Development of Magnesium Diboride Coils for High Voltage Superconducting Transformers

"New high power airborne and mobile military systems will require megawatts of electrical power produced by very lightweight power sources. The majority of these new systems will require multi-megawatts of power delivered at very high-voltages.Generators will not be able to directly produce the high voltages so high-voltage, multi-megawatt transformers will be required. A superconducting transformer offers the possibility of developing very lightweight, high power transformer. While BSCCO andYBCO coated conductors are being considered for this application, the AC loss characteristics of these conductors are not ideal. In January 2000 it was announced that magnesium diboride compound is superconducting up to 39 K. Our present properties ofmagnesium diboride wires in the 20-30 K range in magnetic fields up to 2 tesla appear ideal for superconducting transformers. We have also demonstrated a magnetic shielding approach that can result in a significant reduction of AC losses. This proposalexplores the development and demonstration of magnesium diboride coils for both the primary and secondary coils of a superconducting transformer. By accelerating the development of a low cost, low AC loss magnesium diboride wire, commercial applicationsfor superconducting transformers, open MRI, generators, and motors will implemented sooner in the marketplace."