Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor
by Filligree on Wednesday July 26, 2023 @05:04AM
(#36874870)
The figures I’ve seen for superconducting energy storage are in the regime of “10GWh per km of cable”.
Quite a bit more than chemical, in other words, the chief problem being what happens if it quenches. Or the cables break.
And cost.
Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor
by jacquesm on Wednesday July 26, 2023 @06:58AM
(#36875612)
Room temperature super conductors don't quench. Or at least, not until they reach the temperature at which they no longer work as superconductors, which for this one is 127 degrees Celsius.
That does make for an interesting failure mode if anything should every cause a small spot on a longer conductor to reach that temperature...
Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor
by Filligree on Wednesday July 26, 2023 @07:22AM
(#36875851)
"Beam of light shooting the heavens" value of "interesting", yes. Though I suppose it would look like a small tactical nuke in effect.
Re:The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor
by jacquesm on Wednesday July 26, 2023 @06:25PM
(#36886039)
No, at the breach it will just burn up until the arc dissipates. But it will be an impressive fireworks display. A superconductor is in the end just another conductor, it has a well defined current carrying capacity while superconducting and if it stops doing that then that current will suddenly see an increased resistance, how much current is moving through it at the time it failes determines how fast and how violent it burns out when it goes, but it won't be unlike another transmission line failure. Those are still very impressive:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zib4IV2TIg
It stays lit until the breaker goes at 3:57.
That in turn could power an energy revolution which has the potential to reduce carbon based fuel consumption dramatically.
That's SF right now, but there are pathways to very interesting futures unlocked by a material such as the one described in the paper, all of them subject to the usual caveats that it's a 'mere matter of engineering' and that it may prove to be far too costly in practice. And it wouldn't reverse climate change but it could help slow down the acceleration of climate change.