SuperPower Continues to Set the Pace of Global Leadership in Second-Generation High-Temperature Superconducting Wire Performance

SuperPower Continues to Set the Pace of Global Leadership in Second-Generation High-Temperature Superconducting Wire Performance, Latest Accomplishments Reported at DOE Peer Review
07/25/2006

Washington, DC - SuperPower, Inc. today reported at the 2006 Annual DOE Peer Review in Washington, D.C. on additional progress made in its manufacturing scale-up efforts for routine production of long lengths of high performing second generation (2G) high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wire.

Among the highlights of SuperPower’s report:
• Critical current performance levels of 470 amps per centimeter have been achieved in meter long wire segments, a 100% improvement from the results reported at the Peer Review meeting in 2005.
• Uniformity in Ic better than 5% over lengths of 300 meters, and better than 3% in several 200 meter long pieces. Only a year ago, this type of uniformity was achievable only over shorter 100 meter lengths of wire. Each of these wire lengths was processed at a speed of 30 meters per hour in tape widths of 12 mm. This corresponds to a speed of 90 meters per hour for tape widths of 4 mm, which is a six-fold increase in throughput within a one-year timeframe.
• Significant improvement in wire performance has been demonstrated with 4 mm wide conductor crossing the critical current threshold of 100 amps over a length of 270 meters. This is the first demonstration of 100 A performance in such long lengths in a 4 mm wide 2G conductor which is now within the realm of the 77 K, self-field performance of 1G conductor. Furthermore, this amperage corresponds to an engineering current density of 26,000 amperes per square centimeter, which is up to two times higher than that of 1G conductors available today.

“Processing improvements made in the past several months that have led to these significant performance improvements have allowed the inventory of qualified 2G HTS wire for the second phase of the Albany Cable Project to reach more than 12,000 meters, with wire lengths and critical current performance levels far exceeding those specified,” said Philip J. Pellegrino, president of SuperPower. “The piece length specification was for wire lengths of at least 43 meters, whereas at least 55% of the qualified wire sections are more than 100 meters long and 27% are more than 200 meters long.”

In other development efforts, SuperPower reported that new high-field coils fabricated with its 2G HTS wire have achieved a record magnetic field of 1.1 Tesla at 77 K, and 2.4 Tesla at 64K. This compares to performance achievements in the coil made last year of 0.38 Tesla at 77 K and 0.8 Tesla at 64 K. Also reported is a 90% improvement in engineering current density from a year ago in short samples, now achieving 100,000 amperes per square centimeter at self-field and 21,000 amperes per square centimeter at 1 T and 75 Kelvin.

SuperPower Inc. (www.superpower-inc.com) , a subsidiary of Intermagnetics General Corporation (NASDAQ: IMGC), uses core capabilities in materials, cryogenics and magnetics to develop state-of-the-art second-generation high-temperature superconducting wire and electric power components for underground transmission and distribution cables, transformers, motors, generators and fault current limiters.

Contact:
Traute F. Lehner
SuperPower, Inc.
Communications/Govt. Relations Specialist
(518) 346-1414 ext. 3070
tlehner@superpower-inc.com