The practical application of superconducting devices first emerged in the medical field in the 1980s. Following the discovery of high-temperature superconductors in 1986, research and development expanded across diverse domains to realize practical applications. Nevertheless, progress toward commercialization remained limited, as numerous technical challenges continued to impede widespread implementation. Significant advances in superconducting technology have occurred in recent years. The construction of Chuo Shinkansen using superconducting maglev systems exemplifies progress in large-scale applications, while increasing interest in fusion energy has accelerated the development and testing of high-temperature superconducting coils for plasma magnetic confinement. Coupled with the increased availability of high-temperature superconducting wires, these achievements have strengthened expectations for the broader practical deployment of superconducting devices across diverse industrial and scientific domains. In the industrial sector, superconducting technology has been applied not only to magnets for silicon single-crystal pulling equipment, which has long been established in practical use, but also to a range of other devices. Although several superconducting systems have been introduced into factories and related facilities, their deployment remains limited, and widespread adoption has still not been achieved. This paper reviews superconducting equipment and systems that have undergone research, development, and practical implementation. It centers industrial applications, specifically the core technologies required for device development. Excluding the medical and transportation fields, the discussion focuses on factory and plant use, highlighting unresolved challenges and future prospects for the practical deployment of superconducting technology.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique that can reveal the chemical structure of molecules such as organic and inorganic compounds, polymeric materials, and biological substances at the atomic level. Therefore, NMR systems are widely used from fundamental research to industrial applications. This paper introduces NMR systems, which operate on principles similar to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a medical diagnostic imaging technology and a representative example of superconducting equipment currently implemented in society. It discusses industry trends, fundamental principles, and instrumentation, with a particular focus on superconducting magnets, which are one of the most important components of NMR systems.

This paper provides a technical explanation of billet induction heating equipment using superconducting technology, focusing on a 400 kW-class heating device developed by TERAL and others, while also introducing previous research in various countries. Research and development of billet heating device using superconducting technology began in Europe and has also been conducted by research groups in Korea and China. Although each effort has resulted in commercialization, these systems have not yet become widely used. This is likely because superconducting technology has not yet reached a level suitable for widespread industrial use and its cost-effectiveness is not yet sufficient. TERAL and others aimed to develop a competitive heating device by developing a superconducting magnet that uses superconducting technology while minimizes the amount of superconducting material used. As a result, a DC induction heating device with a unique magnet structure that is different from conventional systems has been developed.

The Magnetic Czochralski method uses strong magnetic fields to suppress convection in molten silicon, enabling the growth of high-quality, large-diameter ingots required in advanced semiconductor wafer production. Cryocooler-cooled superconducting magnets have been developed to eliminate the need for liquid helium, thereby achieving operational simplicity and cost efficiency. Integrating 4K-GM cryocoolers and HTS current leads, combined with advanced 3D automated winding technology, has reduced conductor usage and improved flexibility in magnetic field design. Future work should address larger bore magnets and specialized field configurations to meet the evolving demands of semiconductor manufacturing.

Using superconducting materials for railway transmission cables, it will be possible to reduce power loss, level the load between substations, and consolidate substations by suppressing voltage drops. Herein, we focus on the trajectory of “commercial line operation” in response to the 2024 Impact Award from the Cryogenics and Superconductivity Society of Japan. Following a series of fundamental superconductivity experiments, we report on the testing and operational status of the superconducting feeder system at a passenger railway company.

Naval ship deperming is a magnetic treatment that decreases the magnetization of a ship. The deperming aims to reduce the risk posed by weapons in seawater equipped with magnetic detonators against ships. Ships are usually built from high-tensile steel and possess magnetism induced by the Earthʼs magnetic field and residual magnetization due to the steelʼs ferromagnetism. This paper discusses the possibility of using seabed coils made with high-temperature superconducting wires, which have been increasingly commercialized in recent years, to reduce the permanent magnetization of ships. Starting from the concept, the value of the magnetic field generated by the coil was determined based on the magnetic properties of high-tensile steel, and the required current for the coil was calculated. We investigated the superconducting materials that make this up, conducted repeated design calculations on the basic characteristics during cabling and cooling, and examined the feasibility of manufacturing coils for seabed installation.