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Categories: electronics & instrumentation, energy

BSA 12-13: Quench Detection System for Superconducting Magnets

BNL Reference Number: BSA 12-13

Summary

A superconductor is said to "quench" when it changes from the superconducting state to the normal, resistive state. Rapid quenching can have catastrophic effects on superconducting systems, including superconducting magnets. While low-temperature superconductors (LTS) are generally metallic in the normal state and quench uniformly, high-temperature superconducting (HTS) ceramics can exhibit local quenching that is hard to detect. This quench detection system is an emerging technology that relies on real-time monitoring of the state of the HTS material at a number of points along its length, with each point corresponding to a data channel. The system is designed to detect a very small signal over background that may indicate an incipient local quench. Once a quench is detected, the system sends instructions to a mitigation system that can prevent or mitigate the consequences of a quench and restore the system to its superconducting state.

Have Questions?

For more information about this technology, contact Kimberley Elcess, (631) 344-4151.