Superconductivity in the electric power industry. Part 2. The future of superconductors

At first glance, new materials, superconductors, seem to be advantageous to use almost everywhere where magnetic fields and electric currents are used. But is it?

In order to navigate many technical works with superconductors, it should be borne in mind that there are no superconductors, as such, at all. These are the usual metals known to all, under special conditions exhibiting unusual properties.

Aluminum, for example, conducts electric current well at room temperature, therefore it is considered one of the best conductors. The magnetic field in it is slightly enhanced: such materials are called paramagnets. Aluminum perfectly transmits heat, which means that it can be considered a heat conductor.

When cooled to extremely low temperatures, the properties of some metals change significantly. For the same aluminum, for example, at temperatures below 272 ° C, the electrical resistance disappears, and the conductivity increases to infinity (superconductor). But the thermal conductivity of the material is almost as badly deteriorating (heat insulator). The magnetic field is completely displaced from the sample (ideal diamagnet). But this is not enough: it is possible to register the quantum properties of a material, which at ordinary temperatures manifest themselves indirectly.

Metals demonstrating such an unexpected combination of qualities are commonly called superconductors, but one should not forget about the limitations of this name. Reduced thermal conductivity of new materials is still rarely used. Diamagnetism of superconductors is already applied purposefully. Quantum properties formed the basis of the action of many ultra-precise measuring instruments.

Nevertheless, at the initial stage of the development of a new phenomenon, the interests of most researchers are focused on the use of the infinitely large conductivity of superconductors.

Especially successfully created and used are superconducting magnetic systems for various purposes. Indeed, through ordinary conductors, due to excessive heat generation, too high currents cannot be passed. Once the electrical resistance has disappeared, current densities can be greatly increased. Physicists took advantage of this: after all, the higher the current, the stronger the magnetic field. Superconductors can create extremely strong electromagnets. That is why the magnetic direction of technical superconductivity has become decisive for many years!

There is no doubt that in the coming decades, the equipment will receive new units with improved characteristics. New accelerators, trains with magnetic suspension with electromagnetic traction, large generators with a superconducting rotor are being created. More and more powerful tokamak models are being built, it is unbelievable that industrial thermonuclear reactors will appear during the life of our generation, which cannot be created without superconductors. In a few years, in buildings where large consumers of electricity are located, it will be possible to mount huge toroidal coils streamlined by currents, designed to autonomously supply electricity to local installations.

It is useful to improve electrical engineering structures and expand their technical capabilities. But, perhaps more importantly, another task is to remove the losses due to heating of conductors streamlined by electric currents. Of course, we are not talking about household wiring, it is enough to use superconductors for current-carrying conductors of large electrical installations.

The absence of losses in the wires favors the creation of superconducting magnetic systems and cryoelectronic equipment.But still, new electromagnets are built not to reduce losses, but to create previously unattainable magnetic fields. And devices based on superconductors allow obtaining extremely high measurement accuracy, although an increase in efficiency significantly improves the technical performance of supermeters.

It is extremely beneficial to use superconductors specifically to reduce electrical losses. This line of work is worthy of worldwide support. For example, superconducting cables are not needed because the design capabilities of known materials have already been exhausted. Such linear devices are attractive mainly because they can be used to eliminate losses in electrical networks. If superconducting power lines are widely deployed, enormous savings in fuel resources can be achieved.

It is known that organic fuels (oil, gas, coal) are running out, their production is becoming increasingly difficult. Today, energy is focused on the accelerated creation of nuclear power plants and nuclear heating plants, on the development of thermonuclear fusion, on the use of solar radiation energy, the heat of the seas and oceans. Designed stations operating on the energy of tides and waves.

Superconductors, by their nature, would be ideal for this purpose. After all, the veins of new cables, generators, transformers will not be heated by electric currents. For the first time, people would be able to consciously exclude Joule losses from the balance of electrical costs. It is estimated that the superconducting performance of large power plants would bring billions of dollars to the country.

Improving the technical characteristics of electrical equipment, reducing fuel consumption, partially going today to compensate for losses in conductors, is not all. Superconductors will improve the environmental situation on the globe! After all, the energy of all technical devices is ultimately converted to heat. The planet’s heating rate is high, they correspond to the pace of industrial development. The widespread introduction of superconducting electrical equipment would reduce heat inflow into the atmosphere, allowing, if not eliminate, then at least weaken the thermal pollution of the planet.

The problem of the widespread adoption of superconductors in electrical engineering is complex and diverse, but the results of using superconductors in physical and industrial installations can be huge.

Superconductivity is a wonderful phenomenon. Studying the unusual and impressive properties of superconductors, physicists penetrate deeper and deeper into the secrets of the structure of matter. Engineers strive to make superconductors their tool, to make them work. The supertask for superconductors is the transfer of their useful properties to objects of new technology.

Mikhail Chernov