Mar 10 2004
American Superconductor Corporation today announced world-record performance in its second generation (2G) high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire. In briefings presented to officials at the Departments of Energy (DOE) and Defense (DOD), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, the company reported that the electrical current carrying capacity of its 2G HTS wires is now twice that of the best industrial 2G HTS wires anywhere in the world, and 50 percent higher than the company's own previously reported results.
Today's announcement was made in conjunction with the public release by AMSC of a white paper on 2G HTS wire technology that summarizes tests completed last month and presented to the federal agencies over the past week.
AMSC achieved electric current carrying capacity in multiple 10-meter lengths of wire equal to or better than 250 Amperes per centimeter of width of the wire, an industrial world record that approaches performance levels required for commercial applications. The company's highly uniform and repeatable results were achieved through a reel-to-reel liquid deposition production process that has been designed to be scalable to high volume, low cost manufacturing.
"The results that AMSC has been achieving in the production of 2G HTS wires are outstanding," said Paul Barnes, Superconductivity Team Leader at the Air Force Research Laboratory.
"The uniform and repeatable electrical performance they have been achieving clearly indicates a viable, well-controlled manufacturing process. With scaled-up equipment, AMSC can establish a long-length manufacturing capability for 2G HTS wire."
For more information on superconductors, click here.
March 9th, 2004