Permissible disturbance energies in filled and unfilled high-performance superconducting magnets

In high-performance superconducting magnets, the winding is densely packed with conductor to enhance the overall current densities. In these magnets, void space, unoccupied by conductor, is more often than not, filled with substances such as epoxy resin. That is, the structural integrity achieved by the filler is generally considered to be more important than cooling which is provided by liquid helium permeating the unfilled void space in the winding. This paper presents numerical results of a three-dimensional finite element method analysis of the transient thermal behavior of both filled and unfilled high-performance superconducting magnets. The analysis focuses on the effect of copper to superconductor ratio and the position of disturbances, and the maximum permissible disturbance energy