Critical current degradation of short YBa2Cu3O 7-σ coated conductor due to an unprotected quench

X. Wang, U. P. Trociewitz, J. Schwartz

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Abstract

The critical current of a short YBa2Cu3O 7-σ (YBCO) coated conductor sample degrades in an unprotected quench performed in a nearly adiabatic environment at 30 K. The conductor has Cu stabilizers on both surfaces. The quench is initiated by a heater attached to the sample surface. The amplitude of the transport current is fixed as 91% of the sample's initial critical current. The duration of the current is increased to simulate an unprotected quench and to reach increasing and controlled voltage and temperature levels. A peak temperature of 490 ± 50 K and a heating rate of 1800 K s-1 are measured when the critical current degrades by ∼5%. The applied thermal strain on the YBCO layer from 30 to 490 K is estimated to be 0.31% and is applied at a strain rate of ∼1% s-1. The rate of temperature change and the time to reach a certain peak temperature, determined by the current density in the Cu stabilizer, are estimated assuming adiabatic conditions based on the short sample case. For a Cu stabilizer current density ranging from 1000 to 2000 A mm-2, achieved in commercial conductors currently available, the quench detection and protection requires a response time <200 ms to limit the peak temperature below 200 K. A Cu stabilizer current density higher than 3000 A mm-2 may challenge the existing detection and protection techniques for the same 200 K limit. Integrating the substrate as part of the stabilizer may help reduce the stabilizer current density to gain more time for quench detection and protection while maintaining the engineering current density.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number035006
JournalSuperconductor Science and Technology
Volume24
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Ceramics and Composites
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Metals and Alloys
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Materials Chemistry

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