Design and Perspectives for Innovative Application of Power Transformers with a Superconducting Winding

The paper considers perspectives and advantages of innovative application of transformers with a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) winding for electrical networks and power systems of Russia. Importance of this problem is influenced by the fact that there are a lot of voltage transformation levels in backbone and distribution networks of Russia. It implies that total active power losses in transformers are equivalent to total power losses of the electrical network. It is shown that a HTS-transformer has considerable advantages over traditional oil power transformers. Under the worldwide trend to energy saving, HTS-transformers provide considerable improvement of energy efficiency by up to 50 times in comparison with traditional transformers. HTS-transformers serve as a new perspective way for transition from the technology of extra high voltages to the technology of extra high currents. Some important aspects of design and principles of construction for transformers with a high temperature superconducting winding based on 3D-modeling are given. In addition, comparative analysis is also performed with comparison of the main technical characteristics of HTS and traditional transformers. New pragmatic results of investigations presented in this paper have shown the advantages of HTS-transformer application related to traditional transformers by almost all the technical characteristics, including fire and explosion safety.