Masih Mojarrad

Hydrogen as an energy carrier is a promising alternative to fossil fuels, and it becomes more and more popular in developed countries as a carbon-free fuel. The low boiling temperature of hydrogen (20 K or −253.15 °C) provides a unique opportunity to implement superconductors with a critical temperature above 20 K such as MgB₂ or high-temperature superconductors. Superconductors increase efficiency and reduce the loss of energy, which could compensate for the high price of LH₂ to some extent. Norway is one of the pioneer countries with adequate infrastructure for using liquid hydrogen in the industry, especially in marine technology where a superconducting propulsion system can make a remarkable impact on its economy. Using superconductors in the motor of a propulsion system can increase its efficiency from 95% to 98% when the motor operates at full power. The difference in efficiency is even greater when the motor does not work at full power. Here, we survey the applications of liquid hydrogen and superconductors and propose a realistic roadmap for their synergy, specifically for the Norwegian economy in the marine industry.

Superconductors application can lead to significant economic benefits, especially in combination with use of liquid hydrogen, which is becoming an important part of the renewable energy economy. While many traditional superconductors cannot operate in liquid hydrogen, new materials, like high-temperature superconductors and MgB2 perfectly suit this purpose. YBa 2 Cu 3 O x is one of the most used high-temperature superconductors. It can operate even in liquid nitrogen, at the temperature of 77.3 K, but has a strong advantage of enhanced critical current density at the boiling temperature of liquid hydrogen of 20 K. A disadvantage of this material is the absence of natural c-axis pinning centers defining its critical current density. A usual way to solve this problem is the introduction of artificial pinning centers in the form of nanoparticles. The nanoparticles, however, reduce the volume of the superconductor and can lead to the formation of high-angle grain boundaries detrimental for the critical current. Here we explore an approach of depositing magnetic nanoparticles on the surface of superconducting films, which neither reduce the volume of the superconductor nor create high-angle grain boundaries. The additional pinning by these nanoparticles is studied by recording magneto-optical images of the films.