Fiber-Optics Quench Detection Schemes in HTS Cables for Fusion Magnets
- Resource Type
- Periodical
- Authors
- Colombo, G.; Adibi, S.A.; Breschi, M.; Caponero, M.A.; Castaldo, A.; Celentano, G.; Corte, A.d.; Marchetti, M.; Masi, A.; Mazzotta, C.; Muzzi, L.; Polimadei, A.; Savoldi, L.; Trotta, A.; Zanon, F.; De Marzi, G.
- Source
- IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. Applied Superconductivity, IEEE Transactions on. 34(5):1-5 Aug, 2024
- Subject
- Fields, Waves and Electromagnetics
Engineered Materials, Dielectrics and Plasmas
Optical fiber cables
Optical fiber sensors
Temperature sensors
High-temperature superconductors
Strain
Optical fiber testing
Optical fibers
Distributed optical fiber sensors (DOFS)
high temperature superconductors (HTSs)
optical fibers
quench detection (QD)
- Language
- ISSN
- 1051-8223
1558-2515
2378-7074
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.