Sean Kinzler with Michael Martens

Design of a Persistent Switch for 0.35T Magnesium DiBoride Superconducting Magnets

Recent progress in magnet design and persistent joints using for the magnesium diboride, MgB2, superconductor has made clear the increasingly important role of the persistent switch in magnet quench protection. The persistent switch is used to transform a section MgB2 wire between superconducting and normal conducting states. When used as part of a quench protection circuit, it is important that the switch can transform into the normal state within a second or less. The focus of this work will be designing the persistent switch and modeling the transient thermal response of the switch as it is heated and cooled.