| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T21: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Energy Materials for Sustainable Development
|
| Presentation Title |
Enhanced Conductivity Aluminum Composites for Electric Grid Applications |
| Author(s) |
Aditya K. Nittala, Lloyd Furuta, Kashi Subedi, Xiao Li, WoongJo Choi, David Drabold, Alex Poznak, Frank Kraft, Keerti Kappagantula |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Aditya K. Nittala |
| Abstract Scope |
Overhead cables, responsible for a majority of power transmission in the US, comprise of reinforced aluminum alloy conductors. Owing to their inherent resistivity, they incur losses during power transmission, primarily as resistance heat dissipation which induces additional issues such as sagging, creep loading, and failure. Transmission energy losses account for ~6% (~200 TWh) of energy generated in the US annually. There is a critical need for developing enhanced conductivity aluminum alloys for improving energy efficient power transmission.
We discuss strategies to improve electrical performance of aluminum alloys with the addition of graphite nanoparticles, using solid phase processing technologies, namely shear assisted processing and extrusion and hot extrusion. We present results showing enhanced conductivity in bulk wires by 3% at operating temperatures and 10% decrease in temperature co-efficient of resistance with no loss to mechanical performance. Finally, we explore microstructural features that are essential for enhanced conductivity pathways in the composite. |