Drastic energy savings thanks to super-efficient power lines with almost zero resistance
Wild Card's progress: nominated
This Wild Card came from:
European Commission Framework Programme for RTD
The theme/scheme related to this Wild Card:
Theme 3 - ICT - Information & communication technologies
The sub-theme that best relates to this Wild Card:
Future and emerging technologies
Wild Card's description
Future breakthrough in high-temperature superconductors or carbon nanotubes (CNT) enable loss-less transmission of electrical power. Carbon nanotubes exhibit so-called "ballistic conductivity", which is effectively similar to superconducting. Technological breakthroughs in CNT production could lead to commercial super-strong long power lines with near-zero electrical resistance. The late Nobel laureate R. Smally was an ardent advocate of nanotubes as a solution to the energy crisis, by replacing old copper and aluminum power lines with CNT cables.
