Advances in materials and manufacturing process are yielding the second generation of high-temperature superconducting materials. These so-called 2G materials are now making their grid-connected debut in New York. As reported in the Physics Today article by Jeremy N. A. Matthews, “Next-generation high-Tc superconducting wires debut in the power grid”, a new material called YBCO (YBa2Cu3O7–x) has emerged to replace first-generation BSCCO (Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10-x) high-temperature superconducting cable. YBCO has several advantages over BSCCO including increased energy carrying capacity (106 A/cm2 versus 104 A/cm2 for BSCCO) and reduced dependence on expensive silver sheathing.
In addition to its higher capacity and economic advantages, 2G cable has an inherent security feature. Above a critical current, 2G YBCO wire transitions from being a superconductor to a resistor. This feature enables passive suppression of power surges that can cause current faults in the grid. This novel attribute has attracted funding from the Department of Homeland Security for live, utility-scale testing of YBCO wires, and the intrinsic safety of 2G wire may elevate superconducting cable from a niche curiosity to a mainstay component of the US electricity grid. By strategically replacing power lines with 2G cable, grid failures resulting from current surges could be mitigated.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New disc magnet motors fit into the design trend of stepping up to closed loop performance while maintaining the cost advantage of stepper motor technology.
At the Design News webinar on June 27, learn all about aluminum extrusion: designing the right shape so it costs the least, is simplest to manufacture, and best fits the application's structural requirements.
A new battery design, which replaces lithium with abundant and low-cost elemental sulfur, is still in its nascent stages but shows real promise for giving batteries more energy potential.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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