Materials research for hydrogen-cooled superconducting power transmission lines

Dielectric breakdown and loss measurements in liquid hydrogen and liquid hydrogen impregnated synthetic dielectrics, at temperatures between 14 and 200K and at hydrostatic pressures up to 5 atmospheres are performed. Effects of dissolved impurities/additives in the liquid are included. The self field and low field superconducting properties of high critical temperature materials are characterized at temperatures between approximately 14 and 200K. The experiments on dielectrics were conducted outdoors, due to safety considerations. The Design of the auxiliary equipment for the tests on the dielectric properties of LH2 was finished, and all the key components were ordered. A safety analysis report was started to discuss the effect of the setting on the safety aspects of this project; the design of the system of small electrodes was modified to provide individual ground connections for each ground electrode; data on Tc vs. composition was obtained for several samples of carbon doped V3Si; and the Nb3 Ge chemical vapor deposition apparatus was reactivated.