HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

Chapter-1
INTRODUCTION
1.1. History
The phenomenon in which the electrical resistance falls down to zero when some
materials are cooled to very low temperatures is known as Superconductivity. It was
discovered by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes on 1911 in Leiden, Netherlands. When he cooled
Mercury to 4 K it showed zero resistance for the flow of electrons.
For seventy-five years after that, researchers attempted to observe superconductivity
at higher and higher temperatures. In the late 1970s, superconductivity was observed in
certain metal oxides at temperatures as high as 13 K (260.2 C), which were much higher
than those for elemental metals. In 1987, K Alex Mueller and J. Georg Bednorz, working at
the IBM research lab near Zurich, Switzerland were exploring a new class of ceramics for
superconductivity. Bednorz encountered a compound of Lithium, Barium and Copper oxide
whose resistance dropped down to zero at a temperature around 35 K (238.2 C). This is
how High Temperature Superconductivity was discovered.

1.2. Introduction to High Temperature Superconductors (HTS)

High-temperature superconductors (abbreviated high- Tc or HTS) are materials that
behave as superconductors at unusually high temperatures. Whereas "ordinary" or metallic
superconductors usually have transition temperatures (temperatures below which they super
conduct) of about 30 K (243.2 C), HTS superconductors have been observed with
transition temperatures as high as 110 K (163 C).
The search for high temperature superconductors (HTS) has been ongoing since the
discovery of the first superconductor. A graph of the high temperature superconductors and
the year of their discovery can be found in figure 1. In 1986, the high temperature
superconductor LaBaCuO which has a Tc of 35K was discovered by Karl Muller and
Johannes Bednorz. This discovery led to the a new interest in a class of superconductors
known as cuprates that consist of copper-oxygen planes. The critical temperature was
EEE Dept, BITM
Page 1

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

increased to 90K, above the liquid temperature of nitrogen, with the discovery of YBaCuO in
1987. Cuprates remained (and still do) a high priority due to its high Tc until the discovery of
superdconductivity in iron-pnictides bled by Yoichi Kamihara who discovered that the CuO
plane is not a requirement for superconductivity. [3] While the mechanism for
superconductivity in both cuprates and pnictides is still to a greunknown, there have been
many attempts made to explain the phenomenon. HTS are type-II superconductors. The
meaning and repercussions of this will be explored as well as the mechanism for
superconductivity in the relatively new discovered pnictides.
As of 2009, the highest-temperature superconductor (at ambient pressure) is mercury
barium calcium copper oxide (HgBa2Ca2Cu3Ox), at 135 K and is held by a cuprate-perovskite
material, which possibly reaches 164 K under high pressure.

Fig.1.1:Graph of the highest temperature superconductors and the year of discovery.

EEE Dept, BITM

Page 2

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

Chapter-2
HTS Motors
Motors are machines that convert electrical energy into mechanical energy using
magnetic forces. When current is passed through a wire loop that lies in a magnetic field, a
turning force, or torque, is created that causes the loop to rotate. In motors, this rotating
motion is transmitted to a shaft. This rotational energy is then utilized for useful work in the
form of mechanical power. Industrial motors are used for running pumps, fans, and
compressors as well as in equipment involved in the handling and processing of
manufactured materials. Marine propulsion motors are used to propel commercial vessels and
warships.
Electric motors were first designed in the 1890s, despite the lengthy period of time in
which motors have been in development, motors are still far from being perfectly efficient
converters of electrical to mechanical energy. The principal causes of lost power in motors
come from the electrical resistance of the wire and from mechanical friction.

2.1. Superconducting Motors

Superconducting motors are new types of AC synchronous motors that employ HTS
(High Temperature Superconductor) windings in place of conventional copper coils [Masson,
2005]. Because HTS wire can carry significantly larger currents than can copper wire, these
windings are capable of generating much powerful magnetic fields in a given volume of
space.

2.2. HTS Wire Development

Superconductors are used in electric motors to create a magnetic field in the air gap that is
about twice the value as that found in a conventional, nonsuperconducting motor. The
increased magnetic field results in a smaller motor size and reduced motor loss for the same
motor output power compared to a conventional motor. Commercially viable HTS motors
will require high performance HTS wire. The HTS field winding in the superconducting
motor must carry a current density in the superconducting material on the order of 100,000
EEE Dept, BITM
Page 3

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

amps/cm2 (645,000 amps/in2) in a magnetic field of 5 Tesla . American Superconductor
company (AMSC) Boston, Massachusetts, USA is the leader in HTS wire development.
Generally the HTS wire material used in machine are BSCCO (Bismuth strontium
calcium copper oxide) or Bi-2223(the n=3 compound (Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+x)) materials. Bi2223 wires are able to carry current densities of abt. 100 times higher than copper. The Bi2223 is a high strength reinforced wire which is able to with stand close to 30MPa tensile
strength and 0.4% tensile strain at 77k. These reinforced wires provide a mechanically robust
and reliable product, which are suitable for making high performance propulsion motors and
generators.

Fig .2.1: BSCCO Tapes and Wire

EEE Dept, BITM
Page 4

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

2.3. Design and Principle of operation

Motors consist of two main parts, a rotor and a stator. The interaction between the
magnetic field provided by the rotor and the alternating currents (AC) flowing in the
windings result in electromagnetic torque. Conventional motors use copper windings and an
iron core to increase the magnitude of the air gap flux density created by copper windings.
Iron has a nonlinear magnetic behavior and saturates at a flux density of 2 tesla, thus limiting
the electromagnetic torque. In HTS motors, the copper rotor windings can be replaced with
superconducting windings with a resulting current density 10 times greater without any
resistive losses. The superconducting motor is virtually an air core where the stator is
constructed without the iron teeth of a conventional motor. This type of construction
eliminates core saturation and iron losses.

Figure 2.2: Comparison between a conventional synchronous motor and an HTS

Synchronous motor [Masson, 2005].
EEE Dept, BITM
Page 5

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

Figure 2.1 shows a comparison between the construction of a conventional motor and
an HTS motor. In the HTS motor, the rotor consists of field coils made with HTS wires fed
with direct current (DC). The dc inductor windings typically operate at a temperature of 25
40 K (415 to 388oF), with a dc flux density of up to 4 tesla. Although high temperature
superconducting wires can carry direct current with almost no losses, transient loads on the
motor can lead to variations of magnetic field on the coils. HTS wires are sensitive to such
field variations, and the resulting losses can lead to a decrease in current density and a loss of
the superconducting state. In order to prevent this, an electromagnetic shield is placed in the
air gap, usually as part of the rotor assembly. This shield can be a bulk metallic hollowed
cylinder or a squirrel cage.

EEE Dept, BITM

Page 6

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

Figure 2.3: Cutaway view of 5-MW HTS motor [Masson, 2005]

EEE Dept, BITM

Page 7

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

Figure 2.4: AMSC/ONR 5-MW HTS motor [Masson, 2005]

Figures 2.3 and 2.4 show an actual 5-MW HTS motor designed and built by
American Superconductor (AMSC) and ALSTOM for the U.S. Navys Office of Naval
Research. This 230-rpm HTS ship propulsion motor is a model for larger motors to be used
in ship propulsion. The motor has completed factory acceptance tests and has undergone
extensive testing at the Center for Advanced Power Systems at Florida State University,
Tallahassee. The tests include full power test at 5MW and dynamic long-term testing
emulating ship propeller action to determine how an HTS motor performs under realistic
service conditions onboard a ship. AMSC is presently designing a 36.5-MW (50,000- hp)
HTS motor, also for the U.S. Navy, as a full-scale propulsion motor for use on surface ships .
Superconducting wires currently available are too sensitive to flux variation to be
used in the armature. Flux variation results in ac losses raising the temperature in the
superconductor and thereby limiting the operating current. Therefore, conventional copper
wires are used in the armature. The synchronous motor configuration represents the most
feasible topology for superconducting motors; however, many unconventional HTS motor
configurations based on the unique properties of superconductors have been developed in
laboratories worldwide.
EEE Dept, BITM
Page 8

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

2.4. Commercial HTS Motor Topology

Figure 3.4 presents the salient features of the HTS synchronous
motor topology. Its geometry is similar to that of superconducting
synchronous generators developed in the past. The motor has an air core
(i.e. nonmagnetic) construction so that the air gap field can be increased
without the core loss and saturation problems imposed by a laminated
stator and rotor iron core. Only the outer layer, the laminated frame and
flux shield, is made of magnetic material which acts as a flux shunt to
confine the high magnetic fields within the motor. A nonmagnetic and
nonconducting support structure for the copper armature winding is
located inside the frame.
The normal conducting (copper) armature winding lies just outside of the air gap. It
must be constructed from transposed filaments to reduce eddy current losses. The armature
conductors will experience field levels that are about an order of magnitude above those
experienced in a conventional motor. Conventional motor conductors lie in high permeability
teeth which redirect the flux away from the conductors so that only the slot leakage flux
actually penetrates the copper. In the superconducting motor, since the armature conductors
see the entire air gap flux density, the armature winding must be carefully designed to
minimize eddy current losses.
Under steady state operation the motor rotor rotates in synchronism with the rotating
field created by the three phase armature currents and the superconducting field winding
experiences only DC magnetic fields. Under load or source transients, however, the rotor will
move with respect to the armature created rotating field and it will experience AC fields. In a
conventional synchronous motor these AC fields induce currents in damper windings or bars
that create restoring torques to bring the rotor back into synchronism after a disturbance.
These damper windings also serve as the rotor cage winding for across-the-line starting.
The superconducting motor will be started by ramping the output frequency of the
armature inverter, therefore a starting cage will not be necessary. Damping will be provided
by concentric conducting shells located outside of and rotating with the field winding. These
are designated as the AC flux shield and high strength damper in Figure 3.4 The shells must
EEE Dept, BITM
Page 9

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

also act to shield the field winding from all AC fields created during transients to prevent AC
losses from occurring in the superconductors. It is expected that a two layer shielding
structure will be utilized to accomplish the damping and shielding effectively. The outer layer
(the high strength damper in Figure 3.4) will be a high strength material at room temperature
(a warm shield) which will act as the damper winding and provide some AC flux shielding.

Fig2.5 Cross-section of a large horsepower synchronous motor with HTS field windings

EEE Dept, BITM

Page 10

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

Inside of the outer warm shield will be a thermal insulation space (vacuum) that
surrounds the rotor cryostat. The inner layer of the rotor damper/shield structure will be a
high conductivity shell that is near the operating temperature of the superconducting coils.
This inner shield (the high conductivity AC flux shield in Figure 1.6) will provide some
damping and, most importantly, acts to shield the superconducting field winding from any
AC fields that pass through the outer warm shield. Inside the inner shield is the
superconducting field winding on a nonmagnetic support structure. The superconducting
field coils will be immersed in some cryogenic coolant. The coolant will leave the cold space
of the rotor through heat exchangers which will minimize the conduction of heat into the cold
space through the torque tubes. The coolant will be transferred into and out of the rotor
through a rotating transfer coupling and be refrigerated by some means outside the motor.

EEE Dept, BITM

Page 11

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

Chapter-3
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HTS MOTORS
3.1. Advantages of using HTS Motors
Compared to equivalent rating of conventional Synchronous motors these HTS motors are
expected to be:1. Lighter and compact i.e., about half the length and two-thirds of the diameter of a
conventional Synchronous Motor.
2. Less expensive due to compact in size and lighter in weight.
3. Provide superior stable operation in a power system.
4. More efficient and reliable.
5. It emits very less heat so can be cooled with low cost.
6. The field windings of the HTS Motor are made with HTS conductor material which
operates at 35-40 kelvin and can be cooled with least expense.
7. The HTS field winding produces magnetic fields higher than those of conventional
Synchronous Motors.
8. HTS Motors have higher efficiency at part load (down to 5% of full speed), that
results in savings in fuel use and operating cost. The advantage in efficiency can be
over 10% at low speed.
9. HTS motors have lower sound emissions than conventional machines.
10. HTS air-core motors are characterized by a low synchronous reactance which results
in operation at very small load angles. Operating at a small load angle provides
greater stiffness during the transient and hunting oscillations

EEE Dept, BITM

Page 12

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

3.2. Disadvantages of HTS Motors

1. The cost, size, weight, and complications of the cooling system.
2. A sudden decrease or elimination of motor or generator action if the superconductors
leave their superconductive state.
3. A greater tendency for rotor speed instability. A superconducting rotor does not have
the inherent damping of a conventional rotor. Its speed may hunt or oscillate around
its synchronous speed.
4. Motor bearings need to be able to withstand cold or need to be insulated from the cold
rotor.

5.

As a synchronous motor, electronic control is essential for practical operation.

Electronic control introduces expensive harmonic loss in the super cooled rotor
electromagnet.

EEE Dept, BITM

Page 13

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

Chapter-4
APPLICATIONS AND BENIFITS
4.1 Applications of HTS Motors in ships
The HTS ship propulsion motors offer a range of benefits and advantages for both naval and
commercial shipping applications including the following:
Up to three-time higher torque density than alternative technologies, HTS machines
are more compact and lighter in weight. The size and weight benefits make HTS
machine less expensive and easier to transport and install as well as allowing for
arrangement flexibility in the ship.
High efficiency from full-to-low speed, boosting fuel economy, sustained speed, and
mission range, all key mission parameters for warships.
A typical navy ship, needs two propulsion motors, each rated 36.5 MW, 120 rpm.
Such large motors have been built using conventional technology but they are four to
five times heavier than the 36.5 MW HTS Motor.

Fig. 4.1Difference between HTS and conventional propulsion Motors

4.2. What are the Benefits?

EEE Dept, BITM
Page 14

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

Less vibration and noise - Elimination of iron teeth in the stator results in a lightweight
motor that boasts quiet and smooth operation.
Smaller size and weight - The compact design of HTS motors will facilitate placement in
transportation applications where space and/or weight is at a premium, as well as in upgrades
of industrial facilities where increased power requirements conflict with limited space
availability. Figure 6.1 and 6.2 shows a comparison between a conventional motors used for
marine purpose and the HTS motors.

Figure 4.1: Comparison of HTS Motors with Conventional motors in terms of Volume
[MSCL, 2001]

Figure 4.2: Comparison of HTS Motors with Conventional motors in terms of Weight
[MSCL, 2001]

EEE Dept, BITM

Page 15

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

Superconducting technology will be employed in a variety of motor designs.
Industrial HTS motors are designed for constant speed application. They will be operated at
1800 or 3600 rpm. For marine propulsion, a high-torque, low-speed design is favored. These
motors will be designed to operate at variable speeds below 200 rpm.
HTS generators offer improved efficiency thereby reducing machine losses by as
much as 50 percent compared to conventional generators of comparable size. In addition,
HTS generators are substantially smaller and lighter than copper based machines. These
advantages are very attractive in a ship environment where space and weight are at a
premium. Heat and thermal cycling of conventional rotating machines are one of the biggest
detractors to reliability and life expectancy. HTS rotating machines virtually eliminate these
failure modes by operating a near constant cryogenic temperature

EEE Dept, BITM

Page 16

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

Chapter-5
FUTURE SCOPE AND CONCLUSION
5.1. Future Scope
1. HTS motors will offer an attractive economic alternative to conventional motors by
virtue of their lower first (acquisition) cost and their reduced ongoing (operating) cost
2. Electric marine propulsion market is expected to quadruple over the next decade by
the use of HTS motors.
3. Superconducting specialty motors will be particularly attractive for niche applications
in which size and weight considerations come into play.
4. The military is also looking at using superconductive tape as a means of reducing the
length of very low frequency antennas employed on submarines.

5.2. Conclusion
In conclusion, superconducting motors can have a potentially large impact
on electrical energy utilization through reduced losses and size when
compared to conventional energy efficient iron core motors. This reduced
loss and smaller size will be the driving force for their commercial
introduction in industrial applications. Preliminary first cost analyses
predict that large HTS motors (larger than 1000 hp or 746 kW) will be an
economically viable commercial product. The quantity of superconducting
motors will be large and the energy savings potential as a result of their
application will be substantial both in the INDIA and worldwide.

EEE Dept, BITM

Page 17

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR MOTOR

References
[1]. https://www.wikipedia.org

[2]. IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, Vol.44, NO.5, September/October 2008

[3]. http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=949#_Where_and_How

[4]. http://www.superconductors.org/uses.htm

EEE Dept, BITM

Page 18