Exploration of Additive Manufacturing for HTS Cable Components for Electric Aircrafts

High temperature Superconducting (HTS) technology has the potential to deliver the required power densities necessary for electric aircrafts. A promising HTS cable design for electric aircraft applications that we have been investigating is the Superconducting Gas-Insulated Transmission Line (S-GIL). The S-GIL requires insulator spacers that are compatible with cryogenic temperatures as well as the high electrical and mechanical stresses. One of the major mechanical stresses currently limiting the design options is the compatibility of insulation materials and designs for cryogenic temperatures and associated thermal shocks. This paper discusses the investigation of using various 3D printed materials to fabricate prototype insulator spacer designs for the S-GIL and evaluate their compatibility with the required cryogenic operating conditions. The studies demonstrated that several materials and designs selected show suitability to operate at cryogenic temperature and we plan to proceed with further mechanical and electrical characterization of the 3D printed components.