A feasibility study on a world-wide-scale superconducting power transmission system

Abstract

The author has conceptually designed two types of superconducting DC power cable (SCDCPC) using high temperature superconductors. One is cooled by liquid hydrogen, and the other is cooled by liquid nitrogen. The former has a capacity of 50 GW, and the latter has a capacity of 20 GW, So as to reduce losses as low as possible, the DC system has been selected. The rated voltage for both systems is /spl plusmn/250 kV. Because of the merit of DC operation, these cables generate neither conductor loss nor dielectric loss induced by AC operation, and so have extremely high efficiency. In the case of 10,000 km transmission, Including the refrigeration power, the total loss is lower than 1%. A concept of a world-wide superconducting power transmission system using SCDCPCs is presented.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>