As we transition to a world powered by renewable energy, efficient long-distance electricity transport is essential since the supply – wind turbines, solar farms, and hydroelectric dams – is often located far from cities. Therefore, optimizing their performance is crucial.
With this in mind, scientists from Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology have developed a new cable-insulation material that’s three times less conductive, significantly improving such cables’ properties, performance, and efficiency.
One of the main issues with sending electricity through power lines is that the farther the current travels, the greater the amount of energy it loses through those lines. One solution to this problem is increasing the voltage, requiring high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables. However, these also have their limitations. For example, if the voltage is too high, the layer of insulating material within those cables could rupture.
The Chalmers team turned to a conjugated polymer called poly(3-hexylthiophene) – or P3HT to address this issue. The material has previously been used in applications such as replacement retinas to restore lost vision.
For the study, published on May 28, 2021, in the journal Advanced Materials, P3HT was added to the polyethylene already used for insulation in HVDC cables, at a ratio of five parts per million. When the team tested the resulting material in the lab, it was found to have one-third the electrical conductivity of pure polyethylene insulation. Other additives have previously been used to diminish conductivity, but more significant amounts were required.
Prof. Christian Müller, the study’s lead scientist, said:
We hope that this study can really open up a new field of research, inspiring other researchers to look into designing and optimizing plastics with advanced electrical properties for energy transport and storage applications.
While more work is needed, these findings suggest that HVDC cables containing P3HT in their insulation could endure much higher voltages than is currently possible, further minimizing energy loss in the current they carry.
