ADVANCED CONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES LLC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N161-026

Description

Future power systems on Navy ships require electrical power in the order of 20-80 MW, which currently cant be provided by conventional copper or aluminum power cables. Advanced Conductor Technologies LLC (ACT) has been developing high-temperature superconducting Conductor on Round Core (CORC) power transmission cables, rated at 10 kA per phase, for the Navy that form a potential solution in which the required power can be transported in a lightweight and low-loss system. A benefit of HTS power cables is that they could limit the current to a maximum value and would protect all electrical equipment against overcurrent, which significantly reduces the requirements of these devices. Advanced Conductor Technologies (ACT), together with the Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS) propose to develop fault current limiting (FCL) CORC cables for use in naval power transmission systems. We will determine methods to incorporate a high-resistance shunt needed to limit the current during a fault within the CORC cable. Several FCL CORC cables will be tested to verify their current limiting capabilities and to verify if they could be operated in cryogenic helium gas. Well develop methods to mitigate asphyxiation hazards associated with liquid nitrogen if helium gas operation is deemed unfeasible.