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The effects of removing low-Jc edges of coated conductors by a laser for ac loss reduction were studied in two-layer superconducting power transmission cables. By removing the low-Jc edges, narrower coated conductor with more uniform Jc distribution can be obtained. The original 5 mm-wide coated conductors as well as the edge-removed 4 mm-wide and 3 mm-wide coated conductors were assembled spirally around cyrindrical formers in two layers to form a cable. The measured ac losses were compared with the ac losses calculated using a numerical model where the spiral structure is neglected. For ac loss calculations, we used the lateral Jc distribution of the coated conductor measured by the magnetic knife method or those which are assumed based on the losses of the critical current by the edge removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Japan, a project for the development of a 275-kV class YBCO power cable started in 2008. High-temperature superconducting (HTS) power cables typically consist of a copper former, an HTS conductor layer, an electrical insulation layer, an HTS shield layer, and a copper shield layer. In practical applications, the 275-kV class transmission line may be subjected to short-circuit fault currents such as 63 kArms for a duration of 0.6 s. Therefore, in order to ensure the stability and demonstrate the feasibility of the cable, it is important to estimate the current distribution and temperature increase under the fault condition. We designed the copper former, copper shield layer, and copper plating of the YBCO coated conductor carefully so as to fulfill the requirements of practical applications. In this study, we carried out over-current experiments on a 2-m long YBCO model cable and performed numerical simulations by a computer program developed using the finite element method (FEM) and an electric circuit model. We investigated the electromagnetic and thermal behaviors of the cable under fault conditions from the experimental and simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Japan, the development of a 275 kV/3 kA class YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) power cable was started in 2008. A high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power cable typically consists of a copper former, HTS conductor layers, an electrical insulation layer, HTS shield layers, and copper shield layers. 275 kV/3 kA class YBCO power cables may be subjected to a fault current of 63 kArms for 0.6 s. Therefore, in order to ensure stability and feasibility of superconducting power cables, we need to investigate the thermal characteristics and current distribution in the cable under fault conditions. In this study, we performed numerical simulations on a YBCO model cable under fault conditions by using a computer program we developed on the basis of 3D finite element method (FEM) and electrical circuit model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

YBCO tapes are expected to be used in future high temperature superconductor (HTS) applications as they have better Jc characteristics at high temperatures and in high magnetic fields. For power applications such as transmission cables, YBCO tapes and a copper former are connected in parallel and they might be subjected to a short-circuit fault current that is 10 to 30 times the normal operating current. Therefore, the over-current behavior, including the hot-spot and the distribution of transport current between the copper-laminated YBCO tapes and the copper former, is very important to examine the stability and feasibility of the cable. This paper describes the experimental results for over-current pulses of a 1-m single-layer cable fabricated with five copper-laminated YBCO tapes and a copper former. Further, we performed numerical simulations by using a newly developed computer program based on the 3D finite element method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AC losses in power transmission cables composed of coated conductors could be potentially small. A strategy to approach their potentially small AC loss was studied. AC losses in mono-layer conductors for cables were calculated numerically in order to show the principle for AC loss reduction: use of narrower coated conductors and/or decrease in space between conductors reduce the magnetic field component perpendicular to the wide face of coated conductors, and they are effective for AC loss reduction. This principle was confirmed experimentally by using short monolayer conductors. Based on the principle, 1 kArms-class three-layer conductors were fabricated, and AC loss of 0.054 W/m at 1 kArms was achieved in a three-layer conductor whose outer diameter is 19.6 mm. The influence of a magnetic substrate on the AC losses in a single coated conductor and a mono-layer conductor for a cable was studied numerically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 500 m high temperature superconducting cable (HTS cable) is 77 kV 1 kA single-core cable with LN2-impregnated paper insulation. Demonstration and verification test of 500 m HTS cable has been started from March 2004 and many useful results can be obtained in the test for future practical uses. Furukawa Electric has mainly taken charge of designing, manufacturing and installation of the 500 m cable. In the manufacturing process, the cable could be fabricated without Ic degradation in Ag/Bi-2223 tapes. Moreover, various factory tests were carried out for the 500 m cable. The result of tests showed that the cable has sufficiently satisfied the quality requirement. In the installation, the cable was successfully pulled into a cable duct of 170 m long like actual underground cable installations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) power cable has significant merits of compactness and large power transmission capacity. Although the stability of the HTS cable system was verified by in-grid operation, the verification of its safety and reliability against various accidents is required for practical use of this system. A ground fault accident is one of the typical accidents of a conventional cable. If this fault occurs by breakdown of the dielectric layer, the generated arc energy is dissipated into the environment in various forms. As a result, the safety of the public may be jeopardized. Arc energy relates to arc voltage, which is dependent on the inherent physical properties of the faulted equipment. The use of coolant and the structure of the HTS cable differentiate it from a conventional cable, so it should be verified how these differences influence the arc voltage. Accordingly, ground fault tests using the HTS cable were conducted and the arc voltages were compared to that of a conventional cable. The results obtained proved that the arc voltage on the HTS cable is similar to that of a conventional cable, in spite of the differences concerning the use of coolant and the cable structure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Numerical electromagnetic field analyses of superconducting power transmission cables consisting of coated conductors were made considering their three-dimensional spiraled structures. Thin strips of superconductor were wound spirally around a round former to represent a layer in a cable. The analyses were made for two-layer cables where the spiral pitch of the inner layer and that of the outer layer are different. A non-uniform lateral critical current density distribution, a trapezoidal distribution with shoulders, was assumed across each coated conductor. The calculated ac losses were compared with measured ones. The influence of the relative positions between the inner-layer coated conductors and the outer-layer coated conductors on the current distribution across each coated conductor as well as ac losses was discussed. The influence of the current distribution between layers, determined by the spiral pitches, on the ac losses was also studied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]