Objective
The project consists in a feasibility study in order to define a conceptual design of a superconducting inductor acting as a load stabilizer for an arc furnace electric supply line.
The technique is totally new.
A comparison between conventional load compensating systems and the system proposed herein, including a power storage system in a superconductive inductor, can only be drawn with reference to reactive power compensation.
From this point of view and if the effect on the network to which it is connected is considered, the SMES system is not very different from a conventional TCR provided with condensers, certainly better than a TCS.
The peculiar difference between the structure of conventional systems and that of the the SMES is that in the latter a superconductive inductor is provided.
Only the systems equipped with SMES can meet active power demands. When active power compensation is a primary objective, conventional systems are inadequate, moreover the SMES system can also ensure reactive power variations compensation.
In many applications limiting the maximum active power absorbed can be of tantamount importance.
For example, the compensator equipped with SMES in parallel with the power supply of the critical electric power substation in the underground line, could absorb the active power peak demand, so that demand is always lower than the limit corresponding to the higher rate.
The main drawback to carry on this activity is due to the high cost of the superconductive inductor; in fact the system with superconductive inductor is about three times more expansive then the traditional systems.
Arc furnaces represent a difficult load for electric networks because of the strong variations in voltage and current involved in furnace operations.
Conventional methods of facing this drawback make use of inductive reactors which turn out to be very expensive in comparison with total furnace costs.
The proposed study is aimed to assess the feasibility of a demonstration load stabilizer for a reference arc furnace by means of a superconducting magnet.
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
DEM - Demonstration contractsCoordinator
16152 Genova
Italy