SSCM^™

Area of Opportunity

Globally, electrical machines, generators and motors, are currently conventional copper (Cu) based devices. There is a significant opportunity to change the world’s electrical machines using the discovery of superconductivity. Past efforts to take advantage of superconductors (SC) in motors and generators focused on introducing the primary benefit of SC machines to increase the magnetic flux density in the air gap. This can increase the machine power density and specific power 2 to 4 times while substantially increasing efficiency versus a Cu based machine.

Statement of Problem

The problem to date is that SCs are not yet suitable for use in applications beyond a very stable environment. Industry is unable to reliably incorporate and handle fragile SC linear media for manufacturing level needs. This severely limits renewable applications, for example. SC materials development continues to yield increases in operational critical values. Simultaneously, cryogenic systems have experienced significant advances in performance and reliability led by advances in electronics and controls. What remains to solve the problems of the past is to establish a manufacturing target with very reasonable risk to embed reliability into the SC products. This capability starts with SC magnets and cables manufactured via the Infinity Physics MMP-LMHS^™ and MMP-LMHS-C^™ winding product lines.

SSCM^™ Solution

SSCM^™ creates a motor/generator containing performance increases in energy density through incorporation of high temperature superconductors. The novelty is developing a reliable and manufacturable superconducting machine cooled with liquid nitrogen and with higher performance characteristics than a conventional machine. The result is a working superconductor machine – a solid stepping stone advancing SC technology.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits

Providing power and energy densities without the danger of exceptionally high rotational speeds, SC devices and especially commercially advantageous high temperature superconductor (HTS) devices are believed to be the only solution for moving electromagnetic applications beyond conventional conductor and permanent magnet limitations. Developing the first commercialized HTS device has the farther reaching technical impact across industries spanning potential $100B+ awaiting commercial SC solutions.
The development of this SC machine is the gateway for refinement and incorporation of SC elements into machines all over the world. Beginning with applications possessing the greatest need for energy density such as renewable turbines, defense, and vehicles, designers can look to the success of SSCM^™ as inspiration to achieve more with electrical machines in less space and for lower cost.