In this article, we report the results from two test campaigns conducted to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a commercially available optical fiber-based distributed sensing technology for Quench Detection (QD) purposes. We successfully characterized the temperature response and sensitivity achievable by this technique when using a bare single mode fiber within a cryogen free cooling system operating in the temperature range from 4 K to 300 K. A fiber was also incorporated into a sample featuring an High-Temperature Superconductor (HTS) stack mounted onto an extruded Aluminum slotted-core cable. Quench-like events were triggered by locally lowering the critical current using the magnetic field produced by a set of permanent magnets placed near the center of the stack. The experiments were carried out at 77 K by cooling the sample through the central channel of the Aluminum core with a forced flow of liquid nitrogen. The test results indicate the viability of this technology as a suitable alternative for QD in long-length HTS cables and motivate further work to develop distributed sensing systems able to work in the conditions foreseen for HTS fusion coils.
Colombo, G., Adibi, S.A., Breschi, M., Caponero, M.A., Castaldo, A., Celentano, G., et al. (2024). Fiber-Optics Quench Detection Schemes in HTS Cables for Fusion Magnets. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON APPLIED SUPERCONDUCTIVITY, 34(5), 1-5 [10.1109/tasc.2024.3356424].
Fiber-Optics Quench Detection Schemes in HTS Cables for Fusion Magnets
Colombo, Gabriele;Breschi, Marco;
2024
Abstract
In this article, we report the results from two test campaigns conducted to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a commercially available optical fiber-based distributed sensing technology for Quench Detection (QD) purposes. We successfully characterized the temperature response and sensitivity achievable by this technique when using a bare single mode fiber within a cryogen free cooling system operating in the temperature range from 4 K to 300 K. A fiber was also incorporated into a sample featuring an High-Temperature Superconductor (HTS) stack mounted onto an extruded Aluminum slotted-core cable. Quench-like events were triggered by locally lowering the critical current using the magnetic field produced by a set of permanent magnets placed near the center of the stack. The experiments were carried out at 77 K by cooling the sample through the central channel of the Aluminum core with a forced flow of liquid nitrogen. The test results indicate the viability of this technology as a suitable alternative for QD in long-length HTS cables and motivate further work to develop distributed sensing systems able to work in the conditions foreseen for HTS fusion coils.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.