Quench Characteristics of a Cu-Stabilized 2G HTS Conductor

The prospect of medium/high field superconducting magnets using 2G HTS tapes is approaching to reality with continued enhancement in the performance of these conductors. Direct measurements of 1D adiabatic quench initiation and propagation of a Cu-stabilized 2G conductor have been carried out with spatial-temporal recording of temperature and voltage following the deposition of various local heat pulses to the conductor at different temperatures between 40K and 64K carrying different transport currents. It was found that the stabilizer-free 2G tape maintains the unique characteristics previously measured in non-stabilized tape of increasing minimum propagation zone, (MPZ), with transport current and higher quench energy at lower temperatures. The minimum propagation zone length is investigated at low temperatures and in a background field of ~ 0.1T. The change in MPZ size is discussed in the context of the temperature dependent physical properties including the E-J characteristics. The results add more detail to help understand the unique characteristics of increasing MPZ with transport current and lower temperatures.