Abstract
High temperature superconducting (HTS) cables are an advanced technology that
can both strengthen and improve the national electrical distribution infrastructure. HTS
cables require sufficient cooling to overcome inherent low temperature heat loading. Heat
loads are minimized by the use of cryogenic envelopes or cryostats. Cryostats require
improvement in efficiency, reliability, and cost reduction to meet the demanding needs of
HTS conductors (1G and 2G wires). Aspen Aerogels has developed a compression
resistant aerogel thermal insulation package to replace compression sensitive multi-layer
insulation (MLI), the incumbent thermal insulation, in flexible cryostats for HTS cables.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory tested a prototype aerogel package in a lab-scale pipe
apparatus to measure the rate of heat invasion. The lab-scale pipe test results of the aerogel
solution will be presented and directly compared to MLI. A compatibility assessment of
the aerogel material with HTS system components will also be presented. The aerogel
thermal insulation solution presented will meet the demanding needs of HTS cables.