A Fast 10-kA Current Switch for High-Temperature Superconductor Accelerator Magnets

The National Institute for Nuclear Physics developed at the Laboratory of Accelerators and Applied Superconductivity (LASA) (Milano, Italy) a fast current switch in the framework of the EuCARD-2 project. A full prototype of a 10-kA fast switch based on insulated-gate bipolar transistor modules operating in about 1 ms has been developed, installed, and tested in the existing power supply at the LASA. The upgraded power supply is meant to operate on the EuCARD-2 high-temperature superconductor (HTS) accelerator prototypes. The design, the construction, and the test of the fast switch are reported. The preparation of a test bench to test the HTS magnet in a range of temperature from 4 to 80 K is also reported.