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v2.4.1.9

Nature of the Business and Operations and Liquidity - Additional Information (Detail) | 0 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  | 0 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 24, 2015 | Nov. 13, 2014 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($) Employee | Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2013 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2012 USD ($) | Apr. 29, 2015 Subsequent Event USD ($) | Feb. 04, 2015 Ghodawat Energy Pvt Ltd USD ($) | Feb. 04, 2015 Ghodawat Energy Pvt Ltd EUR (€) | Aug. 29, 2014 Ghodawat Energy Pvt Ltd EUR (€) | Mar. 31, 2015 Ghodawat Energy Pvt Ltd EUR (€)
Description Of Business [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reverse stock split | 0.1 us-gaap_StockholdersEquityNoteStockSplitConversionRatio1 | 0.1 us-gaap_StockholdersEquityNoteStockSplitConversionRatio1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accumulated deficit |  |  | $ (905,045,000)us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit | $ (856,389,000)us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  |  | 20,490,000 us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue | 43,114,000 us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue | 39,243,000 us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue | 46,279,000 us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue |  |  |  |  |
Net cash used in operating activities |  |  | 32,676,000 us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivitiesContinuingOperations | 13,267,000 us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivitiesContinuingOperations | 45,271,000 us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivitiesContinuingOperations |  |  |  |  |  |
Liability for damages |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8,300,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesAwardedValue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = amsc_GhodawatEnergyPvtLtdMember |
Interest rate accrued on liability for damage |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5.33%amsc_LossContingencyInterestRate / dei_LegalEntityAxis = amsc_GhodawatEnergyPvtLtdMember |
Settlement amount |  |  | (8,987,000)us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount |  |  |  |  |  | 7,450,000 us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount / dei_LegalEntityAxis = amsc_GhodawatEnergyPvtLtdMember |  | 7,450,000 us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount / dei_LegalEntityAxis = amsc_GhodawatEnergyPvtLtdMember
Cash payments for legal settlements |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8,400,000 us-gaap_PaymentsForLegalSettlements / dei_LegalEntityAxis = amsc_GhodawatEnergyPvtLtdMember |  |  |
Number of workforce persons |  |  | 318 dei_EntityNumberOfEmployees |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash flows from financing activities |  |  | 52,800,000 us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInFinancingActivities | 52,800,000 us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInFinancingActivities | 52,800,000 us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInFinancingActivities |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from additional equity offering |  | $ 9,100,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfCommonStock |  |  |  |  | $ 22,300,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfCommonStock / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |  |  |  |

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