Tevatron HTS Power Lead Test

Abstract

Two pairs of ASC 6 kA power leads developed for the Tevatron were successfully tested at Fermilab at over-current conditions. Stable operation was achieved while operating at a current of 9.56 kA for five hours and while continuously ramping between 0-9.56 kA at a ramp rate of 200 A/s for one hour. The minimum required liquid nitrogen flow rate was measured to be 1.5 g/s at 10 kA. After ramping up to 10 kA at 200 A/s, it took only 15 minutes to stabilize the upper copper section of the lead with a flow of 1.8 g/s of liquid nitrogen vapor. Testing under extreme operating conditions-270-370 kPa liquid nitrogen vapor pressure and over 0.1 T external magnetic field-demonstrated that the HTS part of the lead can safely operate in the current sharing mode and that this design has large operating margin.