As we increasingly turn to renewable energy sources such as wind turbines, we will need the best possible way to transmit electricity from them to our cities. A new cable insulation material allows us to do this more effectively.
One of the problems with transmitting power through power lines is that the farther the current is transmitted, the greater the energy lost through these lines.
Increasing the voltage can help solve this problem, but doing so requires the use of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables. They have their own limiting factors, because if the voltage is too high, the insulating material layer may crack.
To solve this problem, scientists at Chalmers University in Sweden have studied a conjugated polymer called poly(3-hexylthiophene) or P3HT for short. The material has previously been used in a variety of applications ranging from replacing retinas to cheaper and more efficient solar cells.
In Chalmers’ research, P3HT was added to polyethylene that has been used for HVDC cable insulation, and the proportion was only five parts per million. When testing the resulting composite material, it was found that its conductivity was only one third of that of pure polyethylene insulating material. Although other additives have been explored as a means of reducing electrical conductivity, a large amount of additives is required.
Although more research is needed, the research results show that HVDC cables with P3HT added to their insulation materials can withstand higher voltages than currently possible, thereby further reducing the energy loss in the current they carry.
“We hope that this research can really open up a new field of research and encourage other researchers to study, design and optimize plastics with advanced electrical properties for energy transmission and storage applications,” said Chief Scientist Professor Christian Müller.
Post time: Sep-06-2021
