A new generation of cable will revolutionize the energy sector.
Engineers in Shanghai have successfully launched and tested a 1.2 km long superconducting electrical cable with an operating voltage of 35 kV. This project is claimed to be the longest kilometer-long superconducting cable in the world .
Superconducting cables use the phenomenon of superconductivity to transmit electricity with almost no loss. The principle of operation is to reduce the transmission resistance of electricity to almost zero when cooled with liquid nitrogen. A single superconducting cable can transmit as much energy as four to six conventional cables of the same voltage, while saving about 70% of underground space.
This project includes a unique cable laid entirely in channels in the central district of Shanghai (Xuhui District) between two 220 kV substations. The rated current of the cable is 2200 amperes. The development was carried out by the Shanghai Electrical Cable Research Institute (SECRI) under the leadership of Shenergy Group, which has been specializing in electrical cables for the past 60 years.
Huang Chunqi, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and an expert in superconducting cables, notes that the widespread use of such cables can solve the problems of high electricity density and limited space in ultra-large cities such as Shanghai. The SECRI team highlights the importance of self-driving innovation in this cutting-edge industry.
"Our own development has reduced the cost of superconducting raw materials previously monopolized by foreign countries by almost two - thirds," says Huang, senior engineer at SECRI.
According to data released in September 2022 by the National Development and Reform Commission, China has built the world's largest power grid. The total length of electricity transmission lines above 35 kV in China is 2.26 million kilometers, which is equivalent to 56 circles around the Earth.
Now it is planned to create longer cables. The 1.2 km long electric cable in Shanghai is an important starting point for developing 5 and 10 km cables. "We used to import all the high-voltage cables, but now the domestic ones have started to catch up," adds Zong Xihua, SECRI's deputy chief engineer.
Engineers in Shanghai have successfully launched and tested a 1.2 km long superconducting electrical cable with an operating voltage of 35 kV. This project is claimed to be the longest kilometer-long superconducting cable in the world .
Superconducting cables use the phenomenon of superconductivity to transmit electricity with almost no loss. The principle of operation is to reduce the transmission resistance of electricity to almost zero when cooled with liquid nitrogen. A single superconducting cable can transmit as much energy as four to six conventional cables of the same voltage, while saving about 70% of underground space.
This project includes a unique cable laid entirely in channels in the central district of Shanghai (Xuhui District) between two 220 kV substations. The rated current of the cable is 2200 amperes. The development was carried out by the Shanghai Electrical Cable Research Institute (SECRI) under the leadership of Shenergy Group, which has been specializing in electrical cables for the past 60 years.
Huang Chunqi, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and an expert in superconducting cables, notes that the widespread use of such cables can solve the problems of high electricity density and limited space in ultra-large cities such as Shanghai. The SECRI team highlights the importance of self-driving innovation in this cutting-edge industry.
"Our own development has reduced the cost of superconducting raw materials previously monopolized by foreign countries by almost two - thirds," says Huang, senior engineer at SECRI.
According to data released in September 2022 by the National Development and Reform Commission, China has built the world's largest power grid. The total length of electricity transmission lines above 35 kV in China is 2.26 million kilometers, which is equivalent to 56 circles around the Earth.
Now it is planned to create longer cables. The 1.2 km long electric cable in Shanghai is an important starting point for developing 5 and 10 km cables. "We used to import all the high-voltage cables, but now the domestic ones have started to catch up," adds Zong Xihua, SECRI's deputy chief engineer.
