Asymmetrical Normal Zone Propagation Analysis Considering Hall Effect for Large Aluminum Stabilized Superconductor

Aluminum stabilized superconductors are used in accelerators, SMES, and fusion devices, such as the LHD helical coils. These superconductors have large cross-sectional area of high purity aluminum to improve their stability. However, one of the important properties of these superconductors is the transient stability, which is caused by a long duration of transport current transfer from the superconducting strands into the aluminum in a normal state region. Once a normal zone is initiated in such superconductors, excess joule heat is generated in a small region of the aluminum stabilizer near the superconducting strands during the transport current diffusion time. It hence deteriorates the transient stability. Therefore, it is important to investigate the characteristics of the transient stability by numerical analysis. The latest experiments of the LHD helical coil conductor showed an asymmetrical propagation of normal zone along the longitudinal direction of the conductor. The Hall effect is clearly one of the causes of this phenomenon. The Hall effect prevents the transport current from transferring between the superconducting strands and the aluminum stabilizer. It causes the asymmetrical transport current distribution, and affects the stability of the superconductor. In order to simulate the normal zone propagation in the superconductor more precisely and to clarify the cause of the asymmetrical propagation, we have developed a 2D finite element analysis code taking account of the Hall effect and investigated the characteristics of the normal zone propagation of large aluminum stabilized superconductors.