Cost savings and prospects for applications of micro superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) using high temperature superconductors

• Published in: IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity Vol. 3; no. 1; pp. 200 - 203
• Main Authors: Schoenung, S.M., Bieri, R.L., Meier, W.R., Bickel, T.C.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-03-1993; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Conducting materials; Conductors; Costs; Defense industry; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electromagnets; Exact sciences and technology; High temperature superconductors; Refrigeration; Samarium; Superconducting coils; Superconducting magnetic energy storage; Various equipment and components; Wires; Energy storage solenoid; Cryoelectrical engineering; Application; High temperature superconductor; Superconducting energy storage
• ISSN: 1051-8223; 1558-2515
• DOI: 10.1109/77.233705

Recently, interest in superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) systems of approximately 1-MJ storage capacity has grown among potential industry and utility users. A large fraction of the cost is in the refrigeration system which is required to maintain a superconducting coil. The objective of the project described was to determine possible cost savings from the use of high-temperature superconductors (HTSs). An additional goal was to identify development needs for HS materials to be useful in small SMES systems. The approach to this assessment was to build a computer model with assumed HTS conductor properties to establish coil configurations for a small SMES (1-MJ/1-MW) system. A second computer model was developed to estimate refrigeration requirements. A third model was used to estimate and sum component costs. A conventional low-temperature superconductor (LTS) system was also modeled for comparison.< >