnet coils in the 4-30K range

Nb₃Sn

Niobium-tin superconductors (Nb₃Sn)are known for their great performance in high magnetic fields. It is a great alternative to NbTi when magnetic fields above 10 tesla are needed. Above 10 tesla, Nb₃Sn is less expensive than NbTi on a $/kA-m basis.

SMES

SMES - superconducting energy storage. Is an innovative application of superconducting technology to store energy in a magnetic field.

The principle of SMES is to use a superconductor which does not generate losses in the system. The current flowing in the coil generates a magnetic field and the field itself is a form of energy that is stored.

SCFL

Short-circuit currents are dangerous for electrical installations. The occurrence of a short circuit in the grid can cause serious damage to electrical network equipment by dynamically increasing temperature resulting from a sudden surge in current. Additionally, thermal changes accompanying a short circuit cause faster ageing of the insulation in power lines, which results in a reduced lifetime of the installation and the need for more frequent servicing.

Currently, there are many methods used to limit short-circuit current. We distinguish between two methods, active and passive. Passive methods consist in selecting appropriate protective components or manipulating current parameters, which translates into significant power losses.