Parametric Study of AC Current Lead for the Termination of HTS Power Cable

High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) transmission cable can carry more than 2 to 5 times higher electricity and also obtain substantially lower transmission losses than conventional cables. Liquid nitrogen is to be used to cool the HTS power cable and its cost is much cheaper than the liquid helium used for the cooling of metal superconducting wire. In Korea the HTS power cable development project has been ongoing since July, 2001 with the basic specifications of 22.9kV, 50MVA and told dielectric type as the first 3-year stage. The cryogenic system of the HTS cable is composed of HTS cable cryostat termination and refrigeration system. Termination of HTS cable is a connecting part between copper electrical cable at room temperature and HTS cable at liquid nitrogen temperature. In order to design the termination cryostat, it is required that the conduction heat leak and Joule heating on the current lead be reduced, the cryostat be insulated electrically and good vacuum insulation be maintained during long time operation. Heat loads calculations on the copper current lead have been performed by analytical and numerical method and the feasibility study fer the other candidate materials has also been executed.