Adaptive Quench Propagation Circuit for Superconducting Magnets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional superconducting magnet designs face challenges with quench propagation due to mismatched coil propagation velocities and thermal masses, leading to high nodal voltages and temperature gradients, which can result in uneven heating and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
The development of 'tuned' or 'adaptive' passive quench propagation circuits that adjust the response based on which coil quenches first, using diodes in parallel or series with heaters to control the timing and energy release, reducing differential and peak temperatures across coils.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional passive quench propagation circuits energize all quench heaters in unison with identical timings and powers, then the quench propagation is uniform across all coils, but the mismatched coil propagation velocities and thermal masses lead to high nodal voltages and temperature gradients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making each quench heater have different power characteristics tailored to its specific coil's thermal mass and propagation velocity. Heaters associated with coils having lower thermal mass or higher propagation velocity are given lower power, while heaters for coils with higher thermal mass or lower propagation velocity receive higher power, creating locally optimized quench propagation across the magnet system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the power parameter of individual quench heaters based on the specific characteristics of each coil. By adjusting the power level of each heater according to its associated coil's thermal mass and propagation velocity, the system achieves uniform quench propagation without excessive nodal voltages or temperature gradients.
2Speed
If quench heaters are energized with high power to rapidly propagate quench across all coils, then the quench propagation speed increases, but the peak temperatures and temperature differentials between coils increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different power levels to individual quench heaters based on the specific thermal characteristics of each coil. This localized power adjustment ensures that each coil receives the appropriate amount of heating power to achieve uniform quench propagation speed while avoiding excessive peak temperatures and temperature differentials that would result from uniform high-power heating.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach achieves lower nodal voltages, reduced peak temperatures, and minimized temperature differentials between coils, outperforming standard passive and active systems by controlling quench propagation more effectively.
Implementation Method 1
the electric current flowing through it causes ohmic heating
Implementation Method 2
cooled to a temperature sufficiently low to enable superconducting operation
Data Source
AI summary
An adaptive passive quench propagation circuit in combination with a superconducting magnet having multiple superconducting coils electrically connected in series between a power supply terminal and a ground reference voltage terminal, has a superconducting switch arranged to electrically connect the power supply terminal and the ground reference voltage terminal to provide a closed-loop persistent superconducting circuit, multiple resistive heaters, each in thermal contact with one of the coils, a tapping point situated between two electrically adjacent coils, and a quench propagation circuit connected between the tapping point and a reference voltage.