Quench Voltage Detection for Superconducting Magnets in Tokamak

Abstract

[Introduction] The superconducting tokamak serves as the foundation for steady-state operation. Timely and reliable quench detection is the key to ensuring the secure operation of superconducting magnets, which has the highest level of safety in fusion device operation. [Method] In this paper, an overview of the principles and implementation approaches of quench voltage detection for fusion magnets was provided. It briefly summarized the research progress of quench detection and the quench detection schemes adopted by mainstream tokamak devices and introduced the basic principles and processes of quench voltage detection. Taking the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) as an example, this paper analyzed the interference sources and coupling mechanisms of quench voltage detection, proposed a two-stage decoupling compensation scheme, and established an optimization analysis model for primary compensation and a dynamic compensation mechanism for plasma-coupling interferences. [Result] The experimental results indicate that the compensation scheme can achieve a high noise suppression ratio greater than 99.9%, which can effectively improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reliability of quench detection. [Conclusion] The established optimization analysis model for primary compensation and the dynamic compensation mechanism for plasma-coupling interferences can be extended to other tokamak devices, thereby providing necessary accumulation for the design of quench detection and the secure operation of magnets in future fusion reactors.

Keywords

• tokamak
• superconducting magnets
• quench detection
• electromagnetic interference suppression
• east