Voltage spikes in superconducting Cable-In-Conduit Conductor under ramped magnetic fields. Part 2: Analysis of loop inductances and current variations associated with the spikes

Abstract

A 27 strand hybrid superconducting Cable-In-Conduit Conductor (CICC) sample (so-called TPX-PF model sample) has been fabricated and tested in quickly ramped background magnetic fields. The voltage spikes that appeared in the sample's terminal voltages during magnetic field sweeps at DC transport current are analyzed using a model that calculates the magnitude of individual strand current drops and the strand to strand/cable inductances associated with each voltage spike. Dependencies of the strand inductances and current variations with consecutive voltage spike numbers, total transport current in the cable and background magnetic field are analyzed and discussed. The analysis confirms previously reported suggestions that voltage spikes and the corresponding rapid variations, or jumps, observed in the conductor's local magnetic field are indications of rapid redistribution of current from one of the cable's strands in which the current reached its critical level. It is shown that rapid current redistributions which are too small to initiate total cable quench lead to more uniform distribution of current among the strands in the CICC. Therefore, it may be possible to apply small disturbances to a CICC to improve its strand to strand current distribution in a cable and to stabilize its Ramp Rate Limitation behavior.