The effects of superconductor–stabilizer interfacial resistance on quenching of a pancake coil made out of coated conductor

We present the results of numerical analysis of normal zone propagation in a stack of YBa2Cu3O7 − x coated conductors which imitates a pancake coil. Our main purpose is to determine whether the quench protection quality of such coils can be substantially improved by increased contact resistance between the superconducting film and the stabilizer. We show that with increased contact resistance the speed of normal zone propagation increases, the detection of a normal zone inside the coil becomes possible earlier, when the peak temperature inside the normal zone is lower, and stability margins shrink. Thus, increasing contact resistance may become a viable option for improving the prospects of coated conductors for high Tc magnet applications.