It is shown that in the vicinity of 77 K beryllium has a superior specific conductance compared with the nominally excellent metallic conductors aluminum and copper. It is concluded that beryllium should be considered for some conduction applications, despite its well known toxicity problems.

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Hyperconductivity in chilled beryllium metal

Space environmental interactions with the power distribution/power processing subsystem can become a serious problem for power systems rated at tens to hundreds of kilowatts. Utilization of ceramic superconductors at 1000 A/cm/sup 2/, which has already been demonstrated at 77 K, in a conductor configuration may eliminate both bus mass and distribution voltage problems in a high-power satellite. The analytical results presented demonstrate that a superconducting coaxial power transmission bus offers significant benefits in reduced distribution voltage and mass. >

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D.J. Hoffmann

Papers

Lightweight power bus for a baseload nuclear reactor in space