Co-Wound Superconducting Wire for Quench Detection in Fusion Magnets

High temperature superconducting (HTS) materials are widely utilized in various design proposals for fusion magnets, resulting in enhanced performance of the machines compared to the past. However, a reliable quench detection in HTS conductors remains an open issue. Using a co-wound superconducting wire of high normal state resistance as an electrically insulated and thermally coupled sensor provides strongly increased sensitivity for the voltage-based quench detection methods. Furthermore, resistance of the wire can be practically proportional to the size of the normal zone, even though the location of the hot-spot cannot be identified. We present adaptation of this method for fusion conductors by considering various wire options, such as MgB
₂
wires in a highly resistive matrix, non-stabilized Nb
₃
Sn wires and (K,Na)-Ba122 wires. The insulated wire of a small diameter (<1 mm) can be embedded in the steel jacket, thus barely affecting the conductor design and manufacturing aspects. Alternatively, if installed within the cable space, the wires might even allow monitoring of quench dynamics among the strands. Our first experimental demonstration is planned in a sub-scale ReBCO cable-in-conduit sample, which will be tested in the SULTAN test facility recently upgraded for DC operation in resistive samples with the transport currents up to 15 kA and maximum voltage of 10 V.