Superconductors - limitations (1 Viewer)

[biscuit]

"Discuss the advantages of using superconductors and identify limitations to their use"

What are some limitations of superconductors?

 

[Jago]

cost of keeping the superconductor under critical temp is the main one.

 

[serge]

What are some limitations of superconductors?

lots of the good Type II ones with high superconducting temps
are brittle and are difficult/ expensive to turn into wire

 

[serge]

cost of keeping the superconductor under critical temp is the main one.

its not really, if your superconductor is superconducting near liquid nitrogen's
temp then it's really cheap, liquid nitrogen is as cheap as a bottle of water

(when getting pure oxygen for medicine/ industry you get liquid nitrogen as a waste product)

 

[Jago]

i was referring to liquid helium, aka the old superconductors, not the new HTS

 

[serge]

cool, either way, there are more limitations

critical flux density (maximum magnetic field a superconductor
will take before it stops superconducting.)

im pretty sure most SC have a high critical flux density,
but if you wanted to use a SC inside a power plant with
huge magnetic fields this might be a problem

 

[Abtari]

if your superconductor is superconducting near liquid nitrogen's
temp then it's really cheap, liquid nitrogen is as cheap as a bottle of water

wot about the costs for keeping at -196 degrees, not just 'getting liquid nitrogen'...you need to be able to maintain such low temperatures for long times...

 

[serge]

wot about the costs for keeping at -196 degrees, not just 'getting liquid nitrogen'...you need to be able to maintain that low temperatures for long times...

i dunno, keep pouring it on
is that what you mean?

 

[Abtari]

no i dont mean like keeping the material at low temperatures... thats the liquid nitrogen's job lol

i mean like keeping the liquid nitrogen 'liquid'....i.e. keeping it that cool...

 

[serge]

no i dont mean like keeping the material at low temperatures... thats the liquid nitrogen's job lol

i mean like keeping the liquid nitrogen 'liquid'....i.e. keeping it that cool...

you've got a valid point

but for results like 0 resistance
it doesnt seem to me like thats
the major limitation

(its not like you're recycling the stuff [liquid nitrogen], is that what you mean?)

 

[Abtari]

well in answer to the original query, i think it is a major limitation to its wide use.

the prohibitive cost and the advanced technology to establish such a system widely as well as the expenses in maintaining the material near critical temperatures is a sure limitation...

and yes, there are other auxiliary limitations or flaws if u will

- there is a maximum current density above which the superconductor resorts to being a normal conductor despite how cool it is

- there is a critical magnetic flux density above which the material stops superconducting, again...

- ceramics, or high temperature superconductors are relatively cheaper to put to wide use because of the higher temperatures required, but as has been said, their brittle nature means it would be hard to draw them into wires...

EDIT: auxiliary doesn't mean that these aren't important points. These are equally important limitations.

 

[DigitalFortress]

To get the superconducters which have higher critical temperatures (the ceramics) are difficult to turn into wire. Otherwise, it is costly to keep normal metals under the critical temp.

 

[biscuit]

thanks for the help