ELECTRIC WIRE & CABLE, ENERGY
36 · GENESIS Project and Use of Sustainable Energy
1. The concept behind the development of theGENESIS Project
Figure 1 shows the increase in world population fromthe first year of the Christian era (A.D. 1) to the near fu-ture. Since the second half of the 18th century when hu-mans gained the ability to use fossil fuel resources asenergy during the Industrial Revolution, the world popu-lation began to soar dramatically. The population hasrisen in accordance with an explosively increasing func-tion, as shown in Fig. 1, and it has already passed the pointof no return. The world's population in 2008 is beyond6.7 billion and it is estimated that it will exceed 9 billionby 2045. Resulting from the increase, energy consump-tion has been skyrocketing as indicated in Fig. 2, and it isexpected to increase to 150% of its current level by 2030.
We can regard “1 kW per capita,” which is the level thatJapan achieved during 1970s, as a steppingstone towardsbecoming a civilized country. When we use Japan, whichhas currently the world’s third largest power generatingcapacity of 250 million kW, as a standard to compareother countries, we reach the conclusion that the numberof the zones with power generation capacities that areequivalent to that of Japan (which exhibits the secondlargest GDP) is 27 in the world, based on the followingformula: (6.7 billion people times 1 kW per capita) di-vided by 250 million kW≒27. It can be considered thatthe issue of the world population will continue to be oneof the largest problems for us in the future. In addition,the number of megalopolises with over one million peo-ple has increased rapidly throughout the world, as thetendency is shown in Fig. 18. Therefore, the reality is thatwe cannot support the modern civilization without main-taining the massive generation, transmission, and con-sumption of electricity.
The major energy resources that have been utilizedto support such massive amounts of energy use are oil,natural gas, and coal (fossil fuel resources) and uranium(a non-fossil fuel resource). Figure 3 shows the amountsof reserves of the major energy resources (as of the endof 2006). Although the reserve-to-production ratio of coalis over 150 years, those of other energy resources are lim-ited to around 40 to 85 years. Therefore, it is importantfor us to recognize that they are transient resources.
The current era is called the “age of the transitionfrom metal to non-metal.” In the field of electronics andtelecommunications, the transition to non-metals hasbeen completed by replacing metal vacuum tubes andcopper wires with silicon semiconductors and fiber-opticcables, respectively. In the steel industry, the applicationof carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is presently un-derway. I consider that from the perspective of optimalresource utilization it will become necessary to replace
It is estimated that the world population will grow from its current 6.7 billion to 9 to 10 billion by the middle of this century.On the other hand, the world reserve-to-production ratios (RPRs) for oil, natural gas, and uranium are approximatelyfrom 40 to 85 years. Therefore, it is difficult for these energy resources to accommodate the ever-increasing population.In addition, there is a possibility that the world will face a catastrophic situation due to environmental deteriorationbefore the energy resources are depleted. Before the Industrial Revolution, human beings had subsisted using solarenergy in a natural way. In order for people in this century and the following centuries to survive, it will be necessary togo back to the pre-Industrial Revolution style of using energy originating from the sun, taking into consideration the is-sues of energy, resources, and the environment. At the same time, we need to accomplish the GENESIS Project, whichaims at establishing a global-scale energy network to generate and supply sufficient energy in a clean and green wayby making full use of technologies to harness “new energies” that have been developed by human beings. This report explains the main features of the GENESIS Project.
Keywords: GENESIS Project, sustainable new energy, HTS DC cables, water cycle, wide-band-gap power transistorcooled with LN2
GENESIS Project and Use of Sustainable Energy
Ryosuke HATA*and Shigeki ISOJIMA
Fig. 1. Population increase and Earth’s environment
100
50
0 1000 160018001900
1950 2050
2000 (AD)
3 6 1216 25
60
90~100
Population increase(Recent occurrence)
Popu
lation
Human activities
Environmentaldisorders
Now facingconsequences
Warm Earth climate: Paradise
Environmentaldestruction
Rapidpopulationincrease
Doubled in 1600 years
2 million years ago: 6 ice ages 10 thousand years ago: Last ice age Now: Interglacial period
dtdy ay y ∝ eat= Post-WWII period
Industrial Revolution
Emergence of Homo sapiens(about 500 thousand years ago)
Populationincrease Explosively increasing functionor Catastrophe function
Hundredmillion Point of no return
copper, which has been used as a main material, with non-metal alternatives in the sector of electricity infrastructure,along with wider use of ceramic-made high-temperaturesuperconductors (1).
Figure 4 shows the trends in the amounts of CO2 emis-sions during the past 200 years. The amounts have in-creased sharply, particularly since World War II, and the
total amount has passed the point of no return. This situa-tion is already causing global-scale environmental changes.
Figure 5 shows the amounts of CO2 emissions foreach of the power generating systems that are responsiblefor about one third of the world’s total CO2 emissions. Itis apparent that the amounts of CO2 emissions from ther-mal power plants using coal, oil, and natural gas, whichare the main sources of electricity, are overwhelminglyhigher than those from nuclear power plants and powergeneration systems based on new energies originatingfrom the sun. Therefore, in order to reduce CO2 emis-sions, it is considered necessary to switch fuels from coaland oil to natural gas and further to nuclear energy andnew energy resources.
The Kyoto Protocol requires Japan to curb CO2 emis-sions by 6% from the level in 1990. As Table 1 indicates,Japan’s electric power industry decided to reduce CO2
emissions per unit of electricity by 20%. A large part ofthe reduction was expected to be achieved by buildingnew nuclear power plants and boosting the operatingrates of existing nuclear power plants (2).
It is said that nuclear power is a clean energy sourcein terms of CO2 emissions, so the present age is sometimescalled the era of Nuclear Renaissance as it is regarded as
SEI TECHNICAL REVIEW · NUMBER 69 · OCTOBER 2009 · 37
Fig. 2. Historical trend of global energy consumption
Households & Comm
erce
Transportation
IndustrialWorkers
Industries & Agriculture
Households& Com
merce
Food
250
200
150
100
50
2 5 1226
77
100
149
75
50
25
230
14
24
3223
4
1
44
7
63
66
91
10
7126
Gasoline & EngineTherm
al Power StationCoal M
ining Begins (Drake)Generator (Siem
ens)Coal Consum
ption in UK: 0.1 B-tonsW
att’s Steam Engine
Waterm
ill for SpinningPartial Use of Coal
Windm
ill for GrindingW
atermill for Grinding (Asia M
inor)Transportation by Anim
al (Egypt)Sailing Boat (Egypt)
Agriculture Begins (Mesopotam
ia)Chipped Stone Tool & Fire (Peking M
an)Use of Tools & Fire (Australopithecus Africanus)
AdvancedFarmers
EarlyFarmers
AncientHunters
PrimitivePeople
Energy Consumption Per Capita
(1000 kilocalorie)
1970
1900
180017001600
1000
10005000Som
e Hundreds Thousand years AgoSeveral M
illion Years Ago
A.D.1
Global Energy Consumption in Oil Equivalents
(M Barrel per day for Curve)
M Barrel per day in 1993
Discovery of Fire Energies from Firewood,Watermill, Windmill & Horsepower
(Source: Japanese Ministry of the Environment)
Fire Energy forHousehold Activities
Coal Oil
Engineers
Fig. 3. Reserves of world major energy resources
Oil
NaturalGas
Coal
Uranium
1.2 trillion barrelsReserve-production Ratio in Years: 41
909.1 million tonsReserve-production Ratio in Years: 155
181 trillion m3
Reserve-production Ratio in Years: 654.74 million tons
Reserve-production Ratio in Years: 85
Source: Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal: BP Statistics 2007(As of end of 2006)Uranium: OECD/NEA, IAEA URANIUM2005(As of 2005)
Asia & Pacific3.4%
Middle East0.1%
Asia & Pacific32.7%
North America5.0%
Latin America2.2%
Africa5.5%
NorthAmerica 28.0%
Latin America8.6%
Africa9.7%
Europe &FormerSoviet Union12.0%
Middle East61.5%
Latin America3.8%
Middle East1.7% Asia &
Pacific28.6%North
America16.6%
Africa19.1%
Latin America 6.3%
Middle East40.5%
North America4.4%
Africa 7.8%
Asia &Pacific
8.2%
Europe &FormerSoviet Union35.3%
Europe & FormerSoviet Union31.6%
Europe & FormerSoviet Union27.8%
1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
(C-Mton)
World War ⅠWorld Financial Crisis
Disintegration of USSR
IndustrialRevolution
World Wan Ⅱ
First Oil CrisisSecond Oil Crisis
Gas
Gasflaring & Cement Production
Oil
Coal
(Year)(Source: Carbon Dioxide Information Center)
Fig. 5. Comparison of CO2 emissions among various electric powergeneration technologies
0
SolarFuelFacilities & OperationHydro
GeothermalWind
CO2 Emissions [g-CO2/kWh]
Nuclear(PWR)Nuclear(BWR)
LNG-combinedLNG-fired
Oil-firedCoal-fired
200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200
53.411.31529.535.328.4
407.5 111.3
37.888.4886.8
704.3129.6487
(Source: OHM Nov. 2004 Issue)
Fig. 4. Changes of CO2 emissions in past 200 years
a last resort in the 21st century in which the environmentis of great concern. At present, about 430 nuclear powerplants are in operation, mainly in developed countries.And a number of countries plan to build new nuclearpower stations, including BRIC countries that are makingaggressive efforts to introduce nuclear power plants. Thetotal number of the newly built and planned plants will bearound 200. When we take 1 kW per capita as a standard,it is estimated that China will need at least over 400 nu-clear power stations and the entire world will need morethan 6,000 plants (1). If we continue to rely on the over 400nuclear power plants that are now in operation and onuranium, which has a reserve-to-production ratio of roughly61 to 85 years, nuclear power cannot be the “ultimate en-ergy resource.” Also, for nuclear power, it is particularlyimportant to ensure safety in the face of radiation haz-ards. And as back-end measures, disposal of radioactivewaste usually requires an interim storage period of about100 years. After that, the waste needs to be relocated deepunderground and managed in final storage for some-where between 10,000 to 20,000 years. Therefore, it is nec-essary to pay due attention to the imbalance between “thegenerations of nuclear power users and the period of use”and “the necessity for the future generations to providelong-term storage and management.” In addition, thereis one more important point to be considered. That is theissue of the longevity, maintenance, and renewal of nu-clear power plants. The designed lifetime of the plantshas been approximately 30 to 40 years, based on the “en-gineering capabilities.” Therefore, most nuclear powerplants in Japan will reach their designed lifetime duringthe period between 2020 and 2030. At present, the realityis that there is no solution to this problem other than ex-tending their longevity through upgrading. As Fig. 6shows, however, when we extend their lifetime, we haveto give extremely serious and careful examination to the
following issues regarding the nuclear power plants thatwere built by using designs and equipment that were avail-able 30 to 40 years ago.
1) What kinds of engineering standards and methodsshould be used in investigations?
2) What kinds of tests should be conducted?3) How can we determine the feasibility of repair,lifetime extension, and upgrading or renewal orrehabilitation and how can we conduct them?
4) How can we continue to implement engineeringmonitoring in the future?
To put it plainly, a basic question remains unan-swered: whether or not we should pursue the universal-ization of artificial technologies, for which renewal andfinal disposal technologies have not yet been established,as an ultimate solution (1).
The rapidly growing population and the environmen-tal problems have aggravated the food supply situation inthe world. It is reported that the world’s grain inventoryrate was over 35% in the 1980s but declined to 17.7% in2005. As for water resources, the demand for water in-creased six-fold, which is two times the population growth,during the 100 years of the 20th century, which has beencalled the Oil Century. About 60 countries, mainly in Asiaand Africa, cannot meet the basic requirement of 50 litersper day, which is considered essential for human survival.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)predicts that as the global warming worsens, there will beextremely severe droughts in some areas and extremelylarge-scale floods will occur in other areas.
At the same time, the demand for biomass fuels madefrom grains such as corn has increased due to efforts toreduce CO2 emissions, resulting in a decline in the inven-tory rate of food. In addition, the rising production ofgrains for biomass fuels led to an increase in the amountof water necessary for agricultural use. It has been pointedout that the adverse effects of expanded biomass fuel pro-duction will become more widespread.
An ultimate idea as an alternative to the above-men-
38 · GENESIS Project and Use of Sustainable Energy
CO2 Emissions in Power Generation Industry
Electricity Growth Rate and CO2 Emissions
Self-Imposed ReductionTarget
(1)Newly Installed Nuclear Power Stations
(2)Increase of Coefficient of Utilization of All Nuclear Power Stations
(3)Increase of Efficiency of Thermal Power Stations
(4)Adoption of Kyoto Mechanism
2002
Electricity growth rate: 37%(from 1990 to 2010)CO2 Emissions: 1.37×0.8=1.096(CO2 Emissions increase by 10%)
5 stations ×▲3%/station=▲15%(7-8 M ton-CO2 reduction/station/year)
3% increase for each of 53 stations→ ▲3%
▲1%
▲ 1%Equivalent to reduction of 3.8 M ton-CO2/year
350 M ton-CO2/year (27%)
2003 363 M ton-CO2/year (32.4%)
Mea
sure
s fo
r 20
% C
O2 R
educ
tion
in U
nit
Pow
er G
ener
atio
n
20% Reduction in unit power generation 425 g-CO2/kWh in 1990
340 g-CO2/kWh in 2010
Industrial product Life of n years(Products should have markers for monitoring life spans) Renewal
End-of-life determination(Life expectancy)
Miner’s lawDesign(Resistance to cyclic fatigue, etc.)Materials
Arrhenius’ equation
Who should be responsible?
Examination & determination(Combination of new & old)
Partial Renewal
Monitoring
Life extension
Life extension
Technologically immature
Industrial wastetreatment
(3R)
All in
dustr
ial p
rodu
ctsha
ve lim
ited
life sp
ans
[Designers & manufacturers] [Operation/maintenance/renewal persons]
Generation change
Generation change
Nuclear power station(Life: 30-40 years)
(Only present generations are benefited)
(Industry world & power companies)
Renewal??
Retain for10 thousand
yearsRadioactive
wastes
(New)Negative legacy
for future generations
Almost all of 55 nuclear power units in Japan reach end of life
by 2020-2030
Table 1. Self-imposed CO2 emissions reduction target of Japan’s powergeneration industry
Fig. 6. Life extension measures of nuclear power plants: Importance oftechnology for determining life span of industrial products
tioned energy sources has been proposed by the academicsector. That is “nuclear fusion technology,” which allows usto create a small, artificial sun on the earth. At present, it isconsidered that the technology will be completed in the nextcentury or later. And nuclear fusion requires special safetymeasures. Therefore, some experts think that it would bebetter to use on the earth the nuclear fusion energy gener-ated by the sun, remaining at a safe distance from the fusion,in the form of new energy originating from the sun(1).
2. What should be the ultimate energy resource?
I pointed out in the previous section that fossil fuel re-sources and uranium are transient sources of energy dueto the limited amounts of their reserves. I also explainedthat it was highly likely that the unlimited increase in en-ergy consumption would bring an unexpected and suddencatastrophe to all living organisms on the earth, includinghuman beings due to environmental problems (before theresources are depleted). In addition, I mentioned that al-though nuclear power generation and nuclear fusion beingdeveloped at present are important technologies, it was dif-ficult to embrace them as ultimate solutions, for variousreasons. Then, can we, today’s engineers, propose a feasi-ble and realistic ultimate solution to save human beings,which serves as an alternative to the above-mentioned en-ergy sources? What do Fig.s 1, 2, 4, and 8mean? If we learnfrom history, they would mean that before the IndustrialRevolution, human beings lived very humbly within thelimits of the amount of the energy given by the sun, as aliving species on the earth that thrived in the same way asother such species. If you allow me to use modern terms,human beings have been able to survive for several millionyears, because they have lived depending only on “recy-clable,” “sustainable,” and “clean and green” energies andresources. Figure 7 provides an easy-to-understand outlineof a mechanism in which it is important to rely on new re-cyclable and sustainable energies originating from the sun.The only question to this scenario is whether or not the re-
sources of the new energies exist in sufficient amounts.This point will be discussed in details below, but, in theory,these resources can provide an almost inexhaustible sup-ply of energy. Figure 8 shows the history of energy con-sumption by human beings and a forecast of its futurefrom the past (several million years ago) to the future(around 2100). As I mentioned above, it is commonlyknown that the production of currently effective energyresources will “peak out,” and that they will become de-pleted. Based on the understanding of the whole situation,this fact also inevitably forces us to take the option of“using energies originating from the sun.” And in orderto prevent environmental problems from causing a catas-trophe, we have to make active use of new energies.
The current composition of the atmospheric con-stituents, including oxygen (O2), has been developed asthe earth has accumulated CO2, which has been fixed bysolar energy, and O2 has constantly been released to theatmosphere over the unimaginably long period whichcould be more than 2 billion years, as Fig. 22 shows. Basedon this fact, I reached the following conclusion: When thebalance of atmospheric constituents is disturbed ashuman beings release these fossil energies at a burst inthe form of CO2 while consuming O2, it will take an in-credibly long time to restore the balance, or it is an un-avoidable necessity to study the possibility that humanbeings will be irreversibly headed towards a catastrophe(before the energy resources become depleted).
Photovoltaic power generation, a typical example ofnew energy sources, has increased by more than 50% an-nually, as Fig. 9 shows. The accumulated amount of intro-duced solar power generation in the world wasapproximately 9 million kW in 2007, but its applicationhas not expanded rapidly, because the cost of its powergeneration is still expensive at around 46 yen per kWh. Ihope that future “eco-innovation,” or technological inno-vation aimed at solving environmental problems, willlower the cost. And this problem is an issue to be solved,rather, by government policy based on a judgment of factsfrom the perspective of the future, just as with the case ofthe EU’s introduction of the feed-in tariff system.
SEI TECHNICAL REVIEW · NUMBER 69 · OCTOBER 2009 · 39
Several mil yrs B.C.
B.C.1000
One mil yrs 10,000 yrs 500 yrs 200 yrs 40 yrs Source: World Population Prospects 1990. Energy Statics Yearbook
A.D.1000
A.D.1700
A.D.2000
A.D.2100
250
200
150
100
50
0
Wor
ldwide
ene
rgy c
onsu
mpt
ion(E
quiva
lent in
oil c
onsu
mpt
ion [m
illion
bar
rels
per d
ay])
Discovery of fire
Firewood/Waterwheel/Windmill
Energy based on fire & animals OilCoal Solar
energy
Use of tools & fire
IndustrialRevolution
Solarenergy
Energy gap
Oil Coal
Naturalgas
Atomic energyFirewood, etc.
IC/LSITV/Transistor/
Atomic power station
Gasoline engine/Thermal power station/Oil drilling
Watt’s steam-engineUse of animals
for transportation
Fig. 8. History & forecast of energy consumption by mankind
<The only realistic proposal from present-day engineers>
Sufficient quantitySustainable
Clean and green
Impartial and universal Energies
(HTS DC cable)
Continuous volume increase is possible
Return to energy use status of pre-Industrial Revolution times while maintaining current civilization level
· Establishment of practically usable technologies· Must be simple, clean and green
New energies [Photovoltaic, wind turbine and hydraulic power]
GENESIS ProjectToFrom nuclearfusion
Making artificial sun on Earth
Solar-derived
Prompt implementation!
Fig. 7. Ultimate energies, or solar-derived energies, for future generations
As Fig. 10 shows, wind power generation has ex-panded rapidly at the rate of over 70% per year. The ac-cumulated generation amount reached 94 million kW atthe end of 2007, which is nearly equivalent to the capacityof 94 nuclear power plants. This rapid expansion becamepossible because the cost of wind power generation hadalready been lowered to the level of thermal power plantsat 7 to 8 yen per kWh. It has been pointed out that if weintend to increase the wind power generation substan-tially in the future, it will be necessary to implement it ona larger scale and improve the strength of its facilities.However, we have to keep in mind that since wind powergeneration requires suitable sites, it is less unbiased thansolar power generation.
Besides photovoltaic and wind power generation, hy-draulic power generation is also one of the new promisingenergy resources. Although it is necessary to improve thelevel of these power generation technologies and makethem more efficient and economical in the future, thefact that they can be regarded as “developed technolo-gies” is also an important point. If these power generationtechnologies using new energy resources are put intopractical use in combination with technologies for high-
capacity, ultra-long-distance, and ultra-low-loss electricpower transmission, new energy resources originatingfrom the sun can be the “ultimate proposal for savinghuman beings” for the first time in the whole of humanhistory, as discussed in greater detail below. Modern en-gineers have finally succeeded in developing this ultimateproposal to the stage where we can now say that it is fea-sible, by developing the ultimate High-Temperature Su-perconducting (HTS) DC power cables with no electricresistance. As a result, the Genesis Project (combinationof new energies and HTS DC cables) described below hasdeveloped from an impossible dream to a possible reality,on which we can base our step-by-step efforts to make itinto a concrete reality.
3. GENESIS Project and HTS DC Cables
GENESIS is an acronym standing for “Global EnergyNetwork Equipped with Solar cells and International Su-perconductor grids.” “Genesis” is also a section of the OldTestament of the Bible, which describes the creation ofthe world. Dr. Yukinori Kuwano, the former president ofSanyo Electric Co., Ltd. who first proposed the GENESISProject, emphasized the following point: As a result of acalculation of the size of the land that will be needed tosupply energy to the world exclusively through photo-voltaic power generation using 10% efficiency solar cells,based on projections of future global energy consump-tion, a conclusion was made that a square of land approx-imately 800 kilometers wide and approximately 800kilometers long would be enough to meet the energyneeds of all human beings as illustrated in Fig. 11 to un-derstand it plainly (1), and this size is only 4% of the totalexisting desert area of the entire world (3),(4). Remarkabledevelopment was achieved in the field of solar cells. Forexample, solar cells with over 20% total-area conversionefficiency, such as HIT solar cells, have been developed.According to a report on the cases examined by an Inter-national Energy Agency (IEA) working party, when solarcells with 15% total-area conversion efficiency areadopted taking into consideration the capabilities of cur-rently available solar cells, an area half the size of the Gobi
40 · GENESIS Project and Use of Sustainable Energy
10,0009,0008,0007,0006,0005,0004,0003,0002,0001,000
0
[MW]
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006(Source: Solar Generation V-2008, EPIA)
2007
502 580 669 795 984 1,150 1,4281,762
2,2012,795
3,847
5,167
6,770
9,162
100,00090,00080,00070,00060,00050,00040,00030,00020,00010,000
0
[MW]
(Source: Global Wind Energy Outlook 2008)
6,100 7,60010,20013,60017,40023,900
31,10039,341
47,620
59,084
74,051
93,864
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Fig. 10. Cumulative amount of wind generation
800km800km
800km
800km 800km800km
800km
800km
Fig. 11. Land area required for solar battery farm: 4% of world’s desertarea (800 km × 800 km)
Fig. 9. Cumulative amount of solar generation
Desert can meet the annual energy demands of the entireworld, and we can gain an amount of energy equal toaround ten times the world’s entire demand from thewhole area of the Sahara Desert (5). The case of 10% effi-ciency solar cells requires a square of land approximately800 kilometers wide and approximately 800 kilometerslong, as described above, but when solar cells with 15%efficiency are used, a square of land 650 kilometers wideand 650 kilometers long is needed. To put it the otherway around, when solar cells with 15% efficiency are usedin a square of land 800 kilometers wide and 800 kilome-ters long, we can use about 35% of the land as workingspace. As Fig. 12 shows, one of the features of the GENE-SIS Project is to realize a global electric power network byinterconnecting and expanding new-energy power plants(mainly solar farms; supplemented by wind farms)around the world with HTS DC cables (6). It is inevitablethat DC cables that do not generate reactive power areused as ultra-long cables for power transmission in theproject. Figure 13 describes the GENESIS Project as apower generation and transmission system with necessarycomponents. The key components include solar and windfarms, HTS DC cables, cooling stations for HTS cables(coolant: liquid nitrogen), DC/AC inverter/converter sta-
tions (equipped with inverters/converters, transformers,fault current limiter, electric current breakers, etc.)
To make the features of the GENESIS Project clearer,Fig. 14 compares the new system with the currently oper-ating power generation and transmission systems rangingfrom several hundreds of thousands of kW to one millionkW. In the case of the existing power transmission systemsthat use copper or aluminum conductor power cables,transmission voltage is increased to 500 kV (or 500,000volts) at the end of a power generator (for example, theoutput point of a nuclear power plant of 1GW; 1GW =1,000 MW = 1 million kW) to minimize transmission loss,which is proportional to the square of the current level.And inversely, transmission electric current is decreasedbelow several kA. In addition, in order to reduce the limiton transmission distance for reactive power in alternat-ing-current (AC) power transmission, power is usuallytransmitted over long distance to inner-city areas whereit is consumed, through overhead lines that make it pos-sible to reduce capacitance to the earth. In the GENESISProject, on the other hand, when power is generated onthe order of several hundreds of thousands kW or on alarger scale at a solar or wind farm, the (DC) voltage gen-erated from the new-energy power sources would theoret-ically be low. Therefore, it is inevitable that the project’spower transmission systems will be based mainly on lowtransmission voltage and high transmission current. Inthis case, since the existing metal conductor cables, whichinvolve transmission loss, require an unimaginably largenumber of cables to carry high current levels and poselimits on transmission distances, the use of these cablesare ultimately not considered in the GENESIS Project. (Itis expected that this tendency will become stronger whenlarge-scale installation of overhead lines becomes prohib-ited as they come to be regarded as visual pollution andpower cables are required to be laid underground.) Inshort, the key components shown in Fig. 13 and the com-parison illustrated in Fig. 14 tell us that solar and windpower generators, converters, and transformers are al-
SEI TECHNICAL REVIEW · NUMBER 69 · OCTOBER 2009 · 41
Wind farm Photovoltaic farm HTS cable[Figure by Dr.Koichi Kitazawa]
Fig. 12. Global electric power network linked by HTS cables
(Long-distance, low-voltage & large-capacity)HTS DC cables
(DC)
(DC)
(DC)
Solar farm [1]
Other groups of solar or wind farms
Existing AC network
Cooling station (1)
Solar battery (1)
Solar battery (2) Secondary
batterySecondary battery Inverter/converter
stationCooling station (2)
Solar farm [n]
Wind farm [n]
*Several to several ten kV*Several ten thousand to several hundred thousand amperes
Over several hundred thousand kW
DC/AC inverter*Voltage-up Transformer*Fault current limiter *Current control
*
(AC)
(AC)
(AC)
AC (or DC)network forconsumers
① Plurality of HTS DC cables② Multilateral power network
Key points
Fig. 13. GENESIS Project and HTS DC cables
500 to 1,000 kVConventional Nuclear Power Plant of 20th Century
Wind Farm
Solar Farm
(1GW Nuclear Power Plant)
Overhead Line (OHL)
1,000 to 2,000 A
500 to 1,000 kVOHL
Substation(Voltage Increase)
S/S
Output Voltage Several 100 V to
Several kV
Submarine cable(1 kV x 1 Million A)
DC Cable(1kV×1 Million A)
HTS Cable (small loss and compact)
Electricity of 1 GW is generated at a plant at sea side and transmitted over a long distance through high-voltage, low-current OHL.
Wind Farm & Solar Farm of 21st Century
Electricity of 1 GW is generated by 10 to100 units of generators located at offshore, desert or other remote areas.
Transmission over a long distance can be achieved through low-voltage high-current HTS DC cable.
Underground Transmission Cable
Conventional Cu or Al cables have large transmission loss and extremely large number of cables need to be installed
Fig. 14. Comparison of 1-GW-class low-voltage, high-current transmission sys-tem using HTS DC cable for linking wind / solar farms, and existing1-GW-class nuclear power plant and its transmission on system
ready fully developed technologies or have reached thelevel of commercial application, but one of the biggestchallenges is the realization of HTS DC cables for collect-ing, transmitting, and distributing electricity. If we aim atultimately establishing a superconducting global electricpower network in Fig. 12 (6), (7), HTS DC cables become akey component, which will be required in huge quantitiesand may become a bottleneck. (It will also become diffi-cult to use a large amount of copper due to the problemof depletion of resources.) Therefore, the developmentof HTS DC cables made with ceramic material can openthe way to the realization of the GENESIS Project.
Since the discovery of the high-temperature super-conducting phenomenon in 1986, Sumitomo Electric hasbeen consistently conducting research and developmenton HTS wires. As a result, the company successfully devel-oped the Controlled Over Pressure (“CT-OP”) sinteringprocess and commercialized the first generation of high-performance bismuth-based HTS wires (under the nameof “DI-BSCCO,” which stands for dynamically innovativeBSCCO). Figure 15 shows the construction of a 3-core HTSAC cable that Sumitomo Electric developed using DI-BSCCO wires (8). The cable was installed in an actual com-mercial power line in Albany, the capital of the State of NewYork, on a trial basis. The city started transmitting power toapproximately 70,000 households in July 2006, using thisHTS AC cable for the first time in human history(9). It is eas-ier to realize the use of HTS DC cables than that of HTS ACcables thanks to their insulation design (10). Therefore, thesuccess of the project of installing the HTS AC cable in Al-bany’s commercial power line (the Albany Project) pro-vided a foundation that convinces us for the first time thatthe GENESIS Project can be technically feasible or it is pos-sible to realize the project.
Chubu University conducted the world’s first test of run-ning electricity though HTS DC cable in 2006, using theHTS DC cable with DI-BSCCO conductor manufactured bySumitomo Electric. The test used Peltier lead between room-temperature copper conductor and ultra-low-temperatureHTS conductor to control heat invasion and proved its ef-fectiveness (11). For example, if using a DI-BSCCO wire witha critical current (Ic) of 200 [A] in liquid nitrogen (LN2)
(T=77K) that is 4 mm wide and about 0.23 mm thick(cross-section area: approximately 1 mm2), which has re-cently been achieved by Sumitomo Electric, makes it pos-sible to be used in liquid hydrogen (LH) (T=20K) as acoolant, its critical current will increase 5.7 times and itbecomes possible to exceed 1 kA. As a result, the use ofthe DI-BSCCO wire enables us to transmit the DC currentat an amount 400 to 600 times greater than that of a cop-per wire without any loss over as long a distance as re-quired. (There is a team that has expanded this conceptand started working on a project for transmitting two en-ergy resources [liquid hydrogen and electric power] to aremote area at the same time by placing HTS DC cablesinside liquid hydrogen transport pipes in the 21st Cen-tury, which has been called the Century of Hydrogen (12).)Since HTS cables should keep cooled below 77 K (-196 °C) when used, it is necessary both to recool the liq-uid nitrogen and to reboost the coolant pressure at cool-ing stations placed at given intervals (15 to 20 km whencurrently available thermal insulation technologies areused). The amount of electricity that the cooling stationsneed is very small in comparison with the transmission ca-pacity (around 0.001% of transmission capacity per km(7)).As Fig. 13 shows, a cooling station will be able to supplyby itself enough electricity by combining a small amountof photovoltaic cell with secondary battery installedtherein. Table 2 provides a comparison between conven-tional copper conductor power cables and HTS AC andDC cables in terms of compactness (transmission capacitydifferential), transmission loss, present reduction netvalue in transmission loss (including CO2 emission rightutilization), and total cost of transmission line construc-tion. HTS cables are the cables of the future, and the su-periority of the performance of HTS DC cables incomparison to other cables is quite obvious. Figure 16shows an example of a GENESIS Project system for in-stalling six 1.5 kV/12 kA HTS DC cables for a transmissioncapacity of 100 MW (100,000 kW).
Electric conversion devices (inverters and converters),which are among the key components for the projectshown in Fig. 13, need to be modified to be equipped withsystems for reducing loss and cooling generated heat on a
42 · GENESIS Project and Use of Sustainable Energy
PPLP insulation(high dielectric stress & small dielectric loss)Developed by Sumitomo Electric
Corrugated SUS pipe cryostat
(thermal insulation) High integrity
Former
Bi-2223 tape(4 mmW × approx. 0.23 mmt)
φ136mm
0.5mm
Superconductor
φ39mm
Superconducting shield
Fig. 15. Three-core-in-one-cryostat HTS cable (Cold dielectric, 66 kV,114 MVA, 1000 A)
800600400200
015
10
5
0100
755025
-250
<CO2 Reduction>
ACConventional Cable
(275kV Single Phase)
Reduction of Loss
Tunnel CostCable
Loss ReductionCO2 Emission
InstallationDuct
HTS Cable800 600
340
150230
150Tunnel
2,100
Model Capacity:1,500MVA
TransmissionLoss
(kW/km)
Installation Cost(M$/km)
HTS Cable(66kV 3-in-One)
HTS Cable(DC130kV 3-in-One)
DC
<778ton-C/km/year> <210ton-C/km/year> <21ton-C/km/year>
Duct
HTS Cable
Loss ReductionCO2 Emission
Troughing1/2
1/4
1/4
1/10
ConventionalCable
150
ConditionIc of Wire: 200A Price of Wire: 20$/mCOP: 0.1Power Cost: 0.1$/kWhLoad Factor: 1.0Tunnel Cost: 70k$/m
Loss Reduction (conv. to Initial Cost)
& CO2 Emission (M$/km)
CO2 Emission (100$/t-C)
Table 2. Economical evaluation of HTS cable
massive scale in order to transform larger currents. Whenwe cool these conversion devices with a coolant, it is ex-pected that we can reduce on-resistance linearly to a certainnegative temperature and that it will be easier to eliminategenerated conversion loss. The concept of combining“conversion devices cooled by a coolant” with HTS DC ca-bles offers a potential foundation for significantly advanc-ing the efficient implementation of the GENESIS Project.
Ideas for the specific development of the GENESISProject are explored in references (3)-(7). (If a solar farmcan be built at a cost of 200,000 to 400,000 yen per kW, it
will be equivalent to a construction of a one-million-kW-class nuclear power plant at a cost of 200 to 400 billionyen. And, according to my calculations, if 10 trillion yen,or slightly less than 2% of Japan’s GDP, is invested annu-ally in the GENESIS Project, we will be able to build solarfarms that can generate around 20 GW per year. Evenwith an insolation efficiency of 30%, my calculations in-dicate that the GENESIS Project will be able to meet thedemand for all the electricity in Japan approximately in40 years’ time.) It is also suggested that only around 5%of Japan’s land area is required to meet its total demandfor energy (14).
4. For new technological development in the21st century
The phased developmental process of the GENESISProject is divided into four stages from Step I to Step IV,as shown in Fig. 17 (1). Step I and Step II have already beenimplemented in various parts of the world. It is quite easyto envision Step III. In this step, the power generated ateach solar or wind farm is to be transmitted to the closestexisting electric power network, and surplus power will bemade available for use to neighboring areas in a sequen-tial manner while the most nearby area is given the prior-ity to consume as much power as it needs. As Fig. 18indicates, due to the ongoing migration of world popula-tion to cities, the number of mega cities each with a pop-ulation of 10 million or more will increase from thecurrent 19 to 27 in 2050. The amount of energy con-
SEI TECHNICAL REVIEW · NUMBER 69 · OCTOBER 2009 · 43
DC/DC converter
Solar farmSolar battery
unit of several hundred kW
class
DC/DCconverter
HTS DC cable (1,500 V DC)
Solar farmSolar battery
unit of several hundred kW
class
Total space: About 2,750 m × 500 m
Inner cryostat pipe
Outer cryostat pipeAnti-corrosion jacket
Li N2 circulation90φ
Former
Cable core
HTS conductorPPLP insulation
HTS shielding& Protection layer
Thermal insulation
HTS DC Cable System
Solar Farm
(3-core-in-one-cryostat type, monopolar, 1,500 V to12 kA)×6 cables
Fig. 16. 100-MW-class GENESIS System with HTS DC cable
*Individual houses*Small-scale communities*Battery & converter*Autonomous consumption
(Solar batteries)
Conversionsystem
Inverter
Existing AC network
Consumptionarea
Solarfarm
Solarfarm (1)
Solarfarm (2)
PPLP SolidDC cable
Submarine cable
interconnectionSolar
farm (3)Solar
farm (4)
(Cu cable)
(Si)
Battery
Battery
Inverter
Solarfarm
Battery
*Small solar/wind farms*Connection to existing grid*Small to medium-sized battery & conversion system*Cu cable & Si-based converter*Sale of generated power
*Small to large solar/wind farms*HTS DC cable network (Ultra-long- distance, large-power transmission with low loss) →Establishment of “global power grid”*SiC low-loss converter*International interconnection of electric power*PPLP Solid DC submarine cable (Ultra-long international interconnection)
*Small to large solar/wind farms*Connection to existing AC network & network between farms*Middle to large-scale battery(*1) & converter*Cu cable+HTS DC cable As many SiC converters as possible can be applied*Sale of power is dominant
Step Ⅰ Step Ⅱ
(Local) (Local: Domestic) Within individual power company’s service territory: Domestic
Multinational: International interconnection
In practice Partially in pracitce (until 2020) (From 2010 to 2050 and onwards) (From 2020 to 2050 and onwards)
Step Ⅲ Step Ⅳ
(*1) Battery can be omitted when network hassufficient power storage capability. [*No battery is needed in principle]
Consumptionarea
Existing AC network
HTS DC cable interconnection
Solar farm
Solar farm
HTS DC cable interconnection
Fig. 17. Step-by-step development of “GENESIS Project”
sumed by the 27 mega cities is expected to exceed 75%of the world’s total energy consumption. Fortunately, ex-tensive spaces such as huge deserts, vast plains, and largewater sources, which can be used for the GENESIS Proj-ect, still exist in the neighboring areas of these cities. Ifwe expand Step III of the GENESIS Project and apply itto these mega cities, it is highly possible that we can findsolutions to the problems of energy, resources, and theenvironment in our near future. Step IV is the final phasethat leads to the realization of the global superconductingelectrical power network portrayed in Fig. 12. In thisstage, it will become unnecessary to store electric powerby charging a secondary battery system according to a pre-determined time-based schedule, based on the same con-cept as “surface integral” that will be explained in Fig. 22,because day and night as well as summer and winter comein regular alternation. And it is expected to be possibleto match the supply with the demand by applying “surfaceaveraging.” Even if we are in the stage in which the systemof “surface averaging based on interconnected grids” hasnot yet been fully developed, it becomes possible to avoidthe use of unfeasible (ultra) large electric power storagebased on a secondary battery system if we adopt the con-cept of replacing the surplus electricity generated by solarfarms with the generation and storage of hydrogen (H2),as shown in Fig. 19. If the demand for electricity increases,a fuel cell or a hydrogen combustion turbine power gen-eration system will be used to generate new electricity.When electricity is transmitted through HTS DC cables,it is no longer necessary to install power generation sitesor H2 storage sites in areas near big cities, as shown in Fig.19, because the cables have no resistance.
Without the need for power generation sites nearareas in which electricity is consumed (which implies free-dom from power transmission distance), it becomes easierto implement more realistic power generation. If we cangenerate electric power, generate and store H2, and re-generate electric power using the stored H2 in a hugedesert, we will be able to solve both the problems of spaceand security. Moreover, these advancements will also leadto the development of industries in remote areas withweak economic bases (a solution to one of the contradic-tions of the current Kyoto Protocol), which in turn willhelp alleviate large urban population concentrations. The
unbiased aspect of solar energy shown in Fig.s 7, 18, 20,and 22 improves reliability and security in ensuring thesupply of energy and eliminates the seeds of large-scalestrife among human beings.
There is a revolutionary idea of “transmission cablesthat have the function of storing electric power,” in whichHTS DC cables are equipped with an electricity storagefunction (W=1/2L∙I2) using the ultra-long length of HTSDC cables to increase their inductance (L) and throughthe application of large currents (I) (13). It becomes possi-ble to realize this dream technology only with the GENE-SIS Project, because the project is based on HTS DCcables. I hope that the technology will be established soon.
The 21st century is the century of “energy, resources,and the environment.” As the world’s population and en-ergy consumption continue to increase, human beingstoday need to make every effort to preserve energy, re-sources, and the environment while clearing up the neg-ative legacies of the 20th century. It is also necessary forus to have strong determination to contribute to the wel-
44 · GENESIS Project and Use of Sustainable Energy
Siberia (Waterpower)
GobiDesertKazakh
Uplands
Moscow
Istanbul
Shanghai Hanshin DistrictLos Angeles
Buenos AiresSao Paulo
Rio de Janeiro
New York
Mexico City
Tokyo Metropolitan Area
ManilaKarachi
MumbaiCalcutta
NafudDesertSahara
DesertKalahari Desert
Borneo (Waterpower)Amazon (Waterpower)
Nevada Desert
James bay (Waterpower)
PampasVictoriaDesert
Name of City: Area where population exceeds 10 Million (19 at present & 27 in 2025)(Urban areas will consume over 75% of total energy)
(Asahi Shimbun, March 24, 2008)
The Himalaya Mountains(Waterpower)
Beijing
DelhiCairo
Dhaka
Fig. 18. Megacities and GENESIS Projects
Solar cell (DC)
Energy storagein the form of
electricity
Transmissiondistance-free
HTS
DC ca
ble
(Site
-free
)
(Pro
mot
ion o
f loca
l indu
stries
)
Energy storagein the form of H2
Generation andStorage of H2
Electric generationthrough fuel cell
orthrough hydrogen
combustion turbine
(In future)
Electric consumptionin consumption center(or city)
<Power generation>
(If necessary)DC/AC conversion
(Secondary)Batteries
(At present)
Needless to set power station
next to city thanks to
no voltage-drop
Electrolyzation of H2O (by DC Power)
<Permanency>
<Sustainability>
Solar energyElectricpower
(In the air)
Electro powerstorage
Solar cell
(O2 + H2 → H2O)Hum
ankin
d(S
ocial
fram
ewor
k)
Consumptionof
electric energy
Balance of Energy O2 H2 H2O
Power generation UsingH2 and O2
and / orHydrogen combustion turbine
Fuel cell
Sun
(Nuc
lear f
usion
)
Electricpower
H2Storage
Electrolyzation of H2O(H2O → O2 + H2)
Fig. 20. Acquirement of solar energy through “water cycle”– Permanent balance of energy –
Fig. 19. Transformation of solar electricity into H2 and storage in the formof H2 – From secondary battery system to system of H2 genera-tion & storage and regeneration of electricity using H2 –
fare of all living beings on the earth, including future gen-erations of human beings. Given that population growthis inevitable, we must make comprehensive plans for de-velopment of new technologies based on new ideas andact aggressively to implement them to preserve our en-ergy, resources, and the environment. As described above,the “water cycle” driven by solar energy was the source forthe maintenance of energy, resources, and the environ-ment before the Industrial Revolution. It is important tounderstand that in the “GENESIS Project and plus α,”which I present to you in this paper, the “water cycle”based on decomposition of water by solar energy and man-controlled synthesis of water is the very foundation for newsustainable technologies invented by human beings, as Fig.20 shows. In view of the exponential increase in energyconsumption and degradation of the environment, wehave no more important duty than to introduce new sys-tems based on these new technologies into human societysufficiently before it reaches the point of no return and tobring the systems to maturity. When we look into the fu-ture based on the lessons of past history, it becomes ap-parent that as shown in Fig.s 7 and 21, the “GENESISProject plus α” is the only feasible solution, which com-bines HTS DC cables, with both new energies originatingfrom the sun (photovoltaic, wind and hydraulic power),and power conversion devices cooled by a coolant. Whenwe view the “GENESIS Project plus α” from the standpoint
of today (“In-Out” perspective from the present to the fu-ture), it may seem like a mere casual idea that will face veryhigh hurdles. However, when we look at the project fromthe standpoint of the future (“Out-In” perspective fromthe future to the present), its inevitability is apparent (1).
Finally, the essence of this entire paper is illustratedin Fig. 21. When we compare the “current situation” onthe left side with the “new proposal” on the right side, theproper path that human beings should follow is obvious.
I firmly believe that now is the time for each of us tounderstand the true meaning of sustainability, to ask allpeople which path we should follow, and rise up and takeaction to open a path to the future by making strenuousefforts with wisdom, vision, a sense of mission, and courage.
[NOTE] Fossil fuel resources that human beings arenow using are, as shown in Fig. 22, mainly composed ofcarbon that has been fixed (and released oxygen) and ac-cumulated for 4.6 billion years since the birth of the earththrough a solar-driven carbon dioxide assimilationprocess (photosynthesis). Therefore, the generated en-ergy was spread widely and sparsely at certain times in thepast, and it has been accumulated and condensed over avery long period of time. When we use fossil fuels by oxi-dizing them at once, an enormous amount of transientenergy is released along with CO2.
SEI TECHNICAL REVIEW · NUMBER 69 · OCTOBER 2009 · 45
13121110
9870
120100
80604020
0
2002
19501970 2025 2100
1995 2050 2150
2010 2020 2030
(10 mil barrel per day)
(0.1 billion)
(Year)
(Year)
Solar battery Rotatingmachine
Wind Water Bioplant
Thermalenergy
[Sustainability]
Adva
nced
inno
vativ
e te
chno
logy
Maintain and develop “the Kyoto Protocol” & Return to using “Solar-derived energy”
Shortage
Oil
Population
Increase inenergy resources
Increase inpopulation
Innovative technology
Life(Year)
Nuclearfusion
Catastrophe Fall of human civilization
Living within the range ofenergy provided
from the sun
Fossil fuel & uraniumNew technologies
for using solar-derived
energy
CO2 & global warming
Current situation & coming crises New proposal
New energyLight
Sun
Electric power
HTS DC cable
Wide-band-gappower transistor
& cooling system with
liquid nitrogen
PPLP Solid DCSubmarine Cable
GENESIS Project
Over-consumption
Environment
Comparison
IndustrialRevolution
Presentday Future
Fossil fuel resourcesGasOil Coal
Urani-um
6541 15585
Fig. 21. Energy, resources and environment for 21st Century and future
In contrast to the case of fossil fuel resources, new en-ergies are based on solar energy, which is emitted almostinstantly in a diffuse, widespread manner. In order to cap-ture and use meaningful quantities of such new ener-gies—that is to say, to make use of them as energyresources—it is necessary to concentrate energy resourcesthat are scattered over enormous areas. This means thatthe integral of time needs to be replaced by the integralof space, as shown in Fig. 22. Therefore, key technologiesto make the best use of new energies are the technologiesfor “collection, transmission, and distribution of electricpower,” which will be supplemented by those for “electricpower storage” in a temporal manner.
Now we have to answer the question of whether ornot those of us who are living after the Industrial Revolu-tion can accomplish the “switch from time to space” interms of energy resources by achieving the developmentof leading-edge and innovative technologies based on the“water cycle” within a very limited period of time (1).
* “CT-OP”, “DI-BSCCO”, “PPLP” and “3-in-One” are trademarks or registeredtrademarks of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
References(1) R. Hata, “‘GENESIS Project’ and High- Temperature Supercon-
ducting (HTS) DC Cable –Keen Use of Ultimately Sustainable NewEnergies-,” SEI TECHNICAL REVIEW・NUMBER 66・APRIL 2008
(2) R. Hata, “The Kyoto Protocol and Northeast Asia Energy, Resource,Environmental and Economic Cooperation Region: A Study on theDC Power Transmission System for International Interconnection,”SEI TECHNICAL REVIEW・NUMBER 61・JANURAY 2006
(3) Kuwano, Kitazawa and Hata, “Special Symposium: Utilization of En-ergy on a Global Scale,” OHM, May 2004
(4) Kuwano, “Full Utilization of Solar Arrays, New Edition,” KodanshaBlue Backs, 1999
(5) Science “Solar Electric Generation: To Use Deserts,” Nihon KeiziaiShimbun, October 26, 2008
(6) Kitazawa, “A Technologist’s View of Japan and the EconomicDream,” Maruzen Adthree, 2002
(7) Kitazawa, “The Future of Superconducting Technology,” Journalof the Cryogenic Association of Japan, 2007
(8) T. Kato, et al., “Development of Drastically Innovative BSCCO (DI-BSCCO) Wire,” SEI TECHNICAL REVIEW・NUMBER 62・JUNE 2006
(9) H. Yumura, T. Masuda, R. Hata, et al., “World’s First In-gridDemonstration of Long-length “3-in-One” HTS Cable (Albany Proj-ect),” SEI TECHNICAL REVIEW・NUMBER 64・APRIL 2007
(10) M. Hirose, T. Masuda, K. Sato and R. Hata, “High-Temperature Su-perconducting (HTS) DC Cable,” SEI TECHNICAL REVIEW・NUMBER 61・JANUARY 2006
(11) Yamaguchi, Hamabe et al., “First-term Experiment Report on Ex-perimental Equipment for DC Superconducting Transmission Ex-periment,” Presentation 3A-a07, 76th Conference of the Cryogenicand Superconductivity Association of Japan, 2007 spring
(12) P. M. Grant, “The SuperCable: Dual Delivery of Chemical and Elec-tric Power,” IEEE Trans. Appl. Super. 15, 2005, 1810
(13) Yamaguchi, Hamabe et al, “Investigation of a DC Long-Distance Su-perconducting Power Transmission System,” Cryogenic and Super-conductivity Association of Japan, 2005
(14) Fujii, “Expectation for New Solar Batteries,” Energy & Resources,Vol.29 No.3, 2008
This paper is an English translation of a Japanesepaper with the same title, which was originally publishedin the Japanese monthly magazine, “OHM” issued in Jan-uary, 2009 (Vol.96 No.1).
46 · GENESIS Project and Use of Sustainable Energy
Key t
echn
ologie
s
Solar energy (Nuclear fusion)
4.6 billion year historyof the earth
In th
e pa
st
At p
rese
nd a
ndIn
the
near
futu
re
Accumulation of solar energyby “integration of time”
Depletion of fossil fuel resources
Return to new energies originating from the sun
Toward solar cell, wind turbine or hydraulic generations
(Arising for a shout time but from vast area)Accumulation of energy by
“integration of space”E= ∫ B(s)ds(vast space)
From“Integral of Time”
(past)
to
“Integral of space”(Present & near future)
E= ∫ A(t)dt(several billion years)
Collection Transmission
High temperature superconducting (HTS)DC cable
SiC (GaN··) (wide bandgap power transistor)& cooling system with liquid nitrogen
AC/DC and DC/AC power conversion
Distribution
Photosynthesisby solar energy
Past long period Current (post Industrial Revolution) short period
O2 ··· ReleasedUse of fossil
fuels by oxidization
Generation of enormous amountof transient energy
Short life of resources’ reserves
&emissions of
global-warming-gases
CO2 ··· Fixed
[Fossil fuel resources]
Enjoyment on earth “Safely and continuously”
*Unbiased & universal*Not dense*Endless(Permanent)
Fig. 22. From integral of time to integral of space
Contributors (The lead author is indicated by an asterisk (*)).
R. HATA*
• Dr. Eng., Former Managing Executive OfficerCurrently he is mainly engaged in R&Don the matters relating to Energy, Re-sources and Environment.
S. ISOJIMA• Chief Engineer, Materials and Process TechnologyR&D UnitGeneral Manager, Electric Power & EnergyResearch Laboratories
SEI TECHNICAL REVIEW · NUMBER 69 · OCTOBER 2009 · 47