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Second Generation Superconductor Power Cable Conductor Using American Superconductor Wire Achieves Commercial Electrical Performance; Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Ultera's Test Results Exceed Expectations, Support Key Role for Superconductors in Power Grid of the Future.

Article Excerpt
American Superconductor Corporation , a leading electricity solutions company, today announced at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Superconductivity Peer Review Meeting held here, that its second generation (2G) high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire exceeded performance expectations by over 50% in tests conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on a cable conductor made with 2G wire. The cable conductor, the central conductive element in power cables, was fabricated by Ultera, a joint venture between Southwire Company and nkt cables, in collaboration with ORNL. The ORNL test results confirmed the 1.25 meter long device as the world's first 2G cable conductor to achieve a commercial performance level (i.e., an alternating current level greater than 2,000 Amperes).

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"Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Ultera and American Superconductor have taken a major step forward in the demonstration of superconductor power cable technology - a technology vital to the future of the U.S. power grid," said Jimmy Glotfelty, senior policy advisor to the Secretary of Energy. "Upgrading our nation's electrical infrastructure is a large and essential task. With a growing number of first generation HTS power cable projects already planned and underway, the strong results of this initial second generation demonstration strengthen our conviction that superconductor technology will play a key role in...