Design and preliminary test results of the quench detection system for IFSMTF

A unique quench detection system was designed for the International Fusion Superconducting Magnet Test Facility (IFSMTF), where a simultaneous test of six large superconducting toroidal field magnets will be carried out. The scheme was based on analog subtraction of self and neighboring pickup winding voltage from the coil voltage to yield a compensated signal proportional to a normal-zone voltage. The compensated signals were input to quench detection modules that give a quench output signal to discharge the coil if the compensated signals exceed preset thresholds for preset time durations. This paper summarizes the design and analysis of the system and presents the experimental results of the simulation tests, two-coil charging-discharging tests, and the normal-zone recovery tests