We're pleased with the current-carrying performance. We're confirming the voltage capability of the cryogenic dielectric, and working with the mechanics of the cooling unit. The cooling unit under test at Oak Ridge is a new design, a prototype for the commercial-scale pilot installation planned for Southwire headquarters in 1999. Most liquid nitrogen cooling systems of this type are smaller. They designed and built this system from scratch to meet capacity requirements.
Temperature is critical to superconductor performance.
The machinery that wraps the superconductor and dielectric layers around the core has also received upgrades. There are now seven electrical drives on the system, up from two. The sophisticated drive systems give tighter manufacturing control. A second sample will also reinforce the data we've acquired with our first test runs. Terminations are being debugged too.