Energy Extraction System for the Superconductive Solenoid with Current 5100 A and Stored Energy 22 MJ

Abstract

At the FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research, Darmstadt, Germany) accelerator complex under construction, one of the key experiments is the PANDA experiment. The main field of the PANDA spectrometer is provided by a superconducting solenoid. The energy of the magnetic field stored in a superconducting solenoid reaches 22 MJ at an operating current of 5100 A. In the case of the transition of the superconducting cable used for the solenoid winding into a resistive state, the safe extraction of stored energy is required to protect the magnet. The energy extraction system proposed by the authors provides energy dissipation inside the external dump resistor, and not in the section of the superconducting cable that has passed into resistive state, while preventing its damage. The most critical elements of the energy extraction system are the current breaker, with the help of which the dump resistor is introduced into the power circuit of the superconducting solenoid, and the dump resistor itself. A modernized three-phase circuit breaker was chosen as current breaker. A unique design of the energy extraction system including dump resistor with a low parasitic inductance has been developed.