Progress and Status of a 2G HTS Power Cable to Be Installed in the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Grid

Abstract

Underground high temperature Superconductor (HTS) power cables have attracted extensive interest in recent years due to their potential for high power density. With funding support from the United States Department of Energy (DOE), the world's first transmission voltage level HTS power cable has been designed, fabricated and permanently installed in Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) grid. The HTS cable was successfully commissioned on April 22, 2008. In 2007, a new DOE Superconductor Power Equipment (SPE) program to address the outstanding issues for integrating HTS cables into the utility grid was awarded to the current project team (LIPA II). The goal of the LIPA II is to develop and install a replacement phase conductor manufactured using AMSC's second generation wire. In addition to the replacement of the phase conductor, the team will also address the outstanding components development necessary for full scale integration into a power grid including integral management of thermal shrinkage of the cable conductor, optimization of the cryostat design to mitigate the implications of potential cable damage, and the development and demonstration of a field splice in the operating utility grid and modular higher efficiency refrigeration system. This paper will report on the progress and status of LIPA II program. In addition, in-grid operation experience of existing 1G HTS Power cable is presented.