Characterisation of SiC Varistor Quench Protection Operating at 4 Kelvin for Use With Superconducting Magnets

Silicon carbide (SiC) composite high-energy varistors have been demonstrated as a viable alternative to linear resistors as energy extraction devices during an abrupt loss of superconductivity in a magnet, called a quench. These have typically been installed external to the cryostat at ambient temperatures, but for some superconducting magnets it may be beneficial to mount the varistors within the cryostat in vacuum, a gaseous environment, or submerged in liquid cryogens. Varistors are semiconductors and therefore exhibit a temperature-dependent voltage-current relationship, so characterising their behaviour at low temperatures is important to predict their energy extraction behaviour. In this paper we present characterisation data of SiC varistor devices from 4-300 K: voltage-current characteristics, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, thermal expansion, and flexural strength. These varistors are a candidate for protection at 1.9 K of the MCBY magnets, currently being built at Uppsala University for CERN.