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What is Superconductivity?
Superconductivity allows electricity to flow through a conductor without resistance. At CEBAF this is achieved by cooling the niobium cavities in the accelerator to -456°F.
What Does This Mean for CEBAF?
Well, using superconducting technology, CEBAF requires an average of 20 megawatts of power to operate. That's enough power for 16,000 homes.
If CEBAF were not superconducting, it would require 60 megawatts, enough power for 48,000 homes!!!
AND, without superconducting technology, CEBAF's performance would be greatly reduced.
A Super Cool Superconductivity Fact:
If you flow electricity into a metal wire loop it will conduct the electrical current until the power source is removed. BUT, if the loop is made superconducting by keeping it cooled with liquid helium, you could start the flow of electricity, remove the source and one year later the electricity would still be flowing!!! Now that's SUPERconductivity.