Besides power components (i.e., rotor and stator coils) in future Turboelectric or Hybrid Electric aircraft, the next generation, high power density magnesium diboride superconductors can benefit a variety of NASA applications where light-weight and/or high-efficiency electric components are required such as generators, motors, cables, transformers, inductors, power conditioning equipment and ADR coils. Other magnet applications that these advanced magnesium diboride wires can be considered for include magnetic bearings, actuators, MHD magnets, propulsion engines, magnetic shielding for spacecraft structures and magnetic launch devices.
Manufacturers of large electrical systems desire to increase the efficiency, and decrease the size of their systems in order to reduce costs. Presently major manufacturers of transformers, motors, generators, fault current limiters, and transmission cables are pursuing superconductor wires to achieve these objectives. More recently there has been a growing global market for a new class of large machines requiring high power density (from 4 to 20 MW) including wind and wave turbine generators, aircraft turbo-generators, offshore oil platform motors, marine propulsion and generation systems, and portable emergency power systems. Another major application is in next generation 1.5T and 3.0T MRI systems where cooling by conduction, i.e. liquid helium bath free is enabled by these advanced superconducting wires.
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