Voltage Characteristics of Diodes Used for Passive Quench Protection of Low-Current Magnets

Author

Chouhan, S.S. ; Green, M.A. ; Zeller, A.F.

Author_Institution

Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI, USA

Volume

25

Issue

3

fYear

2015

fDate

Jun-15

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

4

Abstract

Cold diodes and resistors in parallel with the coils are keys components in the passive quench protection system of low-current (high inductance) superconducting magnets. The diodes prevent current from flowing in the circuits that are in parallel with sections of the superconducting coil when the magnet is being charged or discharged. The use of diodes and resistors in parallel with the superconducting coil sections reduce the peak voltages to ground and, in some cases, the hot-spot temperature in the magnet during a quench. This paper presents measurements of the onset (low current) forward voltage of several power diodes as a function of temperature and magnetic field.

Keywords

power semiconductor diodes; resistors; superconducting coils; superconducting magnets; voltage measurement; cold diodes; high inductance superconducting magnets; hot-spot temperature; low-current magnets; low-current superconducting magnets; onset forward voltage measurements; passive quench protection system; power diodes; resistors; superconducting coil; Magnetic field measurement; Magnetic fields; Magnetic resonance imaging; Resistors; Superconducting magnets; Temperature measurement; Voltage measurement; Cold Power Diodes; Cold power diodes; Quench Protection System; Superconducting Magnet; Varistor Discharge System; quench protection system; superconducting magnet; varistor discharge system;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Applied Superconductivity, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1051-8223

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TASC.2014.2362574

Filename

6920026