6 ms·
We probably need superconductors for that.
by kshmir 2y ago
We probably need superconductors for that.
- ggm 2y agoNo, you don't need superconductors. HVDC works fine, and minimises transmission losses to an acceptable level for long distance transfer of power.
- justinclift 2y agoFor reference: HVDC transmission losses are quoted at 3.5% per 1,000 km (620 mi), about 50% less than AC (6.7%) lines at the same voltage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-voltage_direct_current#Comparison_with_AC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-voltage_direct_current#Co...
- bilbo0s 2y agoMeh. Probably not in China, since the math with respect to losses works out. The distance from, say, a sunny place like Lanzhou to Shanghai, or even to Guangzhou, is relatively close. But of course, exporting from Australia to the rest of the world will be problematic. Not sure how that will work? My impression, however, was that they were only trying to get the energy to Singapore? Which should work. It is 3 times longer than what the Chinese are trying to do, and underwater. But again, theoretically, it should work.
- labster 2y agoAustralia could make their land more productive with desalinization. Expensive energy is the main reason it isn’t done (what to do with the waste brine is the other bit).
- foobarian 2y agoIsn't Australia basically a giant pile of bauxite? They could use solar to make aluminum locally and transport that.
- energy123 2y agoAustralia will export solar via undersea cables to close neighbours and via hydrogen to more distant locations
- kelvinquee 2y agoThis is already in planning [1] for a few years, and recently progressed further [2]. [1]: https://imgur.com/YMMaM6E https://imgur.com/YMMaM6E [2]: https://apnews.com/article/australia-singapore-solar-sun-cable-22dc0b31f4105411bc837a724977a8be https://apnews.com/article/australia-singapore-solar-sun-cab...
- mensetmanusman 2y agoNeed, no, but it would be awesome. In fact with enough excess energy we could afford to generate enough liquid nitrogen at scale to have superconducting lines to improve efficiency.
- nine_k 2y agoThe problem with the current crop of REBCO superconductors is not the cryogenics but the actual ceramic material being brittle. You can't make a wire or a cable, you can only operate with stiff, thin, fragile bars. On top of that. it's not cheap, $100-200 per meter of typical 200kA power band. I suppose copper is like an order of magnitude cheaper just for the cable, ignoring the whole liquid nitrogen piping.
- nullc 2y agoThe critical field in high temp superconductors is also much lower, which limits the current you can put through it.
- outside1234 2y agoNo, just a very high voltage grid since P=I^2*R and with very high voltages I (current) decreases proportionately and therefore exponentially in resistive power loss.
- denimnerd42 2y agothere's the skin effect though https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_effect so high voltage DC is a better option
- retrac 2y agoHydroelectric plants along the La Grande river in northern Quebec run a substantial part of New York and Boston. The power is transferred across about a thousand miles. Transmission loss is about 10%. Ten percent would be intolerable for fossil fuel generation but a quite acceptable cost in that context, given the generation is so cheap.