Advantages of HTS
Advantage of HTS: A slow transition to non-superconducting stage.
If there is a degradation or if the operating conditions become such that a part of the magnet can no longer remain in an ideal superconducting stage, then there is only a modest temperature rise locally. If the local temperature rise can be tolerated and if the heat can be removed, the magnet will continue to operate in a superconducting stage.
This is in contrast to a sharp transition to “normal zone” in conventional low temperature superconductors where the whole magnet must be switched to normal stage for protection.
This implies a more relax design and operating conditions for a magnet built with HTS.
The cost and performance issues still remain.
A significant efforts by Sampson & Ghosh at BNL on HTS cables (tapes), coils and magnets