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Quantum Wires
Silverlancer writes "Room temperature superconductors have often been a hallmark of far-future science fiction. But fortunately for us, they're here today, according to MIT's Technology Review. Richard Smalley, winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for the discovery of the buckyball, is currently heading a project to produce a prototype carbon nanotube superconductor. They've already produced some wires up to 100 meters long--the only thing left to do is figure out how to produce only a certain type of nanotube, the "5,5 armchair nanotube," that conducts so well that it can be considered a superconductor."
Seems like from one direction optical computing is advancing, from another we're working towards room-temperature superconductors.
So what's the future look like? Quantum processors with superconducting and optical connections? I wonder how these various technologies will actually be deployed?
While the effects are still debated, would this have any effect on radiation given off from high tension power lines? Would the electricity be carried at a higher or lower frequency?
The article says that there is "almost no loss of energy." But real superconductors truly have zero resistance. Once you start a current in a superconducting loop it runs for years without decreasing. AFAIK a decrease has never been observed. The article is unclear about whether this actually is a super-conductor or not. Does anyone know for a fact?
So much work (and funding) is being poured into finding alternative energy sources, I wonder how much the discovery of a scaleable, inexpensive, widely deployable (as in converting the world's energy grid) superconducting power distribution system has been quantified.
I do understand that this isn't that, and that there are a million barriers to be overcome, and that fossil fuels need a replacement Real Soon Now, but I do wonder if anyone knows of any studies out there trying sort out how much energy is currently lost in the distribution of consumer power, and how much less we'd need to generate if a practical superconducting solution is found.
Factoring in a reasonable probability of success in both sides, it would be interesting to see whether the potential cost/benefit of investments in finding superconducting solutions all the way to the last mile might be as or more efficient in the long run than funding research in new power sources.
I know, it shouldn't be either or in any case, but it's just a thought...
The only acceptable defense of scientific results is to say that they were the product of the Scientific Method.
There was a discussion yesterday about using LEDs to replace incandescent lights. One thing that came up was the power losses associated with stepping down the mains voltage to voltages required by LEDs.
Even if the carbon nanotubes are not technically superconductors, if their resistance is much lower than copper they might be ideal for low voltage home wiring. You could step the mains down to 5 or 12 volts in a central location in your house, and power the all your low voltage electronics without having to worry about I^2R losses.
If powerlines could have negligible resistance, then it will be viable to transmit power as DC. (At the moment, AC is used to minimize power loss during transmission.) This could mean that devices could plug into a (say) 12V DC outlet right in the wall, eliminating all the heat loss from each individual transformer, and getting rid of the bulk. Imagine, your computer wouldn't need some massive AC-DC power supply! (Obviously it'd still need a small, simple one to transform down to 5V, etc.)