Supercounducting alternating current cable

Claim 2

In a cable according to claim 1, said insulating helium being gaseous and being at a pressure lower than that of said cooling helium.

Claim 3

A cable according to claim 1, comprising pressure means at each end of the cable for maintaining a difference in pressure between said insulating helium and said cooling helium.

Claim 4

A cable according to claim 1, comprising pressure means at predetermined locations along the length of said cable for maintaining a difference in pressure between said insulating helium and said cooling helium.

Claim 5

A cable according to claim 1, said first conductor means and said second conductor means together forming a coaxial conductor pair and an outer enclosure surrounding said coaxial conductor pair so as to define a space therebetween for conducting additional cooling helium in surrounding relation to said coaxial conductor pair.

Claim 6

A cable according to claim 1, said first conductor and said second conductor means both being annular members of metal, a layer of superconductive material being disposed on each of said annular members so as to be coaxial therewith

Claim 7

In a cable according to claim 1, said first conductor means comprising an annular member of insulating material, said second conductor means comprising a tubular member of insulating material surrounding said annular member so as to define a space therebetween for said insulating helium, a layer of superconductive material being disposed on said annular member so as to be coaxial therewith, and another layer of superconductive material being disposed on said tubular member so as to be coaxial therewith.

Claim 8

A cable according to claim 1, said first conductor means being at a potential different than that of said second conductor means, and a spacer of insulation material disposed intermediate said first conductor means and said second conductor means for maintaining the former separate from the latter, said spacer having a volume substantially less than that of said space.

Claim 9

In a cable According to claim 9, said spacer being a spiral spring consisting of a thread of synthetic material spirally wound about said conductor means.

Claim 10

In a cable according to claim 9, said spacer being a plurality of conical sleeve members each consisting of synthetic material, each of said sleeve members having a slot and openings in its wall and being slidably mounted on said first conductor means.

Claim 11

A cable according to claim 9 a wrap of insulating material having a low dielectric loss factor being disposed between said spacer and said second conductor means.

Claim 12

A cable according to claim 1, said first conductor means and said second conductor means together constituting a conductor pair, said cable comprising a plurality of said conductor pairs, a pipe wherein said conductor pairs are disposed, said pipe containing additional cooling helium surroundings said conductor pairs, and a conduit, said pipe being disposed within said conduit so as to define an annular heat-insulating space therebetween.

Claim 13

A cable according to claim 13 comprising a foil of synthetic material having a layer of reflecting metal, said foil being disposed intermediate said pipe and said conduit.

Claim 14

A cable according to claim 14, comprising a plurality of said foils disposed intermediate said pipe and said conduit, and intermediate shield disposed between two adjacent ones of said foils, and a supply of liquid nitrogen in operative proximity to said shield for cooling the same.

Claim 15

In a cable according to claim 13, said pipe being longitudinally disposed in said conduit so as to have a snakelike configuration.

Claim 16

In a cable according to claim 16, said conduit being longitudinally disposed in a snakelike configuration and having a height of curvature, at a given transverse section, less than that of said pipe at the same section.

Claim 17

In a cable according to claim 13, a number of said conductor pairs penetrating said annular heat-insulating space along the length of the cable.

Claim 18

A superconducting cable according to claim 18 for interconnecting a power station with feeder points of a distribution network, having said number of conductor pairs connected to said feeder points at one end and to the power station at the other end.

Claim 19

A cable according to claim 1, wherein said first conductor means and said second conductor means are both annular members, a layer of superconductive material being disposed on each of said annular members so as to be coaxial therewith, said cable comprising a pipe wherein said annular members are disposed, said pipe and said annular members all consisting of material having substantially the same coefficient of heat expansion. 2l. In a cable according to claim 20, said annular members consisting of metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper and lead.

Claim 20

A cable according to claim 1 comprising solid insulation members disposed in said space at the ends of the cable.

Claim 21

A cable according to claim 1, said first conductor means and said second conductor means together constituting a transmission line, the cable comprising a plurality of aid transmission lines, a portion of said lines being divided into groups of three, each of said groups constituting a three-phase system, a pipe wherein said lines are disposed, a conduit in which said pipe is disposed so as to define an annular heat-insulating space therebetween, a number of said three-phase systems penetrating said annular heat-insulating space along the length of the cable.

Claim 22

A superconducting cable according to claim 23 for interconnecting a power station with feeder points of a distribution network, having said number of said three-phase systems connected to said feeder points at one end and to the power station at the other end.

Claim 23

A superconducting current cable comprising a tubular electrical conductor means a fluid of cooling helium inside said conductor means, a tubular member of synthetic material concentric with and enclosing said conductor means and defining a space therebetween, a fluid of insulating helium in said space, and an outer enclosure surrounding said tubular member of synthetic material and defining a second space therebetween, and additional cooling helium in said second space, said conductor means consisting at least partially of a superconductive material.

Claim 24

A cable according to claim 15, wherein said conductor means is a plurality of tubular electrical conductors and comprising a plurality of said tubular members each one of said tubular members being concentrically disposed with respect to and surrounding a corresponding one of said conductors, and said enclosure surrounding said tubular members so as to define a space between said enclosure and tubular members for conducting said additional helium in surrounding relation to each of said tubular members.