Experimental and numerical analysis of quench propagation on MgB2 tapes and pancake coils

Abstract

In the design and feasibility of electric power applications with MgB2 conductors, thermal conductivity plays an important role. In composite wires and tapes it is mainly determined by the amount of stabilizer (usually copper), while for coils the electric insulation and epoxy binder characteristics are added. In this paper we present results on quench development and propagation on isolated superconducting tapes and small single pancake coils cooled by thermal conduction, for three types of MgB2 tape with different stabilizations. The quench parameters at different temperatures, such as minimum quench energy (MQE), minimum propagation zone (MPZ) and quench propagation velocity (vp), are reported. A complete electrical and thermal characterization of the superconducting tapes and of non-superconducting materials used in the coil manufacture has been made. With these data, numerical computational models using finite element simulations have been performed for isolated wires and single pancake coils, and the results of the relevant quench parameters have been compared with the measured values.