Key Takeaways

• Superconducting technologies could significantly reduce transport-related carbon emissions, potentially saving 23 gigatons over 25 years.
• The roadmap outlines how superconductors can enhance efficiency in aviation, marine, rail, and space transportation.
• Challenges such as cost and cooling systems remain, but advances are being made for future commercial applications.

Transforming Transport with Superconductors

A recent paper highlights the transformative potential of superconducting technologies in decarbonizing the transport sector, responsible for approximately a quarter of global energy-related carbon emissions. This collaborative ‘roadmap’ research, led by Dr Wenjuan Song from the University of Glasgow, offers insights into how these technologies could accelerate the transition to electric power across various transport modes.

Superconductors, materials that can conduct electricity without resistance under specific conditions, have been limited in their applications due to cooling requirements. However, technological advances have led to smaller and lighter superconducting devices. These innovations could increase power and torque efficiency for aircraft motors, ship propulsion systems, rail transformers, and spacecraft.

Dr Mohammad Yazdani-Asrami emphasizes that adopting this technology in the transport sector mirrors the rapid scale-up of solar power. The same prerequisites—affordable materials, better capabilities, and industry openness—are crucial for superconductors to achieve widespread adoption.

In aviation, where decarbonization remains a significant challenge, aircraft currently account for about 2% of transport-related carbon emissions. The roadmap indicates that superconducting machines could enhance electric motor output from 5-10 kilowatts to 20-40 kilowatts per kilogram, a vital improvement for medium and large aircraft.

Dr Song asserts that electric aircraft can transition from dream to reality, as demonstrated by Airbus’s advancements in superconducting powertrains. With ongoing development programs like ZEROe, the era of commercial electric aviation is on the horizon.

Maritime shipping, which contributes about 3.5-4% of global emissions, stands to benefit significantly from superconducting motors that promise lightweight and efficient propulsion. The US Navy has already tested a 36.5-megawatt superconducting ship-propulsion motor. If liquid hydrogen is adopted as a marine fuel, its low temperature could aid cooling components, marking a major leap toward zero-emission shipping.

Furthermore, the rail sector, producing just 1% of transport-related carbon, demonstrates promising superconducting advancements. For example, a Chinese high-speed train program employs a superconducting traction transformer that operates at over 99% efficiency, contributing to rail’s reputation as a green transport option. Innovations like superconducting maglev trains are also being explored for unprecedented speeds.

In the realm of space, superconductors could enable smaller and more powerful thrusters using frictionless superconducting bearings that require less maintenance, opening new possibilities for efficient satellite operations and long-term reliability.

The roadmap predicts that even partial adoption of superconducting technologies in transport could lead to a substantial reduction in emissions, with savings outpacing material costs. However, cost, improved superconductors, efficient cooling systems, and engineering complexities still pose barriers to widespread implementation.

In essence, this comprehensive roadmap serves as a clarion call to the transport industry, emphasizing emerging superconducting applications that are approaching commercial readiness. With a combination of improved technology and industry commitment, superconducting technologies hold the promise of significantly accelerating the transition to a decarbonized transport sector. The paper, “Roadmap to Electrification of Transportation Systems Enabled by Superconducting Technology,” can be found in the journal Superconductor Science and Technology, with support from various research councils and funding programs.

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