What is BS EN 61788-21- Superconducting wires about?
BS EN 61788-21 is a safety standard on test methods for practical superconducting wires.
BS EN 61788-21 specifies the test methods used for validating the mechanical, electrical, and superconducting properties of practical SC wires.
A wire is considered as being practical if it can be procured in sufficiently continuous lengths under ordinary commercial transactions to build devices.
Note 1: Extension of the discussions in BS EN 61788-21 beyond practical SC wires is not intended, even though referenced standards include aspects outside of the scope.
Note 2: Conductors made of multiple wires, such as cables, are not included in the scope of BS EN 61788-21.
Who is BS EN 61788-21- Superconducting wires for?
BS EN 61788-21 on test methods for practical superconducting wires is relevant to:
- Manufacturers of superconducting wires
- Manufacturers of superconductor devices
- Testing authorities for practical superconducting wires
- Electrical engineers
- Electricians
- High-energy particle accelerator laboratories
Why should you use BS EN 61788-21- Superconducting wires?
Superconducting (SC) wires are a central and often enabling technology of many important industrial products.
BS EN 61788-21 is ranked as the priority for both producers and users of superconducting technology. BS EN 61788-21 provides the measurement methods and test procedures for properties critical to use. BS EN 61788-21 assists the development of commercial markets and the distribution of products. BS EN 61788-21 is meant to provide common access to, and unarguable reference information about, characteristics that are most important for superconductor-based technologies. BS EN 61788-21 includes the measurement principles and measurement techniques together with the relevant terminology and definitions. Specifications of SC wire products consider the function of the different components of SC wires to meet operational needs, maintain operational (superconducting) conditions, and accommodate mechanical forces and strains. The various forms of SC wire products distributed by manufacturers incorporate these aspects to varying degrees, depending on the superconducting materials used and the intended operating conditions/environment. Design and engineering of devices that use SC wire products consider the unique properties of SC wires during operation. The general features of practical SC wires are described in IEC TR 61788-20 in terms of simple widespread characteristics to assist in the specification and use of superconducting wire products. Testing, certification, and quality control apply the relevant standard test methods to SC wires, which are specified in BS EN 61788-21.
Overall, BS EN 61788-21 is useful as it provides guidance on the practical SC wires that have the intended purpose as common electrical wires, with the special ability to carry hundreds or thousands of times more current than a common electrical wire of the same dimension. Standard test methods discussed in BS EN 61788-21 address the determination of current-carrying capacity called the critical current of practical SC wires.