alt Hacker NewsI wonder if robots could be made to work better at cryogenic temperature, so superconductors could be used. The figure of merit would be much higher if resistance was zero. Or maybe this is another reason to want room temperature superconductors.
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Robotbeat • today at 4:57 AM
Even copper has vastly lower resistance when cryogenically cooled. It's not a bad idea for some applications, and water cooling is already a good way to increase power density.
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PowerElectronix • today at 8:53 AM
Power disipation in the motor is not the limiting factor. Moving a robot requires work and the motor provides that work with a high eficiency already.
Plus, cryo temps require a lot of power to keep thing cool and coper and iron embrittle so the forces acting on the winding could shatter them.
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You would hit electrical steel saturation limits way before you need to pump in enough current to justify super-conductance.
Cooling in general is not a bad idea to allow you dissipate heat as you push motors to their saturation limits.