Bi-2223 tapes - Specific performance for different applications

In the past (Bi,Pb)(2)Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox 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 greater than or equal to 100 A/mm(2), steep E-I-characteristics (n-value greater than or equal to 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(2), reliable properties of mechanics and insulation.