2021 Volume 56 Issue 5 Pages 262-268
SMES (Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage System) is a power storage technology whose realization has been expected for a long time. If the efficient power storage becomes possible, that will allow to store temporarily the power generation output of renewable energy such as solar power and wind power generation, whose usage expands more and more, and supply it according to the load. It is expected that it can contribute to the stabilization of the energy supply. A major feature of SMES is that compared to other power storage technologies such as secondary batteries and capacitors, the superconducting coil, which is an energy storage unit, does not deteriorate with repeated charging and discharging, even in a short time. A compact system can be realized because the capacity of the storage unit can be designed without the excess or deficiency common for applications that require high output. From this point of view, since 2003, we have developed SMES that compensates for the instantaneous voltage drop, and after field tests, since 2007, we have been conducting a commercial operation of SMES that can output 10 MW for up to 1 second with a track record of continuous operation of 100,000 hours or more. The history of research and development of SMES as an instantaneous voltage drop compensation device, the results of research and development, and the operation results are summarized in this article.
