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Spinoff story
High-Temperature Superconductors Deliver Power without Heat
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
In 2008 Goddard Space Flight Center hired Knoxville, Tennessee-based Tai Yang Research Company, now known as Energy to Power Solutions, to develop superconducting ceramic leads to carry power to an electromagnet operating near absolute zero. While superconductive ceramics operate at higher temperatures than their metal counterparts, they produce no heat and conduct almost none. The resulting durable, ultra-low-heat lead is the first of its kind and is being marketed for MRI machines and other devices with cryogenic components.