Okay, so probably more efficient electronics and power grids, MRI machines without helium, probably easier maglev tech, …?

  • Yondoza@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    That’s not going to happen though. Superconductors won’t make capacitors store energy for longer durations. They won’t improve battery chemistry technology. They won’t significantly improve CPU efficiency. They’d make consumer electronics slightly more efficient, but replacing all the conductors in your phone with superconductors isn’t going to make your battery last even 25% longer.

    • keegomatic@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      You’ve misunderstood me. None of those things are what that commenter is referring to. It’s not about improving another energy storage technology by using superconductors, it’s about having a room temperature, ambient pressure version of an existing technology that we already use superconductors for.

      • Yondoza@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        Understood, my mistake. This is pure speculation, but I doubt you’d see those in consumer electronics. Those energy storage devices would essentially be very power electromagnets and I really don’t think people would be walking around with those in their pockets. I do agree that they would be super useful for grid-level energy storage though! If you can engineer around the large magnetic field they’d create it would be a super efficient energy storage device!

        Also, sorry in advance - this is me being nit-picky, but that would be more analogous to replacing a battery with an inductor (not a capacitor). Inductors store energy in magnetic fields, capacitors store them in electric fields. Doesn’t really matter… I’m just being pedantic.