Research Status of High Temperature Superconducting Power Cable

Abstract

High temperature superconducting (HTS) power cable has the merits of low transmission loss, massive power capacity, small site corridor, and environmental friendliness. And it has the unique ability to transmit large currents at low voltage, which makes it an alternative competitor to high voltage transmission. After about three decades, HTS power cable has moved from the laboratory to practical applications, which may reshape the traditional electrical energy transmission methods and even the power grid architecture. The paper reviews the current research status of HTS cable technology throughout the world over the past decade and representative demonstration projects are introduced. From the R&D activities we can conclude that HTS power cable can be characterized by a marked increase in maturity, more focused application scenarios, and greater reduction on system costs. Technical breakthroughs under applications such as power supply in urban area and interconnection of substations have been made. We believe that the important works ahead are to improve the long-term operational flexibility, reliability, and simplicity.