Exploitable results Development of high current carrying conductors for cables using high temperature superconductors High temperature superconductors (HTS) have the potential to significantly reduce both the capital cost and energy loss penalties traditionally associated with underground power cables. The research focuses on the fabrication of long lengths of high temperature superconducting wire/tape by three fabrication routes: powder in tube (PIT); doctor blade casting; laser processed thick films. A number of materials and fabrication techniques have been explored with a view to determining the combination best suited for the construction of high temperature superconducting power cables. The fabrication of conductors containing the yttrium-123 phase of thallium-based materials was explored with promising results, but these conductors had not attained the required performance level over the long lengths needed for the construction of the demonstrator conductors by the end of the project. Numerous lead-based, bismuth-based and other 1212-type phases were also systematically synthesized and tested, but none of these materials exhibited superconducting properties suitable for HTS tapes when prepared under ambient conditions or under 20 kPa pressures of oxygen. Both within this project and elsewhere in the world, the PIT processing of the (bismuth, lead) - 2223 phase has emerged as a cheap and reliable manufacturing method for producing HTS tape with critical current densities suitable for use in cables. The present study first examined the technical issues and performance of short samples. Criteria were established for the selection and preparation of precursors, and good reproducibility of tapes has been demonstrated for Jc values in the range 10-20 kA/cm. Due to the relative ease of scaling up the powder-in-tube technique, long lengths of multi-filamentary tapes were fabricated and processed allowing two cable models to be designed and has emerged as a cheap and reliable manufacturing method for producing HTS tape with critical current densities for use in cables. Searching for OpenAIRE data... There was an error trying to search data from OpenAIRE No results available
