Development of High Temperature Superconducting Power

Transformers
Chandra T. Reis, IGC-SuperPower,Schenectady,New York
Sam P. Mehta, WaukeshaElectricSystems,Waukesh~Wisconsin
Benjamin W. McConnell, Oak RidgeNationalLaboratory,Oak Ridge,Tennessee
Robert H. Jones, RochesterGas and ElectricCorp.,Rochester,New York

Abstract temperature in HTS refers to the ability to

High temperature superconducting (HTS)
transformers offer many benefits over conventional
power transformers for utility applications, including
emergency operation to twice rating without loss of
transformer life, halved size and weight, elimination
of oil as a fire and environmental hazard, reduced
leakage reactance, and a possible fault current limiting
feature for improved system performance. This paper
briefly summarizes work in the field and describes
various HTS transformer design approaches (including
one approach shown in Fig. 1). We discuss the
various design, operation, and cost issues associated
with the development and utility acceptance of this
new technology.
aisl volt*
EmdIiM
km co
achieve this superconducting state at
temperatures near 77K (-320F), rather that the
4K (-450F) required by the original low
temperature superconductors.
An HTS superconductor consists of a
composite of a superconducting oxide and a
metallic matrix or ~ubstrate. B-elow a critical
level of dc current, the current flows completely
in the superconducting oxide, and has zero
resistance, as shown in Fig. 2.
The superconductor is only lossless below
critical current for dc currents. This critical
current is strongly dependant on temperature and
background magnetic field, as described for
present generation (BSCCO) and next generation
(YBCO) in [1]. As magnetic field increases, the
critical current decreases. As temperature
increases, the critical current decreases.
Therefore, at higher temperatures the critical
current is low and more superconductor is
necessary to carry the same current.
As the current is increased past the critical
level, the superconductor transitions to a
resistive state, indicated in Fig.2 by the increase
in voltage. During this transition phase, the
current is shared between the substrate and the
superconducting oxide.

Fig. 1: Sketch of an HTS Power Transforrner[l] a)

transition
I. HIGH TEMPERATURE ;
5 regime
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY >
,
Superconductivity is a state characterized by !
,
the absence of electrical resistance. The high superconducting regim&,,
o
Manuscript received 11/3/00. This work was supported in 0 Current ,
part by the U.S. Department of Energy Superconductivity
Partnership Initiative, Contract #DE-FC36-98GO10282, and Fig. 2:Current-Voltage Characteristic of High Temperature
sponsored by U. S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency Superconductors
and Renewable Energy, Superconductivity Program for
Electric Power, under contract No. DE-AC05-OOOR22725 For ac currents, there are ac losses that arise.
with UT-Battelle, LLC. The submitted manuscript has been These losses are dependrmt on the level of
authored by a contractor of the U.S. Government under current, magnetic field and operating
contract DE-AC05-OOOR22725. According y, the U.S.
Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to temperature.
publish or reproduce the published form of this contribution,
or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes.

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 II. BENEFITS
This paper addresses mainly transformers
for utility power applications. Cost/benefits
trade-offs appear to favor HTS transformers over
conventional transformers for ratings of about
30MVA and higher, except for niche
applications where the small size andlor weight
of HTS transformers are of greater importance
than cost[l ,2].
The advantages of HTS transformers fall
into two main categories, power system benefits
that will be apparent to all utilities, and siting
benefits that will have a varied impact on the
different utilities.
A. Power System Benefits
1) Emergency Overload Capability: By
adding extra superconductor and emergency
overload capability up to twice the normal rating
can be desigr~edinto HTS transformers. Because
the transfomler windings operate at very low
temperatures with very little heating even during
this overload condition, the thermal degradation
of insulations that is typical of conventional
transformers is not expected to occur. The
transformer will be designed to handle the added
overload mechanical forces. It should be able to
run for extended periods under overload
conditions. However, ac losses and associated
refi-igeration costs increase by the square to cube
of operating current, so that operation in this
mode tends to be highly inefficient. Operation
above this limit is not feasible. The provision of
an emergency overload capability at up to twice
rating in HTS transformers designed for efficient
continuous operation and long life at full rated
cm-rent appears to be economically feasible and
highly attractive to the customer. Thus HTS
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transformers, like conventional transformers,
will have multiple ratings but with a much
different meaning. For example, an HTS
transformer designed for 30 MVA peak efficient
operation with a 2x emergency overload
capability would be designated as a 30/60 MVA
transformer.
2) High Power Density Though the high
current densities available with HTS
superconductors would seem to promise
extremely compact transformers, reductions of
size and weight for utility transformers results
mainly from the elimination of oil as an insulator
and coolant and the elimination of the associated
large external heat exchangers that are necessary
to transfer the heat resulting from the major load
losses from the oil to the air. Expected factor-of-
two size and weight reductions for a 30/60 MVA
HTS transformer compared to an 18/24/30 MVA
conventional transformer are shown in Fig. 3.
The transformer is limited in the fimther
compactness that can be achieved by the space
for insulation and dielectric design needed to
handle high operating voltages and BIL levels
and by increases in conductor quantity
(conductor cost) and ac losses (refrigerator cost
and refrigeration power) that would result from
substantially decreased core size.
The benefits of higher power density and
overload capability are most effective in areas
where substation space is at a premium. For
example, an existing 60 MVA substation may
have two 27/36/45 MVA units. Each operates at
30 MVA to prevent loss of insulation life. Either
transformer can handle the full 60 MVA load in
an emergency, should the other transformer fail,
but only for a short time and with significant loss
of transformer life. In half the footprint, the two
conventional transformers could be replaced with
two 30/60 MVA HTS units that perform the
same finction, without loss of life during the
overload. Two more HTS transformers could be
added to the original footprint to double the
capacity of the substation.
3) Lower Operating Losses: Core losses
generated in an HTS transformer are comparable
to core losses in a similarly rated conventional
transformer. However, because of the lack of
IZR losses, load losses generated in the HTS
transformer are only on the order of hundreds of
Watts at cryogenic temperatures. The cryocooler
compressor power needed to remove these Watts
at low temperatures is on the order of tens of
Watts per Watt of loss. Present day compressors
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 must run continuously, and are sized for peak
load. For a 30/60 MVA HTS transformer, for
example, this results in no-load losses on the
order of tens of kilowatts, which is still less than
the one to two hundred kilowatts of load loss in a
comparable conventional transformer. Further
considerations about losses are discussed below.
4) Fault Current Limiting: The current-
voltage characteristics of a superconductor,
discussed in the section on high temperature
superconductivity, lend themselves to the
possibility of designing the windings to also
operate as an intrinsic fault current limiter [1-3].
The feasibility of fault current limiting in the
transformer depends on instantly achieving a
uniform transition of the entire length of
superconductor to the resistive state, which is a
difficult technical task for low level faults. The
benefits to the power system from a transformer
that would limit current under severe transient
fault conditions include:
Reduction of current interruption
ratings for circuit breakers and
reclosers.
Elimination of the need for other
current limiting devices[2,3].
5) Lower Leakage Reactance: AC fields are
minimized in the HTS transformer windings to
reduce ac losses and refrigeration costs. This,
coupled with the compactness of the windings
allowed by high current density, make it natural
to design HTS transformers with low leakage
reactance. If HTS transformers take advantage
of these low impedance designs, it may be
necessary to incorporate fault current limiting
capability, so that these units will not cause an
increase in system short circuit currents. The
specific benefits to power systems operation that
result fi-om lower transformer impedance
coupled with fault current limiting are[2,4]:
Improved voltage regulation
Reduced impact of faults elsewhere in
the system
Reduction in required static and
dynamic VAR capability
Increased reactive power availability
from generators
Increased availability of real power
from existing generators
Transformer designs that separate
transformer impedance requirements
from specific system short circuit
current requirements.
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B. Siting Benefits
Most of the siting benefits arise from the
fact that HTS transformers are oil-free. The
region occupied by oil has been replaced by
either vacuum or liquid nitrogen, making the
HTS transformer both non-flammable and much
lighter than conventional oil filled transformers
of the same size. In addition, the large oil filled
heat exchangers are replaced with much smaller
cryocoolers, which substantially decreases the
weight and footprint, as shown in Fig. 3. This
could allow a utility to locate a transformer
indoors, limited mainly by the weight of tank
and core.
As can be seen in both Fig. I and Fig. 3, the
external package of an HTS transformer is very
similar to that of a conventional transformer,
where the large cooling fms have been replaced
with a compact enclosure for support equipment,
including cryocooler compressors.
Various of these benefits can be emphasized
and they can be realized to various degrees by
HTS transformer design, depending upon the use
intended. And each of these benefits will carry a
different measure of importance depending on
the utility and the application within the utility
grid.
30 MVA Tnwwfwm$mi -
Fig. 3: Comparison of weight andfootprint for conventional
and HTS transformers.
III. DESIGN APPROACHES
There are two basic design approaches being
explored for HTS transformers. All present
design approaches assume a one for one
substitution of HTS transformers for existing
conventional transformers.
The first design approach is a liquid nitrogen
(LNJ bath cooled transformer. Lnthis design the
coils sit in a bath of liquid nitrogen, and the LN2
provides both thermal and electrical insulation.
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 The available temperature range using this
approach is limited to betsveen 77K (-320F),
the boiling point of LNZ, and 64K (-345F), the
fi-eezing point. The current carrying capacity of
superconductors is strongly temperature
dependant. More of the (relatively expensive)
superconductor is needed to operate in this
higher temperature range than would be needed
at lower temperatures. The system can be cooled
using cryocoolers to re-condense the nitrogen, or
boiled-off LNZcan be periodically replenished.
One variation of the LNZbath cooled design
approach relies on vacuum-tight, non-metallic,
donut-shaped enclosures for the liquid nitrogen
that surround each core leg. Normally, these
enclosures are double-walled with an annular
vacuum space between the walls for thermal
insulation. Because these walls surround the
core legs, they cannot be a completely metallic
structure since this would result in a shorted turn
configuration. An advantage of this variation is
that it is possible to air cool the core. The design
approach can be simplified if a vacuum-tight
outer transformer tank (much like a conventional
transformer tank) serves as the outer vacuum
wall of the enclosure for all three phases, as
shown in fig. 1. However, this complicates the
core cooling, as the core now sits in thermally
insulating vacuum. New approaches to cool the
core are being developed.
The second basic design approach takes
advantage of the overall tank as vacuum
enclosure to remove the bath cooling and
cryocool the windings directly. This approach
allows operation at lower temperatures to reduce
the amount of conductor needed, reducing
conductor cost. However, there is a penalty to
operating at lower temperatures. The energy
required to remove one Watt of losses increases
substantially as the operating temperature
decreases. It takes approximately 25 Watts of
cryocooler compressor power to remove one
Watt at 77K. At 64K, this increases to about 30
Watts to remove one Watt. At 40K it takes
almost 50 Watts of compressor power to remove
one Watt of losses. Therefore, the lower the
temperature, the more critical it becomes to have
a very low ac loss winding design and more
efficient cryocoolers.
IV. WORK IN THE FIELD
The authors are aware of five major HTS
transformer development programs worldwide.
There are other projects underway on sub-IvIVA
class transformers, most being conducted by
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universities. These projects will not be discussed
in this paper.
A group in Japan, including Fuji Electric,
Kyushu Transformer, Taiyo Toyo Sanso Co.
Kyushu University, and Kyushu Electric Power,
have developed, tested, and connected to the grid
a 1MVA, 22/6.9kV single phase, liquid nitrogen
bath cooled transformer, and are beginning work
on a similar 3MVA 3 phase system. The
2216.9kV single phase transformer withstood a
BIL test of 100kV, It is one phase of an eventual
3 phase, 3 MVA HTS transformer [5].
A group in the United States, including
Waukesha Electric Systems, IGC-SuperPower,
Oak Ridge National Lab, and Rochester Gas &
Electric, including the authors, has built and
tested a cryocooled lMVA, 13.8/6.9kV single
phase transformer [6]. We are presently
beginning construction of a similarly designed
5/1O MVA, 24.914.6kV 3 phase prototype
transformer. This transformer is a step along the
path to commercial 30/60 MVA HTS
transformers. The 5/10 MVA unit will be tested
on the Wisconsin grid, powering the Waukesha
Electric Systems main transformer
manufacturing plant.
A third group, including ABB, American
Superconductor, Los Alamos National Lab, and
Southern California Edison, were working on a
design of a 10 MVA, three-phase liquid nitrogen
bath cooled transformer, but have suspended the
project pending development of more cost
effective HTS conductors. They had previously
built a 630kVA, 18.7kV1420V three phase liquid
nitrogen bath cooled transformer with Electricity
de France. This transformer was successfully
connected to the grid in Geneva, Switzerland,
and remained in operation for at least a year [1].
The core was air cooled.
Siemens in Germany [7], and RTRI in Japan
[8] are building HTS transformers for railway
applications, where reduction in weight is
dominant. Both designs are liquid nitrogen bath
cooled. Railway applications have a somewhat
different set of performance and design criteria,
and are not discussed in this paper.
V. DESIGN, OPERATION, AND COST
ISSUES
A number of operation, design and cost
issues for HTS transformers are being addressed
through the development programs cited above,
and by the cryogenics and HTS superconductor
communities worldwide.
 A. Dielectrics
Superconductors must operate at cryogenic
temperatures. This necessitates the development
of new dielectric systems that support BIL levels
of 900kV or higher without deterioration due to
operation at temperatures of 77K (-320F) and
below. With respect to liquid nitrogen cooled
windings, a number of studies have been
performed on the dielectric properties of liquid
nitrogen[9]. Recent work indicates that liquid
nitrogen impregnated paper can be designed to
be comparable to oil/paper systems in dielectric
performance[lO]. More generally, all transformer
designs involve penetrations through a thermally
insulating vacuum space and rely on either
vacuum or solid insulations as electrical
insulation. As with conventional transformers,
avoiding surface creep is a major design issue.
Both the cold temperatures and the vacuum
change breakdown strength and surface creep
properties. All insulation approaches are being
characterized for the high voltage levels seen
during transients and at the size and scale of the
transformer windings.
B. Tap Changers
To limit heat conduction into the low
temperature region and associated refrigeration
costs, it will be necessa~ to limit the number of
high current (low voltage) leads from warm to
cold regions. Modifications to the conventional
load tap changers are being examined. This need
for tap changers will be reduced if low leakage
reactance and possibly fault current limiting HTS
transformers are developed.
C. Fault Current Ride Through
To substitute one-for-one in replacement of
conventional transformers, if HTS transformers
are not fault current limiting, then they must be
designed to accept fault levels allowed by their
leakage reactance. These currents will far
exceed the critical current of the superconductor.
Anticipating that the fust transformers will not
be fault current limiting, the Waukesha team is
designing and testing the superconductor
windings to handle faults of up to 10x rated
current for one second with an ability to resume
operation at rated current after breaker reclose.
D. Thermal Insulation
In both the liquid nitrogen bath design and
the vacuum based design, thermal insulation is
necessary to isolate the cold coils fkom the
ambient temperature outside the transformer.
Thermal insulation schemes are well established,
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used in arenas ranging from medical applications
to the space program. Considerable care is being
exercised and procedures are being established to
assure that the insulation does not create shorted
turns around the transformer core legs and to
prevent breakdown to ground tiom the high
voltage leads and windings.
E. Re@igeration
While HTS transformers using todays
refrigeration technology are more efficient than
conventional transformers, mainly because of the
elimination of ohmic losses in the windings,
there is considerable room for improvement.
Even though ac losses in the HTS windings are
dependent on the transformer current, the power
to extract that heat by refrigeration is nearly
constant, at least with present day coolers which
are sized to the maximum load and run
continuously at nearly constant compressor
power. Cryocooler compressor power is
therefore considered a no-load loss, similar to the
power used to run the fans when operating in a
FOA condition; however, recent developments
may allow variable power compressors that
would maintain a constant winding temperature
by varying compressor power needed as the heat
load varies. This changes the refrigeration
power from a no-load to a load proportional loss
with major savings in refrigeration power costs.
Indirect refrigeration power supplied by the
replenishment of liquid nitrogen (one option for
the liquid nitrogen bath-cooled system, for
example) is inherently a load loss since the boil
off of the nitrogen is in proportion to the losses.
Preliminary calculations indicate consumption of
stored on board liquid nitrogen would require
refills every couple of months, as is done
routinely through remote monitoring for
hospitals, industry and other institutions.
Cryocoolers have been developed to run,
for example, reliably in hospitals on
superconducting medical diagnostic MRI
imaging magnets for ten years or longer with
maintenance intervals stretching to several years.
Major gains in increased reliability and
maintainability seem to be in the offing with the
development of pulse tube technology containing
no low temperature moving parts. Practical
systems are being adapted to the harsher
environments experienced by transformers.
F. HTS Conductors
At least one manufacturer projects a factor
of six reduction for present generation HTS
superconductor costs over the next five years. At
 these reduced cost levels, these superconductors
would begin to approach design targets for HTS
transformers, providing that operation below
64K is utilized. The development of low ac loss
variants of this conductor is underway at this
time. Long length manufacture of next
generation conductor, presently available only in
meter lengths, is projected to achieve costs
approaching targets for HTS transformers in the
2005 to 2010 time frame. With proper design,
this conductor should provide low ac losses
using low loss windings configurations that have
already been produced and tested in the
laboratory.
VI. CONCLUSIONS AND UTILITY
ACCEPTANCE
HTS transformers offer a varied set of
benefits, both in operation and siting, which
make them very attractive for the utilities.
Because of the projected need for near term
refurbishment and expansion of the capacity of
the national grid, these next ten to twenty years
are believed to be especially opportune for the
introduction of this new type of transformer into
the US power system. A major challenge then is
the need of utilities to have long term proof of
reliability in operation. The U.S. Department of
Energy, through development projects at our
national laboratories and cost-shared
development projects with industry, is
accelerating the development of both HTS
materials and applications.
HTS transformers are now being
demonstrated as alpha prototypes. To accelerate
the demonstration of feasibility and reliability.
the Waukesha team has focused its efforts on the
development and early introduction of relatively
simple and reliable HTS transformers with self-
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contained refrigeration and two times rating
overload capability. This transformer can be
directly substituted for conventional
transformers. Beta prototype 30160MVA,
138/13.8kV or comparable class HTS
transformers are scheduled to be introduced for
operation at various utilities in the 2004-2005
timeli-ame, with commercial units to be available
soon thereafter.
References
[1] Mehtq S.P., Avers%N. Walker, M.S. Transforming
Transformers IEEE Spectrum, July 1997, pictures used
by permission.
[2] McConnell, B.W., Transformers - A successful
Application of High Temperature Superconductors
IEEE Trans. on AppIied Superconductivity, Vol. 10,
No. 1, page 716-720, March 2000
[3] Ramanan, V.R., Riley, G.N., Masur, L.J., Drde, S.J., A
vision for applications of HTS transformers
International Wire & Cable Symposium Proceedings,
page. 360, 1998
[4] Ramanao, V. R., High temperature superconducting
transformers, Presented at the Rocky Mountain
Electrical League Transmission and Substation
Workshop, Mar. 1999
[5] Fumdd, K.; et rd, Development of a 22kV/6.9kV single
phase modeI for a 3MVA HTS power transformer
cooled by liquid nitrogen to be published Proceedhrgs
of the Applied Superconductivity Conference, Sept.,
2000-preprint
[6] Schwenterly, S.W.; et at, Perforrnaoce of a I-MVA
HTS Demonstration Transformer IEEE Trans. Appl.
Supercond. June 1999-preprint
[7] Kummeth, P.; et al, Development and test of a
100kVA superconducting transformer operated at 77K
to be published Proceedings of the Applied
Superconductivity Conference, Sept., 2000-preprint
[8] Hat% H., Kamijo, H., Fujimoto, H.; Study of
superconducting transformer for Shinkansen rolling
stock to be published Proceedings of the Applied
Superconductivity Conference, Sept., 2000-preprint
[9] Gerhold, J. Cryogenic Liquids - a Prospective
Insulation basis for Future Power Equipment Proc. 13*
Int. Conf. on Dielectric Liquids, July 1999
[10] talk given by Pirelli Cavi e Sistemi, September 21,
2000 at Applied Superconductivity Conference, 2000