Design of a termination for a high temperature superconducting power cable

A cable conductor consisting of superconducting tapes wound onto a tight fl exible tube (former) is placed inside a thermally insulating jacket (cryost at). This assembly is electrically insulated with an extruded polymer diele ctric kept at room temperature. Cooling is provided by a flow of liquid nit rogen inside the former. The purpose of an end termination is to connect th e superconducting cable conductor at cryogenic temperature to an electrical wire at room temperature and an external cooling machine at ground potenti al. Here we describe the design and construction of such an end termination . Aspects considered in the design include the thermal insulation of the te rmination, the transition from superconducting tapes to a normal conductor, the current lead carrying current between high and low temperatures, the t ransfer of liquid nitrogen over a high voltage drop and that of providing a well defined atmosphere inside the termination and around the cable conduc tor.