European project for the development of high T/sub C/ current leads

A European BRITE/EURAM project for the development of current leads in the kA range using high-T/sub C/ superconductor parts has been started recently. The partners in this two-year project are two chemical companies, Hoechst and Rhone-Poulenc, and two companies in the field of electrical engineering, Siemens and Alcatel Alsthom. The goal of these four companies is to develop current leads for 4.2-K systems making use of high-T/sub C/ superconducting materials, to manufacture them, to demonstrate their performance in comparison with conventional all-metal current lead, and to develop relevant models. The objective is the realization of a demonstration current lead toward the end of the project. This device will operate at a steady-state current of 1000 A and an insulation voltage of 20 kV. The losses will be reduced to one-third of the losses of a conventional metallic current lead. First results are given on Y- and Bi-based current lead models, including calculations and the characterization of large bulk high-T/sub C/ samples up to a length of 200 mm with a I/sub C/ value reaching 2000 A.<>