Transient heat transfer and stability of superconducting composites

Abstract

The rate of change of temperature with Joule heating of a sample in liquid helium is dependent on the specific heat and thermal conductivity of the sample and the heat transfer coefficient to liquid helium. By measuring the temperature of a sample of manganin wire in liquid helium during the first few milliseconds of Joule heating we have been able to measure very high heat transfer coefficients at heat flux densities as high as 3 W cm −2. The results have been used to describe a form of enthalpy stabilization in minimum propagating current coils.