Quench Monitoring and Control System for High-Temperature Superconducting Coils

The Navy has been developing superconducting systems, based on high-temperature superconductors (HTS), for future use on Navy ships. One of the challenges associated with superconducting magnets is the possibility of a quench, which is an event where a local hot spot develops within the superconductor that quickly spreads throughout the device, driving it into its normal and dissipative state. Sensitive, high-speed quench detection and control systems are required to ensure safe operation to allow superconducting systems to transition onto Navy platforms. The program aims to develop active acoustic emission quench detection and control systems for HTS magnets and other superconducting devices for naval applications. The Phase I program focuses on developing Navy-specific quench detection hardware and demonstrate their performance on small superconducting coils. The system should respond within 80 ms of the onset of a quench, even in the presence of noise and vibrations that may be present on a Navy ship. The Phase II program would result in a quench detection and control system, based on active acoustic quench detection, that has been fully tested and verified to meet relevant military shock and vibration standards by the end of the Phase II - Option I program.