Abstract

High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) are used in several high current conductors, e.g. for large high-field magnets cable in conduit conductors (CICC). CICC are often constructed from several HTS strands which themselves are formed from individual HTS tapes, which are stacked together under certain mechanical pressure due to compacting the cable. Also, in small HTS coils HTS wires are often wound on each other, forming stacked structure in the direction perpendicular to the HTS wire.
For the simulation, for example, of a quench in such a cable, along with material properties, the thermal and electrical resistance of stacks of tapes are necessary in both directions - radial and axial. Such measurements in radial direction are possible with new developed extension for standard Thermal Transport Option within the Physical Property Measurement System. The equipment allows measuring the thermal and electrical resistances across the stack of material plates pressed together with controlled pressure in a wide temperature range from 4 K to 300 K.
This equipment was then used for measuring the thermal and electrical resistance across stacks of HTS wires from different manufacturer at different contact pressure values. This data can be applied for simulation of quench propagation in CICC or HTS coils.