The project FASTGRID aims at significantly enhancing the technical and economical attractiveness of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) for their application in superconducting fault current limiters (SCFCL).

The material development made in FASTGRID will lead to advanced HTS tapes that will be the key for low cost high voltage direct current (HVDC) SCFCL, which will help to remove one of the barriers of HVDC grids called Supergrids, i.e. fault current management. These supergrids are considered as the best solution in economic, technic and security terms to enhance the necessary massive penetration of renewable energies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The main objectives of the FASTGRID project are to:

• Increase the electrical field that these conductors can withstand under limitation without any degradation or properties
• Improve the critical current of the conductors
• Raise the robustness of the tapes against all kinds of operation conditions
• Functionalize its surface to increase the thermal exchanges with the coolant.

ITAS work packages

As part of WP5 “Dissemination and socio-economic aspects”, ITAS will conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) to analyze the environmental impacts of various HTS tapes and their different manufacturing routes.

Project website

• https://www.fastgrid-h2020.eu/en/Home-2.html
• https://www.sci.kit.edu/209.php

Funding

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 721019.