Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Real World High-Temperature Superconductor Engine

Posted by timothy on from the now-for-the-hybrid-cars dept.

wes33 writes "An amazing technological achievement deploying high-temperature superconductors is reported in Space Daily. American Superconductor Corporation (nice scifi-ish name) has built a 5MW electric ship motor using high-temp. superconductor technology. The Queen Elizabeth's 44 MW engines weigh 400 tons each (and she has two); a single comparable HST motor (36.5 MW) will weigh 75 tons!"

5 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. what about the generators? by tmacc · · Score: 2, Interesting

    As far as i know, they use diesel generators to provide the power usually. Using HTS in the generator would/could provide a drastic improvement in the effciency, and would be a much more exciting development in my opinion.

  2. More Power? by the+darn · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Since they've made one that's comperable in power but much smaller in size, would it make sense to make one comparable in size and of much greater power as a replacement for use in existing vessels? Or are there other limiting factors in the amount of power that is useable in such circumstances?

    --
    Ceci n'est pas un post.
    1. Re:More Power? by Timber_Z · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Thats note the point. The point is that is FAR more effient then current technologies. The exact implemention is trival. Every so often technology makes a huge jump in performance that has a major impact on an industray. (Like moving from Hand Saws to Chain Saws for lumber: for example) This looks like it might be one of those times.

  3. what temp? by klossner · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The article is silent on exactly which temperature this high-temperature superconductor requires. Are we still at liquid-nitrogen temperatures or have we gone higher?

  4. Yes, hull shape by leonbrooks · · Score: 2, Interesting
    are there other limiting factors in the amount of power that is useable in such circumstances?
    At a certain velocity dependent upon the shape, the hull changes from slicing through the water more towards trying to push against it, once you cross this knee, you need to add bucketloads of power for a very small improvement (basically, until you get your aquatic beastie to plane).

    Modulo propellor cavitation, hull collapse and other stuff which becomes dominant at those power levels, it would be quite a joy to see an ocean liner scudding friskily from wavetop to wavetop.
    --
    Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing