Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Normal Zone Propagation on 2G HTS Wires

In this paper we analyse numerically and experimentally the quench behavior of Cu-stabilized second-generation high temperature superconducting (2G HTS) wires at self-field and in adiabatic conditions. The electric field profiles along the superconductor after applying an energy pulse to the conductor have been obtained together with the parameters characterizing the quench: minimum quench energy (MQE) and the normal zone propagation velocity (NZPV). The analysis has been performed at different temperatures, T, between 72 K and 77 K, and at different applied currents, I/I_c(T) <; 1, I_c being the critical current. Our analysis shows that the numerical results obtained by finite element method (FEM) are closer to the experimental MQE values when the contribution of the thermal mass of the heater is taken into account.