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Superconducting Wire Made From Sapphire
Technology Briefing |
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TranscriptWiring systems powered by highly-efficient superconductors have long been a dream of science, but researchers have faced such practical challenges such as finding pliable and cost-effective materials. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed superconducting wires using fibers made of single crystals of sapphire to be used in high powered cables. Factoring in temperature requirements, each tiny wire can carry approximately 40times more electricity than a copper wire of the same size. They have the potential to revolutionize energy transfer. High-power superconductor cables take up much less space and conduct energy more efficiently, making them ideal for deployment across grids of electricity throughout a city.They will also offer a more effective method for collecting energy from renewable sources, such as solar and wind energy. Superconducting wires can also be used for energy storage and enable devices which enhance grid stability. One of the things that make copper wires inefficient is overheating. Due to electrical resistance found in the metal, some of the energy that flows through the cables is castoff and wasted, causing the wires to heat up. But with superconductors, there is no resistance. A self-contained cooling system, which requires a constant flow of liquid nitrogen,keeps the wire in its superconducting state.Liquid nitrogen provides the perfect coolant because it is readily available, non-toxic,and inexpensive. Even with the benefit of liquid nitrogen,researchers were still hard-pressed to find a material that would make the ideal superconductor. Superconductors coated on crystal wafers are effective but too brittle, and although superconductors on metallic tapes had some success, the product is too expensive to manufacture in mass quantities. To create their superconductors, the researchers turned to sapphire fibers developed at the Oakridge National Laboratory. Coated with a ceramic mixture using a special technique, these crystal fibers have made innovative superconductors. One area where such superconductors could lend a hand is in collecting renewable energy sources. Wind turbines and solar panels are usually located in remote places such as deserts. These superconductors can supply the current over long distances without losing any of the energy to heat due to electrical resistance. |
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