Development of YBCO power devices in Japan

A new Japanese national project, called M-PACC, to develop high temperature superconducting electric power devices started in June last year (FY2008–FY2012). This project aims to develop three different types of electric power devices that are expected to provide stable power supplies with large capacity and small size by using YBCO coated conductors. The first program is the development of a 2 GJ class superconducting magnetic energy storage system to control stable electric power systems. It is planned to develop several sets of element coils for a 20 MJ class system as a technological feasibility study for a 2 GJ class coil. The second program is the development of two different types of power cables with higher performance than existing power cables; one is a three-core 66 kV–5 kA class large current cable and the other is a single-phase 275 kV–3 kA class high voltage cable. These cable were required several technological developments, namely, large current and low AC loss, high voltage insulation and low dielectric loss, and power and heat balance for both cables. The third program is the development of a 20 MVA class power transformer with 66 kV/6.9 kV as a distribution transformer. In this project, power transformer systematization technology including 2 kA class large current coil technology, anti short-circuit wire winding technology, AC loss reduction technology, and winding technology will be developed.