Stability of the superconducting state of a multiconductor current-carrying element during the induction of current in it

A model which permits estimation of the temporal variation of the temperature and the current in the components of a superconducting cable is proposed. The permissible currents which can be induced in a six-strand current-carrying element without destroying its superconducting properties are determined. It is shown that in the presence of inductive coupling between the conductors, the position of the cable component in which instability is initiated is not a regular function of the current induction rate if there is a spread in the nonlinearity parameters of the current-voltage characteristics of the components. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 39–44 (March 1998)