SuperPower Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Philips Holding USA, the US holding company for Royal Philips Electronics N.V., following Philips' November 2006 acquisition of SuperPower's previous parent company, Intermagnetics General Corporation. SuperPower was formed by Intermagnetics in March 2000 to provide a strong focus for the development and commercialization of HTS technology. The timing has been particularly appropriate in view of the nation's aging utility infrastructure, which needs replacing, and deregulation, which will drive utilities to seek more efficient, cost-effective devices. The second-generation (2G) HTS wire and the associated devices that have been under development at SuperPower address these needs. Electric power devices based on HTS provide enormous advantages over conventional, copper-based devices.
Company Timeline:
2011
- SuperPower, with the University of Houston-led public-private research team that also includes the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Tai-Yang Research Company and TECO-Westinghouse, has been awarded a $3.1 million grant from the U. S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E REACT Program to develop a low-cost high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wire for use in future advanced wind turbine generators
- A 35.4 tesla superconducting electromagnet constructed by the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) at Florida State University with SuperPower® 2G HTS wire sets another new world record
- SuperPower, along with GE Global Research, Philips Medical Systems MR, and the Schenectady Chapter of the IEEE, host the Second New York State Superconductor Technology Summit at the Schenectady Museum and Suits-Bueche Planetarium to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Superconductivity
- Dr. Venkat Selvamanickam and SuperPower Inc. are among twenty-three “New York State Leaders in Superconductivity” honored at the Second New York State Superconductor Technology Summit – Dr. Selvamanickam as a pioneer in the development of second-generation HTS wire and the SuperPower Team for its world leading role in the manufacturing scale-up of 2G HTS wire
2010
- SuperPower wins Tech Valley Global Business Network’s 2010 Excellence in International Trade “Globie” Award for “New to Export,” awarded to a company with successful export growth over the past two years
- SuperPower Inc., ABB Inc., Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and the University of Houston receive $4.2M ARPA-E award to build an advanced superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) system
- SuperPower wins R&D 100 Award with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Houston for ultra-high-performance high temperature superconducting wires
- Monday, March 15, 2010 is proclaimed SuperPower Day in the City of Schenectady by Schenectady Mayor, Brian U. Stratton, in honor of the company’s tenth anniversary
2009
- Executed a comprehensive technology agreement with the University of Houston to develop the next advances in 2G HTS wire
- SuperPower partners with Waukesha Electric Systems to build Fault Current Limiting Superconducting Transformer for Installation at Southern California Edison Smart Grid Demonstration Site in $21.5 Million U. S. Department of Energy Smart Grid Demonstration Program
- SuperPower named Science and Technology Partner by Schenectady County Community College at 40th Anniversary Celebration of the college; receives New York State Legislature Citation from Senator Hugh T. Farley and Assemblyman James N. Tedisco
- Venkat Selvamanickam and John Dackow named to Wire & Cable International (WCTI) Technical Achievement Awards, Class of 2009
- Achievement of 300,330 amp-meter performance in 1,065 meter length of 2G HTS wire
- A high field magnet coil fabricated by SuperPower with its 2G HTS wire and tested at NHMFL breaks another world record: magnetic field of 27.4 Tesla at 4.2K in 19.89 Tesla background
- SuperPower again receives No. 1 ranking at the 2009 Annual DOE HTS Peer Review and also ranks No. 2 and No. 3 for Cooperative Research and Development (CRADA) projects with Los Alamos and Oak Ridge National Labs respectively
- SuperPower hires first graduate from Nanoscale Materials Technology A.A.S. degree program at Schenectady County Community College, a direct result from the Workforce Development Collaboration fromed with Union College and SCCC in 2005
- SuperPower moves R&D operation to Houston, Texas under the direction of Dr. Venkat Selvamanickam, while maintaining manufacturing facility in Schenectady, New York under the direction of John Dackow
2008
- Venkat Selvamanickam joins faculty of the University of Houston as M.D. Anderson Chair Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and transitions to role of Chief Technology Advisor for SuperPower
- August: Achievement of 233,810 amp-meter performance in 1,030 meter length of 2G HTS wire
- July: Achievement of 200,580 amp-meter performance in 1,311 meter length of
2G HTS wire - Phase 2 of Albany HTS Cable Project is energized, first-in-the-world use of 2G HTS wire in a new 30 meter cable segment
- SuperPower is integrated into Philips organization
- Arthur Kazanjian named General Manager
- SuperPower receives $500,000 NYSERDA grant for Fault Current Limiter Development Program
- SuperPower and Oak Ridge National Laboratory sign HTS Wire Agreement
2007
- 150,100 Amp-meter performance in 790 meters of 2G HTS wire
- SuperPower, along with partner Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Receives 2007 R&D 100 Award for its High Performance LMO-enabled, HTS Wire
- SuperPower, in collaboration with the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) at Florida State University, has demonstrated a new world record of 26.8 Tesla for a field created by a superconducting magnet (including low-temperature superconductors).
- Albany HTS Cable Project, Phase II begins
- SuperPower receives $3M ONR Contract for HTS Generator
- SuperPower forms Manufacturing organization, separate from Technology Development
- 102,935 Amp-meter performance over 595 meters of 2G HTS wire
2006
- 9.7 km 2G HTS Wire fabrication completed and shipped from SuperPower to Sumitomo for the Albany Cable Project (world's first significant 2G HTS wire delivery)
- Philips Holdings USA acquires Intermagnetics General Corporation (including SuperPower, Inc.)
- Sumitomo and BOC join SuperPower in Superconducting Fault Current Limiter Project
- Albany HTS Cable System Energized
- 70,520 Amp-meter Performance in 322 meters 2G HTS Wire
- SuperPower receives $10.7 M Title III contract for development of 2G HTS wire manufacturing
2005
- SuperPower forms Workforce Development Collaboration with Union College and Schenectady County Community College; Partners receives $5M grant from New York State
- SuperPower receives #1 Ranking at DOE Peer Review for Albany HTS Cable Project
- 22,000 Amp-meter Performance in 206-meters 2G HTS Wire
- Venkat Selvamanickam named "Superconductor Industry Person of the Year 2005"
- SuperPower inventors named "2005 Inventors of the Year" for MFCL Patent
- 10,060 Amp-meter Performance in 100-meter 2G HTS Wire
2004
- SuperPower receives $5.4M from the Title III office to scale up 2G HTS wire to pilot scale manufacturing
- Exclusive agreement with Rockwell Automation on HTS Rotating Machinery development
- Agreement with American Electric Power on SFCL project
- Successful testing of MFCL Proof-of-Concept device
- 7,000 Amp-meter Performance in 100-meter 2G HTS Wire
- Groundbreaking at Albany HTS Cable Project
- 6,000 Amp-meter Performance in 57-meter 2G HTS Wire
- SuperPower Receives R&D 100 Award for a tabletop X-Ray Diffraction system, developed in conjunction with X-Ray Optical Systems (East Greenbush, NY) and the New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), that will measure the uniformity of both the buffer layer and the superconductor layer of the 2G HTS wire
2003
- SuperPower receives $6M from US DOE for 138 kV MFCL development
- SuperPower receives #1 Ranking at US DOE Peer Review for 2G HTS Wire Program
- BOC Partners with SuperPower on Albany HTS Cable Project
- 1,980 Amp-Meter Performance in 18-meter 2G HTS Wire
- SuperPower receives $13M from US DOE for Albany HTS Cable Project - First-of-a-kind application of a cable splice and a section of cable using 2G HTS wire.
- 315 Amp-Meter Performance in 10-meter 2G HTS Wire
2002
- Sumitomo Electric partners with SuperPower on Albany HTS Cable Project
- SuperPower signs CRADA with ORNL on 2G HTS Technology
- 90 Amp-Meter Performance in 1-meter HTS wire
2001
- SuperPower announces $6M NYSERDA funding for Albany HTS Cable Project
- SuperPower receives two awards totaling $3.7M from the Air Force and DOE to develop 2G HTS wire
- SuperPower secures LANL licenses for 2G HTS technology
- SuperPower signs CRADA with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) for 2G HTS wire scale-up
- First systems of Pilot scale 2G HTS Wire manufacturing facility come on-line
2000
- CRADA with Los Alamos National Laboratory executed to transition 2G HTS wire technology to manufacturing
- IGC-SuperPower licenses Lucent HTS patent portfolio
- IGC-SuperPower is awarded $4.5 M DOE contract for 2G HTS scale-up to commercialization
- Intermagnetics' HTS group becomes IGC-SuperPower, LLC, a separate, wholly-owned subsidiary
- Southwire Cable Installation goes on-line in Carrollton, GA
1999
- Intermagnetics' HTS group moves to separate facility in Schenectady, NY
- 15 kV HTS fault current controller tested at utility substation - carried 9,000 A during fault condition
1998
- Intermagnetics announces participation in three DOE HTS demonstration projects: HTS transformer with Waukesha, HTS Cable with Southwire, Flywheel energy storage system with Boeing and Southern California Edison
1997
- Intermagnetics and Waukesha demonstrate a 1 MVA single-phase HTS transformer (DOE SPI Program)
- Agreement to develop 5/10 MVA HTS transformer with Waukesha (DOE SPI Program)
1996
- DOE contract awarded to develop 1G HTS fault current controller (FCC) with what is now General Atomics
1995
- Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) demonstrate superconducting motor using Intermagnetics HTS coils
- Agreement to develop and manufacture 1G HTS power transformers with Waukesha Electric Systems (DOE SPI Program)
- Agreement to develop 15 kV class fault current limiter with General Atomics (DOE SPI Program)
- Intermagnetics' 1G HTS wire facilitates BICC's world record-breaking power transmission cable
1994
- World record field strength 1G HTS magnet developed at Intermagnetics
1988
- Intermagnetics establishes a dedicated HTS group
1986
- HTS discovered by IBM Scientists in Switzerland
1979
- World's first 600 MHz NMR spectroscopy magnet developed at Intermagnetics
1971
- Intermagnetics founded as a spin-off from General Electric Corporate Research and Development
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