3 ms·

wow, that's way better than I would have imagined.

• TallGuyShort 7y ago
  5% loss isn't that bad, but that's because they're being limited in a lot of ways to keep the efficiency high. Dropping current and increasing voltage, for instance. If you had a 100% efficient conductor, you could do things like transmit monstrously high levels of current without having to worry about stuff like that.
  • MayeulC 7y ago
    True, although the superconducting effect is lost under high electric fields. A superconducor rejects magnetic fields (a bit like a Faraday cage). What if you cranck it up high enough and force the superconductor in place? You lose superconductivity. For that reason, there is actually a limit to thew current that can be transmitted, though it is much higher than with conventional cables (you still can't power a city with a hair-thin cable, IIRC).