Magnesium Diboride Superconducting Coils for Electric Propulsion Systems for Large Aircraft, Phase I

For electric propulsion systems for large aircraft it is desirable to have very light weight electric motors. Cryogenic motors offer much lighter weight than conventional iron room temperature motors. Superconducting cryogenic motors can offer much more lighter weight motors than just cryogenically cooled copper motors. Magnesium diboride, a light-weight superconductor wire, cooled in the available liquid hydrogen fuel, is the ideal candidate coil material for large aircraft motors. During the Phase I we will demonstrate using this new wire in coil forms that will show feasibility of fabricating exciter, rotor and stator coils in a Phase II motor demonstration.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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