Designing Strong Dielectrics for GHe-Cooled HTS Systems through Nanocomposite Property Tuning; ONR WP Tracking #: 22-000003187
Abstract
Power generation and transmission on U.S. Navy ships present a unique challenge because the ships have to be self-sufficient for extended periods of time while at sea. One critical limiting factor to onboard power and energy systems is the amount of space, as every square foot on a Navy ship has a purpose. The U.S. Navy has identified gaseous helium (GHe) cooled high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power transmission systems as a promising solution due to their significant benefits such as higher current densities, larger power capacities, substantial weight and space savings, and minimized risks to sailor safety. However, the nature of GHe as a cryogen presents critical challenges in current insulator options; therefore, development of stronger dielectrics for this application is critically needed.Here our team proposes to design strong nanocomposite-based dielectric insulators through property tuning of the materials. By controlling various material parameters, we will be able to overcome common material property tradeoffs in nanocomposites, resulting in dielectrics designed for specific applications. In this project, the dielectrics will be designed, fabricated, and tested under conditions that are similar to the practical operating environments in GHe-cooled HTS systems. These strong dielectrics are expected to enable the benefits offered by the GHe cryogen without sacrificing the overall HTS system performance in a cryogenic environment.The project has three major research objectives: (1) investigate polymer nanocomposites as cryogenic dielectrics, (2) optimize dielectric performance through material property tuning, and (3) evaluate the performance of dielectrics under various bias conditions in a GHe-cooled test environment. The developed dielectric insulators will be tested in different mediums (air and GHe) and at various temperatures (from 300 K to 50 K) using a range of characterization methods. The research is expected to result inenhanced dielectricinsulators suited for GHe-cooled HTS systems with three major deliverables: (1) strong dielectrics designed specifically for GHe-cooled HTS systems used on naval platforms, (2) design parameters and fabrication procedures for the nanocomposite dielectrics, and (3) performance data of the developed dielectric insulators under GHe cryogenic environments.The proposed research directly answers the call for #Advanced Insulation# solutions identified by the 2019 NPES TDR (Naval Power & Energy Systems Technology Development Roadmap). The experimental results and findings from this research will be indictive of material and system reliability in future HTS power systems on U.S. Navy ships. These stronger dielectrics, once validated and implemented, can help ensure the resilience and longer-term reliability of the power and energy systems on Navy ships. In addition, the dielectrics are designed with a higher factor of safety in mind, which can help the onboard systems avoid catastrophic failures such as equipment malfunction or energy blackout. Last, because dielectrics are a hidden enabler of all electrical systems, having stronger dielectrics implemented onnaval platforms will allow more powerful, more efficient systems that can be used for energy storage, conversion, transmission, anddelivery.This Project Summary is Approved for Public Release.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 24, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312679
Entities
People
- Wei Xue
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Rowan University
- United States Navy