Marco Nassi

Long length manufacturing of high performance BSCCO-2223 tape for the Detroit Edison Power Cable Project

American Superconductor has manufactured the BSCCO-2223 tapes for the Detroit Edison Power Cable Project. Pirelli Cables and Systems, along with Detroit Edison, Lotepro, EPRI, and Los Alamos National Lab, are developing, manufacturing, and installing the worlds first HTS cable system in an electric utility network. Partially funded by the DOE-SPI program, the project goal is to fabricate, install, and test a 3-phase, 120-meter long, 100 MVA HTS cable system rated at 2400 A and 24 kV in Detroit Edisons Frisbie Station. Significant advances in HTS tape technology have been made in the past year, with average engineering critical current performance above 115 A at 77 K. We discuss the distribution of critical current as well as mechanical and environmental tests of more than 25 km of BSCCO tape manufactured for the Detroit Edison project. The environmental tests have been designed to simulate the behavior of HTS tapes under the actual operating conditions for an underground power cable.

Manufacturing and commissioning of 24 kV superconducting cable in Detroit

Abstract The development of power transmission system based on high temperature superconducting material is reaching an important goal with the ongoing Detroit Edison HTS Cable Project in Detroit, Michigan. AMSC, DOE, EPRI, LANL, Lotepro are the project partners. The system consist into designed 24 kV, 100 MVA three phase superconducting warm dielectric cables, compact terminations, one joint, refrigeration and control/monitoring system. Nine conventional cables in duct have been substituted with only three HTS cables operating at the same voltage and overall current. In this paper we present the status of the project.

HTS cable application studies and technical/economical comparisons with conventional technologies

The increasing constraints in generation siting coupled with a renewed emphasis on environmental sensibility, emerging trends in energy markets, and increasing reliability requirements challenges the power industry to develop new technologies for the transmission and distribution systems. These new technologies must have several key attributes, among them: flexibility, environmental friendliness, high efficiency and reliability. High temperature superconducting (HTS) cable systems can embody all of these key attributes. As the first high temperature superconducting (HTS) projects are gradually being commissioned worldwide, interest is increasing not only on the technology itself but on the most interesting scenarios of application. Therefore some investigations have been undertaken for evaluating the compatibility of HTS cable with the existing grid and estimating which conditions makes it as the best solution for a decision making process at T/D planning stage. The presentation is an overview of the scenarios investigated so far. Some of them are test network developed inside Pirelli, others are real scenarios which have been carried on with utilities within a framework of HTS projects where Pirelli is involved. Particular care has been devoted to analyze the HTS reliability impact on power system reliability. Short-circuit current level has been carefully considered. Technical/economical impact has been estimated in scenarios where congestion might occur and space occupancy and environmental oppositions make difficult suitable grid upgrading conventional projects. Possible peculiar HTS performances are finally mentioned as a possible feature which will increase T/D flexibility performances at planning and operation stages.

Status of warm dielectric cable installation at Detroit Edison

Abstract In response to the combined effects of growing energy demand and the impact of de-regulation of the electrical energy industry, pro-active utilities are ensuring flexibility and robustness of their networks, by upgrading or installed capacity in both transmission and distribution. In this regard, high-temperature superconducting (HTS) cable systems offer advantages where space, thermal capability and environmental conditions constrain capacity. To facilitate the transition of HTS cable technology from the laboratory to the field, Pirelli Cables and Systems, EPRI, Detroit Edison, a DTE Energy Company, ASC, and the US DOE have undertaken a program which will result in the demonstration of a HTS power cable to deliver electricity in a utility network. This program will demonstrate a retrofit upgrade application of the Warm Dielectric HTS cable design in the Detroit Edison utility network, and involve the design, engineering, installation, test and routine operation of a 24-kV, 100 MVA, 3-phase cable system. The original circuit, comprised of three parallel circuits of conventional cables, will be replaced by a single circuit of HTS cables which will provide the same power capacity. Each HTS cable will carry 2400 A RMS , a level triple the capacity of original cables powering this circuit. This paper addresses the issues relating to the field application of HTS cables in the context of the demonstration program.