Superconductive Batteries

Kylon · **Mon Nov 01, 2004 9:57 pm Superconductive Batteries**

I have heard that superconductive materials can hold the same current for months. Hypothetically, if there is no resistance, and very little energy is being lost due to the magnetic pull its putting on other things, we could use those as batteries.

Even if there is loss of energy, I am sure the superconductive magnet could be insulated.

That could effectively act as propulsion, and then we could use massive solar arrays to generate power.

Earth catches 2 billionths of the suns energy, and all the power that hits earth, is 100,000 times the amount of energy we used, or in other words, in 3.5 days you could generate enough energy to equal the worlds oil supply.

Source- Book named Solar Power

Hitchhiker · **Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:21 pm**

The problem would lie in getting the solar energy in the first place. Currently our method of collecting solar energy, through its absorption via photovoltaic cells, is inefficient at best--we need too large of an area to collect a worthwhile amount of energy. We need to develop an improved method of collecting solar energy in order to exploit its obvious potential as a renewable energy resource.

PrankishSmart · **Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:40 am**

To make a really efficient solar cell takes a lot of resources and oil, and is only really possible for relatively small applications.

It would be great if they could just fill the desert with solar panels, but it's not going to happen because of the manufaturing cost.

Five - seveN · **Tue Nov 02, 2004 11:04 am**

Umm... Sorry, I don't understand, what do superconductive materials have to do with propulsion and solar power...?

starnova · **Sun Nov 07, 2004 4:00 am**

whats a superconductor

lionhead · **Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:35 am**

i metal that has the lowest resistance. So when electricity runs thorugh it you get as minimum loss as possible. Best would be No resistance, that would lower our power input tremendously. But such a metal doesn't exist.

Five - seveN · **Sun Nov 07, 2004 9:54 am**

Well, certain metals have virtually no resistance at all, if cooled to -271 centigrade or something.

webtaz99 · **Sun Nov 07, 2004 2:27 pm**

The most effecient current superconductor materials are ceramic-based and operate around -70C (just warmer than boiling nitrogen). The current they "store" is at a very low voltage (a few milivolts) but very high current. This type of current cannot effectively be used without huge losses (if at all). It's better to think of superconductors as storing magnetic flux. The magnectic flux stored in a superconductor CAN be efficiently converted into useful power.

Still, what has that got to do with propulsion?