Twente high-current conductor test facility, first results on critical current and propagation in two cables

A small-scale test facility is described in which superconducting cables are tested for critical current, ac losses, stability, and propagation phenomena in the 0 to 7.5 tesla range at test currents up to 40 kA generated by a superconducting rectifier. Results of tests conducted on two high-current monolithic conductors for the TORE-SUPRA tokamak and an 11-strand cable for the Siemens generator development program are discussed. The facility allows for cable testing under realistic circumstances rather than using scale models or extrapolating questionable results obtained at elevated temperatures and reduced currents. Critical current and propagation velocities were measured and analyzed over the field range