The mysterious relationship between wine and superconductors

In a wine party at the office, Japanese scientists suddenly got an invention that they hoped would help create a revolution in electricity transmission.

Experts at the National Material Research Institute in Tokyo have discovered that an iron compound becomes a superconductor after being soaked in alcoholic solutions such as beer, wine and sake - a traditional Japanese wine Copy.

The institute, led by scientist Yoshihiko Takano, discovered this when they put iron compounds into alcoholic drinks and found that after soaking in red wine or other alcoholic beverages In 24 hours, this compound becomes a superconductor when cooled at about 265 degrees Celsius (-445 degrees F).

New transmission mode, no loss.

The researchers plan to announce the discovery later this year, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of superconductivity, reducing the rate of electricity loss to zero by some special materials.

According to the researchers, red wine is at the forefront of creating superconductivity, although no one knows exactly how it works. Superconductivity rate is 7 times higher when iron compound is soaked in red wine, compared to immersion in water or ethanol solution. This figure is 4 times higher than soaking in white wine and 3 times higher than soaking in beer, sake or whiskey.

Scientist Takano said: ' The better the wine, the more effective it is'. However, he also acknowledged that the taste of each other is clear but there is a certain connection between feeling with taste and superconductivity.

The team hopes that the discovery will one day help open the superconducting door to minimize the loss of electrical energy and human dependence on fossil fuels - the source is not endless and is one of the causes of climate change.

When electric current passes through a conductive substance such as copper or silver, part of the electricity is converted into thermal energy and this rate of loss increases proportionately with the distance of the transmission.

Thanks to the superconducting principle - first discovered in mercury in 1911 - the resistance dropped to zero in some metals when they were cooled down to near absolute zero (ie, -273 degrees Celsius, - 459 degrees F). This phenomenon also creates a strong magnetic field - the effect has been applied to MRI magnetic resonance imaging.

In order to achieve complete power transmission without losing electricity, the power cables are fed into cooling tubes with liquefied nitrogen gas to make them superconducting. But this technology is not widely used in commerce because it is too complicated and expensive. Electricity companies only carry out a number of key and small-scale projects.

However, one still dreams of finding materials that can become superconductors at normal temperatures, transmission without loss over a long distance.

The scientist Takano dreamed of someday that the " solar energy in the Gobi desert (in China and Mongolia) is being transmitted around the world ." He hopes to have a superconducting cable belt along the Earth's equator connected to solar power generation plants mounted in many parts of the world . bringing "clean electricity" to areas. rural areas in remote areas.

Takano plans to introduce his invention at a European conference in September in The Hague, near Leiden - where Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes discovered superconducting phenomenon 100 years ago.