The Transient Stabilization of Nb3Sn Composite Ribbon Magnets

The transient thermal behavior of a section of composite superconducting ribbon which has suffered a sudden rise in temperature has been investigated in detail by computer simulation. Three equations describing a one-dimensional flow of heat from the composite, through an insulating film and the subsequent diffusion of heat into a metal foil, have been programmed for simultaneous numerical solution. The effectiveness of the interleaving in stabilizing the composite has been found to depend strongly on the thermal conductivity and thickness of the insulating film, as well as the thermal properties of the metal foil. Also, values of the initial sudden temperature rise due to a collapse of magnetization have been calculated. Estimations, based on the numerical results, are made of the effectiveness of various interleaving materials.