Thermal Network Model for HTS Cable Systems and Components Cooled by Helium Gas

A versatile method to model combined electrical and thermal behavior of superconducting power devices is introduced. The methodology and computational tools of thermal network models (TNM) that use MATLAB with a Simulink toolbox primarily intended for power electronics simulations (“PLECS”) are presented. The utility of the modeling technique is demonstrated with a case study of superconducting cable termination that is cooled with gaseous helium circulation. The temperature profile in the termination due to the heat leak from the ambient and the Joule heating in the bushing and at the interfaces between copper leads and superconducting cable has been modeled. The temperature profile resulted from the TNM compared well with values obtained from experimental investigations. Suggestions for expanding the capabilities of the model are described.