Acoustic emission occurrence induced from a NbTi superconducting coil under alternating current operation

Acoustic emission (AE) induced from an alternating current (ac) superconducting coil was studied during operation in liquid helium. The operating current of the coil was increased from zero with a constant ramp rate at a commercial frequency of 50 Hz until quenching in the coil. The AE signals induced from the coil around the time of the quenching initiation were compared with the operating current, the coil voltage, and the phase difference between the current and the voltage in order to estimate the changes in those signals which resulted from the quenching process. The AE signals continued almost at very low levels before the quenching, At the moment of the quenching initiation, the AE signals clearly and drastically rose approximately 10-15 ms earlier than the decrease in the operating current or the phase difference. The AE signals induced by the wire motion during 50-Hz ac operation were also compared with the operating current.