FEATURE NEWS:
Sumitomo in HTS motors
Sumitomo Electric is involved in a Japanese consortium that earlier this year developed the world's first practical-level High-Temperature Superconducting motor (HTS motor) that cools bismuth-based high-temperature superconducting wires by liquid nitrogen, and successfully completed the fabrication of a pod propulsion with this HTS motor.
Pod propulsion is a type of propulsion system employed in passenger vessels and other ships. Because it is attached to a ship's exterior, it allows effective use of interior ship space, reduces onboard noise and enhances ship's maneuverability. When a conventional motor is used in a large-size (high-output) pod propulsion system, the outside diameter of the propulsion system becomes large and practical use is therefore difficult.
The new HTS motor employs the bismuth-based high-temperature superconducting wire of Sumitomo Electric, which can be commercially produced using the company's innovative fabrication process. Liquid nitrogen is used as a cooling medium. Under the conventional technology, when liquid nitrogen is used for cooling, it had been difficult to obtain a high magnetic field required for large-capacity motor. The Japanese consortium succeeded in solving this problem and developed a compact, large-capacity HTS motor.
The pod incorporating this HTS motor is 0.8m in width and 2m in length, and the diameter of propulsion propeller is 1m. The pod diameter can be reduced by about half in actual equipment. The propeller rotation speed can be freely controlled in a range of 0 to 100 rpm in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.
The new HTS motor has achieved a revolutionarily small size, high efficiency and low energy consumption. It is expected to find potential applications in railcar motors, generators for wind power systems and large industrial motors (for example, those used in steel rolling mills).
Company: |
Sumitomo Electric Industries |
Country: |
Japan |
Fax: |
+81 33 423 5093 |
Email: |
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Website: |
www.sei.co.jp |