Application of Thermal Network Models for Analysis and Design of Superconducting Cable Components

Thermal network models (TNM) with coupled electrical and cryogenic thermal aspects of a gaseous helium cooled high-temperature superconducting (HTS) cable loop are developed. The cable system loop consisted of the terminations, a 30-m-long HTS cable, and a cryocooler-based cryogenic helium gas circulation system. The utility of the models is demonstrated through simulations of cryogenic thermal response of the cable loop under several operational scenarios. Temperature profile of the complete cable system has been modeled for different helium gas mass flow rates and with dc and ac current up to 3 kA. Transient response of the cable loop under some potential contingencies was simulated to demonstrate the utility of the TNM tools.