In an effort to inform the U.S. Congress, energy stakeholders, and the general public about smart grid efforts, the Department of Energy (DOE) released the first Smart Grid System Report in July, which covers the status of smart grid developments nationwide and any regulatory or government barriers that would impede growth. The report declared that while many smart grid capabilities are just beginning to evolve, the adoption of various technologies such as smart metering, automated substation controls, and distributed generation is growing at a rapid pace. The full Smart Grid System Report is available at this site for reference.
Several companies and universities have been award grants through the Recovery Act, also known as the U.S. Stimulus package, for smart grid projects, and the entire list is now available. One of the recipients was American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC), which is a global energy technologies company, who received more than $12 million in funding to complete several ongoing superconductor smart grid initiatives.
AMSC will be utilizing $4.8 million, in addition to $3.2 million of past support, to develop a three-phase 138 kilovolt (kV) fault current limiter (FCL) using the company’s “344 superconductors,” based on a complex compound of yttrium-barium-copper-oxide. This FCL will feature a proprietary Siemens-developed, low-inductance coil technology, which should enable a smooth integration to a grid system. AMSC is serving as the project manager and wire supplier; however, the team also includes Southern California Edison, Siemens AG, Nexans, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
In general, superconductivity is a phenomenon that is observed in certain materials at very low temperatures, well below room temperature, where no electrical resistance occurs. Superconductor wires or cables, which are the product of many years of materials science research, enable self-protecting attributes for associated power networks by adjusting automatically to disruptions in equipment due to weather, willful destruction, or other factors. Superconductor cables can be placed strategically underground in the transmission grid to draw current flow from overtaxed conventional cables or overhead lines, relieving network congestion. Ultra-low resistance, better known as ultra-low impedance cables, will help solve grid congestion problems and enable implementation of new grid configurations. High-capacity, low impedance superconductor cables offer significant benefits over conventional overhead transmission lines and copper cables. By replacing copper wire with high-temperature superconductor wire (HTS) in power cables, 10 times the amount of power transmission can be produced; thus, making them an ideal solution for network upgrades and urban retrofit projects.
Therefore, stimulus funding for the conversion to superconductor technology in building state smart grids or a nationwide smart grid should definitely lead to Green job creation and economic growth, analogous to the development of the U.S. interstate road system. It is also an opportunity for the superconductor industry to finally expand in lieu of a large-scale commercial application, as the community continues to struggle in achieving any sign of viable room-temperature commercial integration that would transform mainstream electric power usage for all applications.
via Superconductors make smart grid: super-smart & super-rich with stimulus funding.
Related posts:
- AMSC nets $12M for superconductor smart grid projects – Mass High Tech Business News
- Smart Grid demo in line for stimulus funding | Northern Colorado Business Report
- U.S. Energy Dept. Awards $47 Million in Recovery Act Funding for EV Smart Grids | Green Car Advisor
- PNNL gets stimulus funding for ‘smart grid’ research | Tri-City Herald
- Smart grid stimulus funding: opportunity for businesses & governments
