Persistent Current Switch for HTS Superconducting Magnets: Design, Control Strategy, and Test Results

High temperature superconductor (HTS) is becoming more and more attractive for the application in high field magnets, which can be utilized in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and rotating machines. To charge the HTS magnets and operate them in persistent current mode, a persistent current switch (PCS) is very necessary. This paper will focus on how to build a fast persistent current switch controlled by ac magnetic field. The PCS can present a large resistance rapidly compared with conventional PCS and recover to zero-resistance in a short recovery time. Impacting factors and strategy to control the proposed PCS are discussed. An experimental system is built and tests are carried out to verify the practicality of the proposed PCS.