Quench in high temperature superconductor magnets

Abstract

High field superconducting magnets using high temperature superconductors are being developed for high energy physics, nuclear magnetic resonance and energy storage applications. Although the conductor technology has progressed to the point where such large magnets can be readily envisioned, quench protection remains a key challenge. It is well-established that quench propagation in HTS magnets is very slow and this brings new challenges that must be addressed. In this paper, these challenges are discussed and potential solutions, driven by new technologies such as optical fiber based sensors and thermally conducting electrical insulators, are reviewed.