Quench Detection of SST-1 TF Coils by Helium Flow and Pressure Measurement

Superconducting magnets of Steady-state Superconducting Tokamak-1 (SST-1) are cooled by Supercritical helium at 4.5 K and 0.4 MPa. Two types of Venturi meters (VM) are being used for measuring helium mass flow rates in these magnets. Signal conditioning for temperature, absolute pressure and differential pressure sensors and a suitable data acquisition system has also been developed for these flow meters. These flow meters were extensively qualified during individual coil test campaigns of SST-1 TF coils. Mass flow and pressure signal behavior during quench events of TF coil tests were analyzed and a quench detection system using these signals has been proposed for TF coils. This secondary quench detection methodology and its hardware development are discussed in this paper. This paper also describes the VM design, fabrication, installation and the flow measurement system.