Chapter 16: Accelerating Quench Propagation in 2G HTS Coated Conductors by Engineering the Tape Architecture

The slow normal zone propagation velocity (NZPV) in commercial second generation high temperature superconductor coated conductors (2G HTS CCs) upon partial quenching is problematic for resistive superconducting fault current limiters (rSFCLs) since it reduces the performance of rSFCLs and may lead to the development of destructive hot spots. A promising approach to increase the NZPV is the current flow diverter (CFD) concept. The CFD concept can be implemented by slightly modifying the architecture of 2G HTS CCs, either by inserting a highly resistive layer at the HTS–silver interface, or by putting most of the stabilizer on the substrate side. Recent experiments demonstrated that the CFD concept can increase the NZPV of 2G HTS CCs by at least one order of magnitude at 77 K.