Siemens cable deal for superconductor team
Two years of development work has culminated in the manufacture and sale of the world’s longest second-generation high temperature superconducting (HTS) cable.
Two long-length HTS Roebel cables, prepared by the high temperature superconductor team, were recently shipped to the multinational company Siemens AG in Germany, where they will be tested for industrial use. Siemens will wind the rotors for a power station generator with a single length of cable, which will have an increased power output, a reduced mass, a smaller volume and a greater efficiency than generators that use traditional technology.
IRL and General Cable Superconductors (GCS Ltd) are the world’s leading developers of HTS technology. It is estimated that the international market for HTS applications will be worth over US$2 billion by 2020.
“Supplying this first order is an important milestone because it demonstrates that HTS technology is not just something of interest in the lab. There are customers who are willing to invest significant sums in HTS because they understand the potential it represents,” says Dr Bob Buckley, superconductivity team leader.
Research engineer Dr Rod Badcock led the team that manufactured the cable. “We’ve been developing a pilot production line here for GCS. For the last two years the team has been developing the automated processes and validating them for producing and then winding the strands of cable together. This was the groundwork that enabled us to manufacture the cables for Siemens AG."
The team has also been asked to provide samples of cables for a number of other companies in a range of industries around the world.
“We’re starting to build a critical mass in New Zealand in terms of our expertise, as well as generating income and developing the market”, says Dr Badcock.