A general model for thermal, hydraulic and electric analysis of superconducting cables

In this paper we describe a generic, multi-component and multi-channel model for the analysis of superconducting cables. The aim of the model is to treat in a general and consistent manner simultaneous thermal, electric and hydraulic transients in cables. The model is devised for most general situations, but reduces in limiting cases to most common approximations without loss of efficiency. We discuss here the governing equations, and we write them in a matrix form that is well adapted to numerical treatment. We finally demonstrate the model capability by comparison with published experimental data on current distribution in a two-strand cable. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.