INTERNAL BEHAVIOUR OF LARGE COILS SUBJECT TO TRANSIENT VOLTAGE

This paper deals with the problem of internal overvoltages within large coils due to fast‐rising surges. Numerical simulations are performed on a lumped‐parameter equivalent circuit, representing a coil of the magnetic system of a thermo‐nuclear fusion experiment. Inductances and capacitances are computed through numerical methods which ensure a good precision even with complex geometries. The effect of the conductive painting on the outer surface of the coil is also taken into account. The simulation results are compared with a number of measurements on a full‐size prototype coil. Turn‐to‐earth, as well as inter‐turn overvoltages, are both computed and measured in many grounding conditions. The experimental results fit well with computation and theoretical prediction.