Effect of epoxy cracking resistance on the stability of impregnated superconducting solenoids

The stability and quench positions of superconducting test solenoids impregnated with three types of epoxy resin, with different crack resistances, have been studied. Voltage signals and acoustic emission (AE) were monitored during training tests. Premature quenches in the solenoids almost occurred at the innermost layer of windings; voltage spikes and AE appeared just prior to the premature quench initiation. This suggested that premature quenches were due to friction or debonding between ground insulation and winding. The solenoid with a release film between ground insulation and winding showed high stability and reached critical current at the second charging. From the results, the effects of epoxy cracking resistance on the stability of impregnated superconducting test solenoids are discussed.