Field demonstration of a 24-kV warm dielectric HTS cable

Prototype HTS cable systems have been installed in laboratories and tested successfully around the world, proving the technical feasibility of the HTS cable system. Commercial cable systems, however, must not only be feasible, but meet practical requirements as well. To facilitate the transition of HTS cable technology from the laboratory to the field, a project has been initiated to install the world's first HTS power cable to deliver electricity in a utility network. This program will demonstrate a retrofit upgrade application of the warm dielectric HTS cable design in the Detroit Edison utility network, and involve the design, engineering, installation, test and routine operation of a 24-kV, 100 MVA, 3-phase cable system. Each HTS cable will carry 2400 A RMS, a level triples the ampacity of original cables powering this circuit. This paper addresses the field application of HTS cables in the context of the demonstration program. Customer perception will play a crucial role in the adoption of HTS cable systems by the utility industry. An updated perspective provided by the utility industry team members is included.