Predicting the failure of pulsed magnets

Due to extreme operating conditions, the failure of a magnet frequently occurs in pulsed magnetic field facilities, which not only will disable magnets but also may trigger a violent explosion. Insulation failure occurs more frequently and usually before mechanical failure. Detecting the insulation failure of pulsed magnets is an important issue for pulsed high magnetic field systems. The Partial Discharge (PD) signal is usually used as an insulation monitoring tool. However, the weak PD signals are hidden in the strong dB/dt background signals, which are difficult to be separated. This paper will present a differential PD pick-up coil scheme, and the characteristics and mechanism of the PD signals are discussed based on the experimental results.