Analysis of the Thermal Stability of Superconducting Windings Using a Core Cable With YBCO-Coated Conductors

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) device is a new application of superconducting technology in the electric power network. It shows several advantages, including small volume, light weight, high efficiency, strong capability of overload, and risk-free of fire. When HTS devices run in the power system, the superconductive tapes may quench due to power system fault and endure electromagnetism and mechanical stress caused by large or unbalanced current. Therefore, the research thermal impact on the superconducting tapes has become a key factor in HTS device protection. In this paper, first, a core cable is introduced that has a copper former, a conductor layer, and an insulation layer. Then, the simulation experiment on the thermal stability of the superconducting winding using the core cable is proposed to analyze the curves of temperature and voltage under quenching condition with different thermal disturbance. With the combination of the stability theory, we estimate the quench propagation velocity and analyze the factors affecting quench propagation velocity and minimum quench energy. It is obtained that the minimum quench energy of the core cable is related with the transmission current. When the quench propagation velocity of the core cable is faster, it is effective and convenient for the situation monitoring and fault diagnosis of HTS device.