Events

Applications of Superconductors to Electric Power Equipment

Electrical and Computer Engineering
Lecture / Panel
 
For NYU Community

Speaker: Swarn Kalsi 

Host faculty: Professor Francisco de Leon

Abstract
When cooled to very low temperature, some materials become superconductors – meaning they become capable of conducting electricity with zero resistance. These materials can be applied to a variety of electrical equipment with significant benefits, like reduced size and weight and increased efficiency. For example, in US electric grid, nearly 7% of the total power is wasted in transmission from point of generation to the users. And similar amount is lost at the points of generation and distribution. This is a significant loss and superconducting technology has the potential to cut these losses in ½ or more. Power equipment that can benefit from applications of superconductors is motors and generators, transformers, power transmission cables and fault current limiters. Magnetically levitated (Maglev) trains and magnetic energy storage are among other attractive
applications.

About the Speaker
Swarn Kalsi has more than forty years of directly related experience (while working for General Electric, Northrop Grumman, and American Superconductor) in all aspects of superconducting magnet technology and electrical engineering. The holder of more than thirty US patents, Dr. Kalsi’s entire background has been in the area of electrical power equipment and power systems design and analysis. During his career, he has designed and built superconducting devices in areas such as motors and generators, power transmission cables, transformers, fault current limiters, fusion reactors, Maglev, Magnetic Energy storage, and synchrotrons. He has developed design and analysis for such equipment and studied their performance in utility electric grid and on ship electric systems. He has published a book titled Applications of High Temperature Superconductors to Electric Power Equipment’, IEEE/Wiley, 2011.

He obtained his PhD from Imperial College London, MS from Banaras Hindu University and BS from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Currently he is retired from full-time position but works as a consultant for a variety of US and foreign clients.