AMSC has announced an order from Nexans for high-temperature superconductor (HTS) wire to be used in a superconductor fault current limiter (SFCL). The SFCL will act as a surge protector at AmpaCity, a project being undertaken by Nexans, European electricity and gas company RWE Group, and the German research institute KIT.
AmpaCity aims to replace inner-city high-voltage equipment with superconductor systems. AMSC says the SFCL will provide overload protection to a superconductor cable, lowering the fault current levels and allowing for a safe and reliable interconnection to the grid. The complete HTS system, comprising a cable and SFCL, will be manufactured by Nexans. The SFCL will employ AMSC's Amperium superconductor wire.
"The AmpaCity project is laying the groundwork for modern inner-city electricity distribution," says Nexans’ Jean-Maxime Saugrain. "The fault current limiter is an important part of the complete system, and we are happy to utilize AMSC wire for it."
Nexans and AMSC recently announced a cooperation to bring the same medium-voltage SFCLs to the North American market.
