The new generation of superconductor equipment for the electric power grid

High-temperature superconductor (HTS) power equipment, such as power cables, synchronous condensers, fault current limiters (FCLs), and transformers, are poised to address key technical issues in the U.S. Power grid. This equipment is enabled by the successful development of robust long-length HTS wire, available commercially from a variety of manufacturers worldwide. Compared to conventional cables, HTS power cables offer higher capacity with minimal disturbance to neighboring underground infrastructure, and their low series impedance opens the opportunity for cost-effective power flow control with phase angle regulators. HTS cables are being actively prototyped worldwide. Based on technology developed for industrial and ship propulsion motors, an HTS synchronous condenser has been developed and successfully tested in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) grid; this is the first HTS power equipment to be offered commercially. It addresses the growing need for dynamic reactive power compensation for grid stability and power quality. HTS FCLs and transformers are also in active development.