SuperRail

Superconductivity
in railway environments

Superconductivity
in railway
environments

The SuperRail project will be one of the world’s first installations of superconductors in railway systems.

Superconductivity for rail electrification

Superconductivity, for rail electrification

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The consortium comprising Absolut System, Nexans, CentraleSupelec & the University of Lorraine, supported by SNCF Réseau, will enable manufacturers to master the unwinding of a superconducting cable in a railway environment with constraining bending radii, and to install an innovative, energy-efficient cooling system technology.

The SuperRail project aims to promote the use of superconducting cables to transport energy in railway systems. These materials are capable of carrying currents 100 times higher than those in pure copper. In this sense, high-power DC cables made from superconducting materials are well suited to applications requiring the transport of high power at moderate voltage.

Most of the major stations on the French national rail network were electrified before 1950, and it is now necessary to reinforce electrification systems with cables. The major advantage of superconducting cables is their significantly higher transmission capacity in a much smaller footprint, even taking into account the space required for cooling.

SNCF is currently facing a number of challenges, particularly in the electrification of ultra-dense areas. This technology is a response to the need to increase density in highly constrained geographical areas where conventional copper cable reinforcement solutions cannot be used.

This innovative technology also reduces the use of copper resources, and cuts down on the amount of work involved. Other benefits of developing this technical solution for railways are the ability to offer power links with no electromagnetic field emissions (no more constraints for local residents, no impact on the deployment of 5G-type technologies) and the absence of thermal radiation. These two aspects mean that the power (the superconductor cable) can be laid in the immediate vicinity of the control cable (rail signalling), a cohabitation impossible to achieve with conventional solutions.

This technology therefore plays an active role in France’s decarbonization strategy.

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Superconductivity for rail electrification

Superconductivity for rail electrification

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The consortium comprising Absolut System, Nexans, CentraleSupelec & the University of Lorraine, supported by SNCF Réseau, will enable manufacturers to master the unwinding of a superconducting cable in a railway environment with constraining bending radii, and to install an innovative, energy-efficient cooling system technology.

The SuperRail project aims to promote the use of superconducting cables to transport energy in railway systems. These materials are capable of carrying currents 100 times higher than those in pure copper. In this sense, high-power DC cables made from superconducting materials are well suited to applications requiring the transport of high power at moderate voltage.

Most of the major stations on the French national rail network were electrified before 1950, and it is now necessary to reinforce electrification systems with cables. The major advantage of the superconducting cable is its much higher transport capacity in a much smaller footprint, including the space required for cooling.

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Today’s SNCF network faces a number of challenges, particularly when it comes to electrifying ultra-dense areas. This technology is a response to the need to increase density in highly constrained geographical areas that do not allow the use of conventional copper cable reinforcement solutions.

Thanks to its cryogenic expertise, Absolut System supplies the cooling system needed to cool cables to the very low temperatures required for superconductivity.

This innovative technology also reduces the use of copper resources and the amount of work involved. Other benefits of developing this technical solution for the rail industry are the ability to offer power links with no electromagnetic field emissions (no constraints on local residents, no impact on the deployment of technologies such as 5G), and the absence of thermal radiation. These two aspects make it possible to install the power (the superconducting cable) in the immediate vicinity of the control cable (rail signalling), a cohabitation impossible to achieve with conventional solutions.

This technology therefore plays an active role in France’s decarbonization strategy.

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Absolut System:
a new-generation Stirling cooler

Absolut System:
a new-generation Stirling cooler

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Initially, in order to make the superconducting solution viable in the short term, Absolut System will supply a PTC1000 for the demonstrator.

This cryogenic cooler is based on Pulse-Tube high-power technology. This solution, currently available, will be used to demonstrate energy transport in hyper-constrained zones. It can also be used outside the rail sector. In parallel with the installation of the superconductivity demonstrator, and in order to offer a more cost-effective and reliable long-term solution, Absolut System will be developing a new generation of Stirling-type chillers.

Absolut System’s innovation overcomes technological hurdles to design a cooler that consumes less energy, is highly reliable and requires little maintenance, thanks to non-contact hydrodynamic bearing technology fully adapted to intensive use.

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This project was financed by the French government as part of  the “Plan de Relance et du Programme d’investissements d’avenir”

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Absolut System celebrates its 14th anniversary!