6 – Using superconducting DC cables to improve the efficiency of electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) networks: An overview

It has been a quarter of a century since the discovery of superconducting materials known as “high-temperature superconductors” (HTS) in 1986 by Bednorz and Mueller. HTS materials have opened up new options for direct current (DC) power cable applications. This chapter first describes the different key components for DC superconducting cables and discusses their performance. These DC cables offer very flexible solutions to transfer very high power by increasing the current while maintaining the voltage at lower more manageable levels. Several possible designs for low/medium- and high-voltage DC superconducting cables are presented. Their very low power dissipation and their beneficial environmental impacts are then discussed. Having DC superconducting cables with very compact designs require a limited installation footprint that can be a key technology in many future applications.