New HTS 2G Round Wires

Key components for the power transmission and distribution for the future grids are superconducting cables. The energy network in highly populated areas will soon fully benefit from this technology, in particular for the retrofitting of the existing cables. However retrofitting the existing grid in underground structures (pipes, pits, turn), requires cables as small a diameter as possible. The HTS cable core is generally manufactured by laying tapes around a former with a diameter of about 25 mm to prevent any damage to the tape during the cabling and the handling operations. However in this configuration, the former cannot be used to transport the current. This triggered a new approach in cable design involving round 2G HTS wires with a diameter from 1 to 2 mm. They can be assembled to build a small cable core with a high ampacity. The benefits of this new wire design on power cables are discussed. The first results on different manufacturing processes and the characterizations of the 2G HTS wires are presented.