Partner News: Superconducting record set by VESC

SCARLET partner VESC recently set a new record for applied superconductivity by demonstrating a current of 190000 amperes through a superconducting busbar, thus matching the operating current of an aluminium smelter.

The demonstrator consists of two current leads with a compact superconducting busbar of less than 30 cm in diameter in between them. The tests took place in Voerde, Germany at the Trimet aluminium plant, which produces aluminium from aluminium oxide (alumina) through electrolysis.

After this successful demonstration, there are already plans for the next application: a 600 m long superconducting busbar is to be laid parallel to an existing aluminium busbar, reducing the current transmission losses by around 90%.

All relevant information about the Demo200 project is available at https://demo200.de and the VESC press release can be viewed here.