An improved 60 Hz superconducting power transmission cable

The third in a series of 10 m, Nb
3
Sn cables for ac power transmission has been installed in a horizontal, refrigerated cryostat. Like the two previous ones, this coaxial cable has its ends rigidly fixed so that it cannot contract axially on cooldown, and has two layers of superconducting helices and two layers of high purity aluminum helices for stabilization in each conductor. It differs from the previous one in having thicker electrical insulation (7.4 mm vs 3.6 mm), in having increased contact resistance between the superconducting layers to reduce ac loss, and in being driven by an external supply through horizontal, coaxial, vapor-cooled current leads. This is the final short cable prior to construction late this year of a 100 m cable which will be tested with high voltage and high current simultaneously. Results of current tests are presented, including ac loss at various temperatures and recovery from thermally induced quenches.