16 Jul 2009

High Temperature Superconductors

From Our Changing World, 9:20 pm on 16 July 2009

Bob Buckley, and some high temperature superconductor cables.

Bob Buckley and some high temperature superconductor cables (image: IRL)

When refrigerated to cryogenic temperatures, high temperature superconductors (HTS) have some pretty cool properties. Unlike conventional wires made of copper, HTS wires have virtually no resistance and can therefore carry much greater amounts of electricity through substantially smaller cables. Bob Buckley heads the HTS group at Industrial Research Limited where these superconducting materials are being developed, tested and then used in a variety of applications.

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