Transient stability of high current density superconducting wires

The transient stability of cooled superconductors is described by a theoretical model and the criteria for achieving an order of magnitude improvement in transient stability are delineated. Transient stability measurements on single wire NbTi and Nb
3
Sn samples subjected to 100 μsec heat pulses are reported. Samples cooled with a porous metal surface heat exchanger show the order of magnitude improvement in stability predicted by the theoretical model.