Patent ID: 7735212

Claim:
A method for constructing a superconducting cable comprising N phases, the method comprising: providing each phase in the cable in the form of a number of superconducting phase conductors, classifying the phase conductors in N-phase groups, each N-phase group comprising a phase conductor from each of the N different phases, where N is greater than one, and where the number of N-phase groups is larger than or equal to two, arranging insulation in the cable around each phase conductor or between assemblies of phase conductors, and providing that said N-phase groups are electrically insulated from each other, and providing the N-phase groups or assemblies of N-phase groups with a common electrically conductive screen, wherein the N-phase groups are arranged in a number of coaxial groups comprising at least two coaxial layers and having a common axis, either with different phase conductors corresponding to different phases in each coaxial layer or with each individual phase conductor of a particular phase in a separate coaxial layer, wherein the superconducting cable has fewer cooling channels for refrigerant than phase conductors, and wherein the common axis of the coaxial layers is oriented along the length of the superconducting cable.