CORC $$^{\circledR}$$ cable terminations with integrated Hall arrays for quench detection
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Advanced Conductor Technologies LLC, Boulder, CO (United States)
ReBCO superconducting cables have the potential to enable compact thermonuclear fusion reactors that operate at magnetic fields exceeding 20 T and allow operation at temperatures far exceeding the boiling point of liquid helium, potentially allowing for demountable magnets. Normal zone detection remains a challenge, and while novel quench detection techniques are an active area of research, few are non-invasive, provide real-time quench detection, and have been demonstrated with current ramp rates relevant for fusion reactors. To address this problem, a CORC$$^{\circledR}$$ cable termination is developed with integrated Hall sensors to monitor current redistribution as a proxy for quench detection. The methodology exploits the current sharing and layered topology in CORC$$^{\circledR}$$ cables, and allows quench detection using a localized sensor instead of co-wound voltage wires or optical fibers. Furthermore, experiments are presented where current redistribution is measured from induced quenches, and in a 0.2 meter CORC$$^{\circledR}$$ sample it is found that the Hall sensors detect normal zone transitions with a similar magnitude and temporal resolution as voltage measurements. To emulate the conditions of dynamic poloidal and central solenoidal fields, experiments are repeated with ramp rates up to 10 kA s-1 that demonstrate the potential to detect normal zone development over a range of experimental parameters.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC); High Energy Physics (HEP)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231; SC0014009; SC0019934
- OSTI ID:
- 1782172
- Journal Information:
- Superconductor Science and Technology, Vol. 33, Issue 9; ISSN 0953-2048
- Publisher:
- IOP PublishingCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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