Speaker
Description
Detection of the thermal runaway and its precursors is critical for HTS high-field magnets in High Energy Physics and Fusion applications. Among various distributed sensing techniques, radio-frequency (RF)-based methodology emerges as a versatile method combining the best features of other sensing technologies, such as fiber-optic and ultrasonic sensing, while offering unique capabilities such as self-calibration and distributed calorimetry. RF sensors are robust, flexible, and can be bent over a small radius of curvature without affecting performance and operated in a wide temperature range from ambient to 4 K. I will review the principles of this technique and provide an overview of the latest LBNL developments in RF sensing technology. Tests at 77 K and 4 K involving RF sensors integrated with various HTS cable conductors will be presented, and prospects of using these techniques to monitor large-scale magnets will be discussed.
