Reviews of Large Superconducting Machines

The application of superconductivity to energy needs offers improvements in two areas. The performance of conventional components of the present energy systems is limited by the capability of conventional materials. By the use of superconductivity the capacity and efficiency of such components, e.g., electrical machines and cables, can considerably be improved. Superconductivity also opens new prospects for the solution of energy problems which cannot be realized on the basis of existing technologies, either because of technical or economical reasons. Examples for this kind of application are: inductive storage of energy, magnetic confinement for thermonuclear fusion and magnetohydrodynamic energy conversion.