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SELF-RESTORING FAULT CURRENT LIMITER UTILIZING HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR COMPONENTS

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Missile Defense Agency
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 15646
Amount: $500,000.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1992
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
1801 Maple Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 James D Hodge
 Principal Investigator
 (708) 491-7661
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

ILLINOIS SUPERCONDUCTOR CORP. WILL DESIGN AND TEST FAULT CURRENT LIMITERS WHICH USE RECENTLY DISCOVERED HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTING MATERIALS TO PROTECT VITAL SPACECRAFT COMPONENTS FROM UNPREDICTABLE POWER SURGES AND SPIKES. THESE DEVICES WILL ALSO FIND USE IN THE ULTRA-HIGH SPEED SWITCHING OF VERY LARGE CURRENTS, A KEY TO FUTURE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEMS. THE KEY TO THESE COMPONENTS IS THE CLEVER USE OF WHAT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED A WEAKNESS IN THE NEW SUPERCONDUCTORS - A LIMIT IN THE MATERIAL'S ABILITY TO CARRY CURRENT. THROUGH CAREFUL ENGINEERING, THE CURRENT LIMITER CARRIES NORMAL LEVELS OF ELECTRICITY WITH NO LOSSES DUE TO RESISTANCE. WHEN A POWER SPIKE OCCURS, THE DEVICE LOSSES ITS SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND BECOMES AN ELECTRICAL BRAKE, PROTECTING MORE FRAGILE DEVICES DOWNSTREAM FROM THE SURGE. THIS PRODUCT CAN BE USED IN THE COMMERCIAL POWER DISTRIBUTION INDUSTRY. THERE, A DEVICE TO PROTECT ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS FROM POWER SURGES CAN SAVE UTILITIES HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN CAPITAL AND OPERATIONAL COSTS.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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