Can Superconducting Generators Improve Efficiency in Hydropower Plants?

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Tseyrin
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i believe that superconducting generators are now in use,We have hydropower plants in our country still using the conventional generators. My idea for my masters dessertation would to replace these generators with the superconducting ones, and hopefully get better efficiency.
Would this make a good dessertation basis? Or should i go for something else?? Your suggestions would be very welcomed. Thank u
 
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Superconducting generators are not really that much more efficient than conventional generators (which are already very efficient). The main advantage of SC generators is that they can be much smaller and lighter than a copper generator for the same power rating; this is why they might be very useful in places where there is a limited amount of space; for example on ships. Some companies are also trying to use them for wind turbines.
 
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Seems thin for a master's thesis. What exactly would you need to investigate that you couldn't do in a weekend?

Also, why limit it to hydro generators?
 
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yes. It rele wasn't the best idea, i could come up with. I am pressed for time(long story) and i need to come up with a topic and present it the day after.

i wanted to go for a topic related to hydropower because its the only source of power generation in my country. I am from Bhutan. I thought whatever research i do might be actually useful in the future.

is there any other topic that you could suggest?? It would be a great help. Thank you
 
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russ_watters said:
Seems thin for a master's thesis. What exactly would you need to investigate that you couldn't do in a weekend?

Also, why limit it to hydro generators?

sir, could please suggest a better topic?? Some thing to do with increasing efficiency in hydropower generation. I need to get this in by Friday. It would be a great help.
 
f95toli said:
Superconducting generators are not really that much more efficient than conventional generators (which are already very efficient). The main advantage of SC generators is that they can be much smaller and lighter than a copper generator for the same power rating; this is why they might be very useful in places where there is a limited amount of space; for example on ships. Some companies are also trying to use them for wind turbines.

thank you for clearing that up. I read that superconductor generators may efficiency of almost about 100%. Where as with conventional ones we hv somewhere in 80s. If its true, and feasible for huge generations, i thought that would be a massive improvement.
 
Tseyrin said:
thank you for clearing that up. I read that superconductor generators may efficiency of almost about 100%. Where as with conventional ones we hv somewhere in 80s. If its true, and feasible for huge generations, i thought that would be a massive improvement.
Well, very big synchronous generators are almost 99% efficient
 
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zoki85 said:
Well, very big synchronous generators are almost 99% efficient

well, i have read that back in my country, Bhutan, the plants have efficiencies of about 83 to 87%. If replacing those generators by the superconducting generators could really get up the efficiency upto 95 plus. Do u think its worth a dessertation?
also, i read that somewhere in the west they are actually building a hydropower plant with superconducting generators but its quite small scale, less than 200MW. The ones in Bhutan are well above that.
 
Tseyrin said:
well, i have read that back in my country, Bhutan, the plants have efficiencies of about 83 to 87%. If replacing those generators by the superconducting generators could really get up the efficiency upto 95 plus. Do u think its worth a dessertation?
also, i read that somewhere in the west they are actually building a hydropower plant with superconducting generators but its quite small scale, less than 200MW. The ones in Bhutan are well above that.
The most efficient are large hydro electric power plants. IIRC, their max efficiency peaks about 93%. Improving generator's efficiency from 98% to near 100% won't improve overall efficiency much. This doesn't mean superconducting generators are not worth considerations! Tasks like reducing size,mass,and heating problems of big generators are very high on the priority list in power engineering.
 
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zoki85 said:
The most efficient are large hydro electric power plants. IIRC, their max efficiency peaks about 93%. Improving generator's efficiency from 98% to near 100% won't improve overall efficiency much. This doesn't mean superconducting generators are not worth considerations! Tasks like reducing size,mass,and heating problems of big generators are very high on the priority list in power engineering.
what is IIRC? I googled it but couldn't get a satisfactory answer.
 
I only know of a single 1.7MW unit HTS generator being made for a hydropower plant in Germany. What could be the reason why such superconducting generators not being employed in larger ones like a 100MW unit?
 
Cost of retrofitting, and that greenies would obsolete renewable hydropower in favor of fishes.
 
Tseyrin said:
what is IIRC?
"If I recall correctly"
 
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Doug Huffman said:
Cost of retrofitting, and that greenies would obsolete renewable hydropower in favor of fishes.
I think you you are wrong.
 
zoki85 said:
"If I recall correctly"
haha. I thought we were to use only standard acronyms.
I actually came across an iirc in a small generator!
 
Tseyrin said:
I only know of a single 1.7MW unit HTS generator being made for a hydropower plant in Germany. What could be the reason why such superconducting generators not being employed in larger ones like a 100MW unit?
This is a new technology using special solutions and materials. High Temperature Superconductivity still means temperatures must be kept well below -100 °C for such machines to work. Units for powers like 100 MW+ are serious things and such technology must be proven first in regard to high reliability.
 
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zoki85 said:
This is a new technology using special solutions and materials. High Temperature Superconductivity still means temperatures must be kept well below -100 °C for such machines to work. Units for powers like 100 MW+ are serious things and such technology must be proven first in regard to high reliability.
Then its definitely worth a dessertation?