W referacie przedstawiono zagadnienia związane z rozwojem i zastosowaniem nadprzewodników oraz problematykę ich chłodzenia.
A review with 7 refs. For many years the applications. of supercond. were constrained by the need to operate at the temp. of liq. helium (4.2 K). The 1986 Nobel prize-winning discovery of the ceramic cuprate high-temp. superconductors, which sparked off much on-going world-wide research activity, has opened the prospects for new applications. The discovery of superconductors with transition temps. is high as 120 K, coupled with recent advances in cryogen-free, cryocooler technol. has created major opportunities for the significant com. realization of superconducting devices such as: transformers, fault current limiters, magnetic bearings, generators, motors, and transmission lines. The paper presents some of these applications.