Design and Electromagnetic Characterization of 10 kV/10 kA Superconducting DC Cables

Compared with traditional power transmission methods, superconducting DC transmission—by utilizing second-generation high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes as conductors—enables large-capacity power delivery with zero resistance and compact size, offering a promising approach for future power grid development. This paper addressed the demand for high-capacity power transmission by focusing on 10 kV/10 kA superconducting DC cables. It provided a detailed description of the cable design process, analyzed the equivalent circuit equations, and defined the structural parameters of each conductor layer. Based on this, a 3D electromagnetic model of superconducting DC cable was established to compute the parallel and perpendicular magnetic field distributions on each HTS layer. Electromagnetic characteristics of the superconducting tape were investigated, and the critical current degradation due to magnetic field anisotropy of HTS tape was calculated. This enabled the assessment of current-carrying capability of the superconducting DC cable. A 5-meter-long 10 kV/10 kA superconducting DC cable prototype was fabricated, and current-carrying and insulation tests were conducted. The results demonstrated that the prototype met all the specified design requirements.