A High Voltage Signal Conditioner for the Quench Detection System of the ITER Superconducting Magnet

A Quench Detection System (QDS) will be installed for the ITER superconducting coils and feeder system. The objective of the QDS is to detect a quench in a superconducting device to protect the superconducting devices. This paper aims to provide a functional specification and qualification method for the QDS. In the baseline of I/O, the protection of magnet investment is defined to be carried out through electrical signal processing. Therefore, the primary function of the QDS is to detect the voltage drop across the unrecoverable normal zone in the superconducting system and send a trigger signal to the Central Interlock System to activate the protection circuit. Due to their pulsed operation, the superconducting systems of ITER will experience significant voltage variations, presenting a real challenge for quench detection. Detecting a quench, which typically produces around 0.1 V, among inductive signals in the range of several kilovolts, requires the implementation of digital techniques. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a system that can reliably detect quenches under high-voltage conditions. Over 56 kV electrical isolation will be needed to develop the High Voltage Signal Conditioners (HVSC). This paper provides a summary of the status of HVSC.