Quench Detection Design for HTS SMES

Superconducting magnets are key components to store energy for a superconducting magnet energy storage system (SMES). The quench of superconducting magnets will affect the normal operation of SMES, and even damage the device. So a quick and precise quench detection is needed to ensure the safety of SMES. During the dynamic power compensation, the current flowing in the superconducting magnet is not constant, and shows high frequency components due to the switching of the converter. This paper proposes a flux induction based quench detection method that can compensate nearly all the inductive voltage and electromagnetic noise. Furthermore, it can be used to locate the exact quench position. The principle of this new method is analyzed, and a quench detection scheme for a 35 kJ HTS SMES is designed. The effectiveness of the proposed method was evaluated by a test experiment.