Korea making 1300 HP Superconducting motor for 2010

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Ltd. (Doosan) and the Korean Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) – have utilized AMSC’s proprietary high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire to successfully develop and demonstrate a very compact, high-efficiency superconductor 1300HP motor for civilian and military applications. This news follows the announcement three weeks ago that AMSC had successfully completed factory acceptance testing of its own 36.5 MW (49,000 horsepower) HTS ship propulsion motor for the U.S. Navy.

UPDATE: Doosan website now indicates March 2011 for completion of the superconducting motor development

Development of Low Speed and High Capacity
Superconducting Motor
Period: 2007. 4 ~ 2011. 3

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction R&D Center and KERI (cooperation)
The motor produced by Doosan and KERI utilizes approximately 5,000 meters of AMSC’s HTS wire and is capable of generating 1,300 horsepower at 3,600 revolutions per minute. The system is significantly smaller, lighter, quieter and more efficient than the traditional motors sold today of the same power rating, which are made with copper coils.

Doosan plans to begin production of motors for the military and commercial markets in the 2010-2011 timeframe. AMSC estimates that the annual worldwide market for industrial motors with ratings of 1,000 horsepower or higher is over $1 billion.

A 1000HP motor in the Bugatti weighs about 400 kg