Method for generating linear current-field characteristics and eliminating charging delay in no-insulation superconducting magnets

Abstract No-insulation (NI) rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) magnets are promising for high field or high temperature superconducting magnets because they simplify quench protection. However, the turn-to-turn leakage current path induced by the absence of insulation introduces nonlinearities into the magnetic fieldcurrent characteristic and significant delay in reaching the desired field. This paper shows that active feedback control can mitigate both the nonlinearity and the charging delay. To verify our approach, simulations and tests were performed with an NI REBCO magnet made of 13 double-pancake coils. A proportional and integral (PI) feedback control of the power supply was adopted which allowed determination of the appropriate PI gains using dynamic simulations of the equivalent circuit of the NI magnet. Feedback control tests were then performed in liquid nitrogen at 77 K. …