Naval Ship-to-Shore High Temperature Superconducting Power Transmission Cable Feasibility

The process to establish shore power connectivity for a naval ship requires the use of numerous copper cables extending from power substations on the pier to receptacles on board the ship. The copper cables are very heavy, cumbersome, and hard to handle. The weight of the cables requires a coordinated effort between a crew on the pier, and a crew on the ship. In many instances , handling these cables requires the use of a crane or a boom truck to extend them from the pier-side power substations up to the ship's connection point. A feasibility study has been conducted to investigate the use of high temperature superconducting (HTS) cables to transmit power from land based power substations to naval ships. Since a single HTS cable can replace an array of copper cables, the time required to connect a ship to shore power would be decreased therefore reducing the amount of time the ship must run its generators. The reduction in weight will also enhance safety for the personnel handling the cables.