Modelling of the quenching process in complex superconducting magnet systems

The superconducting twin bore dipole magnet for the proposed Large Hadron Collider (LHC) shows a complex winding structure consisting of eight compact layers, each of them electromagnetically and thermally coupled with the others. In order to study the quenching process in this complex system, design adequate protection schemes, and provide a basis for the dimensioning of protection devices such as heaters, current breakers, and dump resistors, a general simulation tool called QUABER has been developed using the analog system analysis program SABER. A complete set of electro-thermal models has been created for the propagation of normal regions. Any network extension or modification is easy to implement without rewriting the whole set of differential equations. This simulation package is flexible with regard to the definition of the network and that of coil geometry.>