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Can someone help me understand what it means for a superconductor (which should have zero resistance) to have such a low current capacity? Does this mean it's p
by MobiusHorizons 3y ago
Can someone help me understand what it means for a superconductor (which should have zero resistance) to have such a low current capacity? Does this mean it's possible to have a voltage drop across the superconductor? Does that voltage drop somehow not result in power dissipation? Is it something like capacitive or inductive reactance?
- timerol 3y agoSuperconductors aren't always superconducting. There is a set of circumstances in which superconduction happens. If the current is below this limit, voltage is 0. If current is above this limit, then voltage is more accurately predicted from bulk resistivity numbers. This image is on it's side from a normal I-V curve, but accurately describes the relationship: https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Irds.jpg https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Irds.jpg. At Ic the material stops superconducting. Note that there are temperature and magnetic field effects on the value of Ic, which in every other currently-known material is 0 at 300 K.
- MobiusHorizons 3y agoThanks that explanation makes a lot of sense.
- magicalhippo 3y agoIn superconducting magnets, this sudden loss of superconductivity is called a quench[1] and can be destructive. The LHC recently suffered from this, discussed here[2], and is undergoing repairs. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superconducting_magnet#Magnet_quench https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superconducting_magnet#Magnet_... [2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36811018 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36811018