Lau W.C.W.
LAU Superconductors Inc., US
Keywords: coilgun, HTS, radiation shield, satellite, superconductors
There has been a breakthrough in using long continuous fibers to reinforce High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) [1]. This has led to two innovations: a) Cosmic Ray Magnetic Shields protecting satellites and b) a Dipole Coilgun to magnetically launch projectiles including missiles and space payloads. Low Temperature Superconductors (LTS) require cooling to 4°K using rare and problematic liquid helium. Reinforced HTS only needs cooling to 95°K which can be achieved using cheap and readily available liquid nitrogen. These higher operating temperatures mean better performance and reliability at much cheaper cost. Reinforced HTS should expand existing superconductor markets for magnetic bearings, power industry Superconducting Fault Current Limiters (SFCL), diagnostic Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). A future of huge, but practical superconductor magnetic fields and current transmission offers opportunities for innovations such as the two described in this paper.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: TechConnect Briefs 2021
Published: October 18, 2021
Pages: 75 - 77
Industry sector: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
Topics: Advanced Materials for Engineering Applications, Materials Characterization & Imaging
ISBN: 978-0-578-99550-2