Dev.SN

Breakthrough in Superconductivity Research

posted by mattie_p on Monday February 17 2014, @07:37PM   
from the how-super-is-it dept.

romanr writes:

"Copper oxides, also known as cuprates, are the most promising materials for superconductivity. Today, cuprates can be superconductive at temperatures as high as -150 °C. But for many years scientists wondered why they lose superconductivity when concentration of electrons drops below certain level. Most scientist thought that the cuprates gradually became insulators.

Scientists from Université de Sherbrooke discovered that the loss of superconductivity is because of a sudden appearance of a distinct electronic phase in the material that enters into competition with the superconductivity and weakens it. It means, that higher temperature superconductors will be possible if we can get rid of the competing phase. This new approach opens a way to get an ambient temperature superconductivity."

• Would solve the NIMBY problem Would solve the NIMBY problem (Score: 4, Interesting) by Covalent on Monday February 17 2014, @09:43PM

  by Covalent (43) on Monday February 17 2014, @09:43PM (#1273) Journal

  Room temperature superconducting wires would allow power plants to be built in the middle of nowhere. Power could then be sent thousands of miles to the end user. This would also allow for a much greater degree of redundancy in the existing grid by allowing power to be shunted from areas of low demand to areas of higher demand from a great distance.

  Even if the superconductors didn't get up to "room temperature", it might still be cheaper to refrigerate a high capacity line than build a new plant closer to the users.

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  You can't rationally argue somebody out of a position they didn't rationally get into.

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• Re:Would solve the NIMBY problem Re:Would solve the NIMBY problem (Score: 2, Insightful) by mhajicek on Monday February 17 2014, @11:11PM

  by mhajicek (51) on Monday February 17 2014, @11:11PM (#1340)

  Long, low resistance power lines would also make wind, water, and solar power more practical.

  Parent

  • Re:Would solve the NIMBY problem (Score: 1) by Covalent on Tuesday February 18 2014, @12:04AM

    by Covalent (43) on Tuesday February 18 2014, @12:04AM (#1385) Journal

    Agreed! You could build wind farms far offshore or in Kansas and still send the power to NYC or LA or wherever.

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    You can't rationally argue somebody out of a position they didn't rationally get into.

    Parent

  • Re:Would solve the NIMBY problem (Score: 3, Informative) by TheRaven on Tuesday February 18 2014, @04:53AM

    by TheRaven (270) on Tuesday February 18 2014, @04:53AM (#1485) Journal

    Resistive losses are already under 10% for quite long hauls. Superconductors would have to be really cheap to make them useful for long hauls. If you can build wind / water / solar generators sufficiently cheaply, then it's probably better to just put up with the 10% loss than invest in hundreds of miles of superconducting power line, most likely requiring burying underground.

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    sudo mod me up

    Parent