For more than a century, condensed matter physics has grappled with one of its greatest unsolved challenges: how to build superconductors that operate at room temperature and transmit electricity with no loss. Now, in a paper published in Nature, a team of Harvard physicists has reported new insights into why one promising superconductor has yielded mysteriously uneven results.
Can you expand on how that works please ? The gearbox converts the slow rotational speed of the turbine into a high rpm output because that is needed for the generator to make useful power as I understand it.
How does the superconductor convert that slow rpm ?
With a superconductor, you can create a much more powerful electromagnet through which the coil will still produce a lot of voltage even when turning very slowly. Thus, you can use a much simpler gearbox or even just skip it entirely.
Can you expand on how that works please ? The gearbox converts the slow rotational speed of the turbine into a high rpm output because that is needed for the generator to make useful power as I understand it.
How does the superconductor convert that slow rpm ?
With a superconductor, you can create a much more powerful electromagnet through which the coil will still produce a lot of voltage even when turning very slowly. Thus, you can use a much simpler gearbox or even just skip it entirely.