Transient Thermal Finite Element Modeling of HTS Cable Systems Cooled With Gaseous Helium

Intensive thermal modeling for gaseous helium cooled high -temperature superconducting (HTS) power devices is necessary for understanding the dynamic thermal behavior during potential system contingencies. This paper presents a transient analysis of an HTS cable system that uses helium gas as a cryogen in a closed loop. Several system contingencies in which the system undergoes a transition that may lead to quenching are simulated. These contingencies include: a vacuum breach, cryocooler failure, and a combination of cryocooler and gas circulation impeller failure. Additionally, the thermal mass of the cable termination is varied to analyze its importance and effect on the timescale for the system to reach a critical temperature of 80 K.