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American Superconductor and
China's Institute of Electrical Engineering Announce Demonstration of First
Superconductor Power Transformer in Chinese Energy Distribution Grid
Westborough, MA, Mar. 8:
American Superconductor Corporation (Nasdaq:
AMSC), a leading
energy technologies company, and China's Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEE)
today announced that IEE has successfully demonstrated a prototype
superconductor-based power transformer for the first time in a power grid in
China. The transformer was fabricated by IEE in collaboration with TBEA
Industrial Transformer Group, the largest transformer manufacturer in China,
utilizing high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire manufactured by AMSC. The
HTS transformer has operated since November 21, 2005 in a power grid in the city
of Changji, Xinjiang Province serving a TBEA manufacturing plant.
Power transformers are utilized
in power grids to increase voltage (electrical "pressure") in power lines at
generating plants so that electricity may be delivered through power lines to
customers with lower energy losses. Transformers are then used again to
decrease voltage to more user-friendly levels near customers. Replacing copper
wire currently employed in conventional transformers with high efficiency HTS
wire reduces the waste of energy inside the transformer due to copper wire's
electrical resistance. Another major advantage is the substitution of cheap,
environmentally-friendly liquid nitrogen (air is 79% nitrogen) in HTS
transformers to provide cooling and electrical insulation for the more expensive
electrical insulating oils utilized in conventional transformers. This reduces
oil consumption and the risk of transformer fires associated with oil leaks.
The U.S. Department of Energy
estimates that the worldwide market for transformers with power ratings over
10MVA exceeds US$1 billion annually, with the fastest growth in sales of
transformers occurring outside the U.S. In China, the rate of power consumption
increased by 9% in 2001 and continued to increase year-over-year reaching a rate
of 14.8% in 2004, according to the China Electric Power Research Institute. The
rate of increase of power consumption in the U.S. during the same period was
approximately 2% to 3% per year.
According to Dr. Liye Xiao,
Deputy Director of the IEE and Director of the Applied Superconductivity
Laboratory at the Chinese Academy of Science, this project is an important step
in demonstrating the value of superconductor transformers to improve the energy
efficiency and reliability of power grids while reducing the amount of oil
needed for use as the electrical insulation medium in large, conventional
transformers. "Demand for electric power in China continues to grow dramatically
year-over-year," said Dr. Xiao. "We need to utilize innovative technologies
such as superconductor transformers, fault current limiters and other devices,
to guarantee the reliability and stability of our power grids because
electricity is an essential ingredient in achieving sustainable economic
growth."
"This demonstration project is
a critical step on the path to the development of practical, commercial
superconductor transformers in China -- a market we believe will be very large,"
said Greg Yurek, chief executive of AMSC. "China represents one of the fastest
growing markets for superconductor transformers. This is because the demand for
electricity continues to rise very rapidly and because energy efficiency is
becoming increasingly important in China."
Technical Background
The superconductor transformer
developed by IEE is a three-phase, 630kVA device that transforms voltages from
10kV to 400V. It utilizes an amorphous alloy core to further reduce electrical
losses over that achieved by the superconductor wires alone. The total energy
efficiency of this first device was 98.3%. It is expected that more mature
designs will achieve efficiencies as high as 99.9%. During its operation at the
TBEA transformer plant, the HTS transformer was tested by the Shenyang
Transformer Institute, which confirmed the prototype met all transformer
standards. The prototype transformer is expected to remain in operation for a
total of six months, after which it will be removed from service to undergo
internal examination of all of the components in order to learn how to make
improvements for commercial systems. The device will then be improved if needed
and returned to operation in the power grid.
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