Bi-2223 tapes - specific performance for different applications

In the past (Bi,Pb)/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub x/ Ag/Ag-alloy-sheathed High-Temperature Superconductor (HTS) tapes (Bi-2223 tapes) have been proven being suitable for building quite different system components for a variety of applications. Nevertheless it revealed that applications like Power Transmission Lines, Transformers, Motors/ Generators, SMES, very high field magnets and MRI put very special requirements on the tapes which differ from application to application. The most important point is that the tapes will provide cost-efficient performance for the special application. This means that it's not sufficient to analyze the price in $/kAm, but additionally it's necessary to consider e.g., AC-losses, geometry, mechanical strength and insulation properties and how they contribute to cost. We discuss a subset of the different requirements from the view of a tape supplier. We depict the current status of the tape production unit lengths >1000 m, overall current densities /spl ges/100 A/mm/sup 2/, steep E-I-characteristics n-value /spl ges/30 at standard conditions and even at low temperatures and/or high magnetic fields), low AC-losses combined with remarkable critical currents of 50 A/mm/sup 2/, reliable properties of mechanics and insulation.