High current in a supercooled wire?

In summary, the conversation discusses the process of heat transfer and the necessary requirements for applying and maintaining a high current in a copper plate conductor. The dimensions and weight of the conductor are provided. The use of liquid nitrogen for cooling and the implications of induced magnetic fields are also mentioned. Further questions regarding the cooling time, required amount of liquid nitrogen, and safety precautions are raised. The concept of skin effect and the heat of fusion of nitrogen are also mentioned. The conversation is ultimately closed due to safety concerns.
  • #1
PhiowPhi
203
8
I'm trying to understand heat-transferring process and the maximum amount of current and coolant required to apply and maintain(for a short-duration) high current in a certain conductor, before I start considering an experiment, I'd rather have my work correct in-terms of the calculations and predictions of what might happen.

The conductor is a copper plate, the dimensions: 250mm H x 5mm W x 10mm T
Weight: 111.58 grams

Can this conductor sustain 50kA in a duration of 100ms without fusing/melting?

Since it's a plate, I used https://www.eeweb.com/toolbox/trace-resistance online calculator for a quicker computation of the resistance and confirmed it with my own work they are approximately the same, the resistance at room temperature is: 0.0000843 Ohms.

The idea here is to have the conductor initially cooled to -196°C using liquid nitrogen, using the same calculator above I changed the temperature to -196°C, and now R = 0.0000117 Ohms

Using Ohm's law I'm assuming that the applied voltage(##V##) would be: ##0.0000117\Omega \times 50kA## = ##0.585V## The power is ≈ ##30kW##

Now when working out the heat transfer and the rate of transfer I lose myself, it's like all the things I studied in Physics 101 and Chem. 101 faded away... here are some questions I couldn't figure out aside from the initial one:

1) How long would it take to cool the plate from RT(20 - 25°C) to (-196°C) to apply the 50kA?
2) How much(volume) liquid nitrogen would I need to sustain this process for 100ms?
3) How long would it take to cool the wire(or transfer all the dissipated power) for a re-run(somewhat relates to Q1)?
4) Would the induced magnetic field have any ramifications? I assume a large spike if disconnected quickly due to the induced EMF.

The reason I considered liquid nitrogen is to reduce the resistance greatly, and cool the system rapidly, however, I think water would be a good substitute? Or even air cooling? Or possibly both or all?
I'm pretty sure due to the rapid boiling of liquid nitrogen I'd require a lot of it.
 
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  • #2
This experiment is far too dangerous for anyone with limited technical knowledge to contemplate doing . If it had to be carried out for some real purpose then stringent safety precautions would be required .
 
  • #3
Have you considered the skin effect?

To calculate this you will need to know your waveform and its bandwidth.

The heat of fusion of nitrogen is 5.56 kJ/mol. So to dissipate 3000 joules (30,000 kW over 0.1 sec), a bit over 4 mols of vaporized N2. This gets into the Leidenfrost area I think.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #4
Closed pending moderation.

Edit: we will go ahead and leave this closed due to safety policy.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes PhiowPhi

1. What causes high current in a supercooled wire?

The high current in a supercooled wire is caused by the phenomenon known as superconductivity. When a material is cooled below a certain temperature, called the critical temperature, it can conduct electricity with zero resistance. This means that a supercooled wire can carry a very high amount of current without losing any energy.

2. How is a wire supercooled?

A wire can be supercooled by using a process called cryogenics, which involves cooling the material to extremely low temperatures using liquid helium or liquid nitrogen. This process is necessary to reach the critical temperature required for superconductivity to occur.

3. What are the benefits of using supercooled wires?

Supercooled wires have many benefits, including the ability to carry high amounts of current without any energy loss, making them extremely efficient. They also have a higher power density, meaning that they can carry more current in a smaller space. Supercooled wires are also used in many advanced technologies, such as particle accelerators and MRI machines.

4. Are there any limitations to using supercooled wires?

One limitation of using supercooled wires is that they require extremely low temperatures to function, which can be expensive and technically challenging to maintain. Additionally, the wires must be carefully designed and handled to avoid any disruptions to the superconducting state, as this can cause the wire to lose its superconducting properties.

5. How is the high current in a supercooled wire measured?

The high current in a supercooled wire can be measured using a device called a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). This device uses superconducting loops to measure the magnetic fields produced by the current flowing through the wire. The strength of the magnetic field is directly proportional to the amount of current flowing through the wire, allowing for accurate measurements of high current levels.

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