Calculation of minimum quench energies in Rutherford cables

Abstract

The Minimum Quench Energy (MQE) of a conductor may give some indication about the likelihood of training in magnets. We have used a numerical solution of the heat flow equation to calculate the MQE of a single superconducting wire and have found the results to be in good agreement with experiment. This model was then extended to an approximate representation of Rutherford cable by including current and heat transfer between strands. Reasonable agreement with experiment has been found, although in some cases it appears that the effective thermal contact between strands is greater than expected from electrical resistance measurements.