Superconductor Maker Hits New Wire-Performance Milestone
By Staff -- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 6/1/2004
A leading manufacturer of high-temperature superconductor (HTS) wire has announced a new world record in current carrying capacity for second-generation wire. American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC), Westborough, Mass., announced it has achieved electric-current carrying capacity equal to or better than 250 amps per centimeter of wire width in multiple 10-meter lengths of wire. The company states that this figure approaches the performance levels required for many commercial applications.
An AMSC release suggests that second-generation HTS wire will need to achieve a current-carrying capacity of 300 amps per centimeter of width, at liquid nitrogen temperatures, to be commercially viable. That performance level is roughly 200 times greater than that of copper wire, according to AMSC figures.
