According to Prof. Marcel ter Brake, who gave an inaugural lecture at the University of Twente as Professor of Energy, Materials and Systems, superconductivity and sophisticated cryogenic cooling systems will have an important role in various forms of clean energy production.
He said that such development will enable manufacture of compact generators for use in wind turbines, to reclaim the energy from LNG evaporation and to produce superconductive magnets that are utilized in nuclear fusion.
Superconductors
Superconductors assist in carrying on electric power without any transit loss when the conductors are subjected to cool or low level temperature conditions. The researchers under Prof. Ter Brake are examining the superconductors deployed in Cadarache, France located ITER experimental nuclear fusion reactor to understand the reasons for their limited lifespan. They have formulated models and testing methods to improve the designs of cables utilized in the fusion reactor to withstand high level of magnetic fields and current levels to improve the lifespan of superconductors.
Prof. Ter Brake stated that superconductors will assist in making the wind generators compact without the requirement of a gearbox. He has explained that replacing of gear boxes in wind turbines with permanent magnets will actually increase the demand on the limited mineral resources. He added that the use of superconductivity with adequate cooling techniques and right mechanical loads will assist in running wind turbines up to 5 MW capabilities cost-effectively.
On LNG (liquid natural gas) Prof. Ter Brake, said that LNG suffers energy losses when converted to gas form from liquid. According to him, if the heat required for the evaporation process is derived from a heat engine, some portion of the energy that is used to turn the LNG into liquid can be retrieved. He is looking forward to doubling such yield when compared to the currently available systems by making modifications in them.