64 research outputs found

    Modelling of Helium-mediated Quench Propagation in the LHC Prototype Test String-1

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    The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) prototype test string-1, hereafter referred to as the string, is composed of three ten-meter long prototype dipole magnets and one six-meter long prototype quadrupole magnet. The magnets are immersed in a pressurized static bath of superfluid helium that is maintained at a pressure of about 1 bar and at a temperature of about 1.9 K. This helium bath constitutes one single hydraulic unit, extending along the 42.5 m of the string length. We have measured the triggering of quenches of the string magnets due to the quenching of a single dipole magnet located at the string's extremity; i.e. "quench propagation". Previously reported measurements enabled to establish that in this configuration the quench propagation is mediated by the helium and not by the inter-magnet busbar connections [1], [2]. We present a model of helium mediated quench propagation based on the qualitative conclusions of these two previous papers, and on additional information gained from a dedicated series of quench propagation measurements that were not previously reported. We will discuss the specific mechanisms and their main parameters involved at different time scales of the propagation process, and apply the model to make quantitative predictions

    Mechanical and magnetic analysis of the Large Hadron Collider main dipole

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    The LHC Prototype Full-Cell: Design Study

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    As a continuation of the experimental program carried-out with String 1, project management decided toward the end of 1995 to construct an LHC prototype Full-Cell, also known as String 2. The present document reports on the outcome of the one-year design effort by the community of specialists contributing to the LHC Prototype Full-Cell: it informs specialists on the boundary areas with other syste ms and conveys to the general public a description of the facility

    LHC Days

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    The main scope of this workshop was to address and discuss a number of key topics relative to the current work in the LHC Division, with the aim of improving our understanding of the main issues and identifying lines of further action. An equally important goal was to bring together project engineers who tend to get increasingly busy and specialised, in order to share views and experience

    A General Model for Thermal, Hydraulic and Electric Analysis of Superconducting Cables

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    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

    Mechanical characterisation of Nb3Sn Rutherford cable stacks

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    Nb3Sn Rutherford cables are used in CERN’s superconducting 11 T dipole and MQXF quadrupole magnets, which are proposed for the instantaneous luminosity (rate of particle collisions) upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) by a factor of ïŹve to a High Luminosity-Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC). Nb3Sn-based conductors are the key technology for the envisioned Future Circular Collider (FCC) with an operating magnetic dipole ïŹeld of 16 T. The baseline superconductor of the LHC dipole magnets is Nb–Ti, whereas an operation above 10 T is not possible due to the current carrying performance limitations of this superconductor at higher magnetic ïŹelds. Therefore, a superconducting material such as Nb3Sn has to be used with proven performance capabilities of 10 T and above. The conductor choice towards Nb3Sn-based cables affects the magnet manufacturing process, as it requires a heat treatment up to 650°C, an epoxy resin impregnation and introduces mechanical diffculties as the superconducting ïŹlaments are brittle and strain sensitive. A mechanical over loading of the ïŹlaments lead to irreversible conductor damage. The designs of 11 and 16 T magnets are supposed to push the conductor towards its mechanical and electrical performance limitations. The magnetic ïŹeld induced forces on the current carrying conductor are balanced by mechanical pre-loading of the magnet. Thereby the highest controlled mechanical pre-load for the 11 T dipole magnet is set at ambient temperature. The mechanical stress limits of Nb3Sn-based cables have been investigated at cryogenic temperatures. The material strength and stiffness of the cable insulation system, formed by glass-ïŹbre-reinforced resin, is increased at low temperatures. The ultimate stress values, determined at cryogenic temperature, are therefore not conservative. The ultimate stress limitation of the insulated conductor is assumed to be lower at ambient temperature. The cable limitations at ambient temperature need to be known for the ongoing magnet manufacturing process and also for future design approaches. Furthermore, the compressive stress–strain behaviour of a coil conductor block at ambient temperature is the key material characteristic, in order to recalculate the stress level in the coil during the assembly process. Existing approaches using an indirect strain measurement method provide uncertainties in the low-strain regime, which is the essential strain range for a material compound consisting of major fractions composed of heat-annealed copper and epoxy resin. Compressive stress–strain data of an impregnated conductor block are required, based on a direct strain measurement system, as available data have been collected on samples based on a different strand type and insulation system. The elaborated direct strain measurements can be correlated to strain gauge data, measured directly on a coil. The stress distribution in a Nb3Sn Rutherford cable need to be understood and validated to understand strain-induced degradation effects in the insulated conductor. This knowledge can also help to optimise the stress distribution envisioned magnet designs. The stress–strain state in the copper and Nb3Sn phase of a loaded conductor block has to be determined experimentally. This dissertation describes a test protocol and ïŹrst elaborated results on the investigated stress limitations of a Nb3Sn Rutherford cable under homogeneous load applied in transversal direction. The compressive stress–strain behaviour of impregnated Nb3Sn Rutherford cable stacks was investigated experimentally. This includes a detailed report on the sample manufacturing process, measurements performed and validation of results through a comparison with the elaborated data of cable stacks extracted from a coil. The presented results from neutron diffraction measurements of loaded cable stacks allow the determination of the stress–strain level of the copper and Nb3Sn phase in the impregnated conductor. The relevant measured results have been recalculated with numerical calculations based on the Finite Element Method (FEM).:1. Introduction 1 1.1. The LHC and the HL-LHC project 1.2. The FCC study 1.3. Superconducting materials for accelerator magnets 1.4. Multi-ïŹlamentary wires and Rutherford cables 1.5. Coil manufacturing process 1.6. Magnet coil assembly 1.7. Objectives of this thesis 2. Theory: fundamental principles 17 2.1. Analytical calculation: sector coil dipole 2.2. Mechanical behaviour of composite materials 2.3. Failure criteria and strength hypotheses for materials 2.4. Compressive tests 2.5. Fundamental principles of Neutron scattering 2.5.1. Test apparatus and measurement method 2.5.2. Lattice plane and Miller indices 2.5.3. Bragg diffraction and interference 2.5.4. Diffraction-based strain calculation 2.5.5. Diffraction-based stress calculation 2.6. Fundamental principles of FEM 3. Homogeneous transversal compression of Nb3Sn Rutherford cables 3.1. Superconducting cable test stations 3.2. The FRESCA test facility and speciïŹc sample holder 3.3. The sample description 3.4. Experimental procedure 3.5. Review of existing contact pressure measurement system 3.6. Compressive test station 3.7. Validation of the pressure-sensitive ïŹlms 3.8. Press punch 3.9. Improvement of the contact stress distribution 3.9.1. First test: cable pressed between the bare tools 3.9.2. Second test: tool shimmed with a soft Sn96Ag4 3.9.3. Third test: tool shimmed with a soft Sn60Pb40 3.9.4. Fourth test: tool shimmed with a soft indium 3.9.5. Fifth test: tool shimmed with a polyimide ïŹlm 3.10. Test results 3.11. Conclusion 4. Material characterisation by a compression test 4.1. Test set-ups for compressive tests and validation 4.2. Sample preparation 4.3. Compressive stress–strain measurement 4.4. Ten-stack sample stiffness estimation-based composite theories 4.5. Dye penetration test on loaded and unloaded samples 4.6. Conclusion 5. Neutron diffraction measurements 80 5.1. Test set-up for neutron diffraction measurement 5.2. The samples 5.3. Experiment: lattice stress–strain measurements 5.4. Conclusion 6. Simulation and modelling of Nb3Sn cables 6.1. The models 6.2. The 2D simulation results 6.3. The 3D simulation results 6.4. Conclusion 7. Comprehensive summary 7.1. Summary 7.2. Critical review 7.3. Next steps Appendix 113 A. Calculation of the magnetic ïŹeld components in a sector coil without iron B. Approaches for the determination of diffraction elastic constants C. Manufacturing drawings D. FEM calculation results of the 2D model E. FEM calculation results of the 3D model F. Source Codes Bibliograph

    High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC): Technical Design Report

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    The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is one of the largest scientific instruments ever built. Since opening up a new energy frontier for exploration in 2010, it has gathered a global user community of about 9000 scientists working in fundamental particle physics and the physics of hadronic matter at extreme temperature and density. To sustain and extend its discovery potential, the LHC will need a major upgrade in the 2020s. This will increase its instantaneous luminosity (rate of collisions) by a factor of five beyond the original design value and the integrated luminosity (total number of collisions) by a factor ten. The LHC is already a highly complex and exquisitely optimised machine so this upgrade must be carefully conceived and will require new infrastructures (underground and on surface) and over a decade to implement. The new configuration, known as High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC), relies on a number of key innovations that push accelerator technology beyond its present limits. Among these are cutting-edge 11–12 Tesla superconducting magnets, compact superconducting cavities for beam rotation with ultra-precise phase control, new technology and physical processes for beam collimation and 100 metre-long high-power superconducting links with negligible energy dissipation, all of which required several years of dedicated R&D effort on a global international level. The present document describes the technologies and components that will be used to realise the project and is intended to serve as the basis for the detailed engineering design of the HL-LHC

    Resistive transition and protection of LHC superconducting cables and magnets

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    Superconductivity and superfluidity are macroscopic quantum-effects that are used in technology. One of the most important applications of superconductivity is the design of strong magnets, which guide particles at very high energies in circular accelerators. In the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which is being constructed at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) close to Geneva, magnets wound with conventional superconductors are cooled with superfluid helium to access even higher magnetic field strengths. The resistive transition from the superconducting to the normal-conducting state (known as a quench) can be characterised by mechanical, electrodynamic and thermodynamic processes. Due to the high amount of stored magnetic energy, a quench can potentially cause damage in superconducting elements by overheating or excessive voltages. A detailed description of the related mechanisms is needed to understand the quench process better and to design a reliable protection system. This requires analytical and more importantly numerical models, which include the heat generation of the superconductor, cooling by helium, the thermodynamic propagation of the normal-conducting zone, as well as the impact of induced eddy currents. In the framework of this thesis, a new numerical algorithm has been developed. The improvements and advancements made in the quench modelling are explained in this thesis. It also includes detailed analyses and simulation studies of the quench processes in LHC superconducting cables and magnets. The LHC protection system that has been optimised by the outcome of this thesis is presented. The results and consequences of the performed analyses and simulations are summarised

    Workshop on Accelerator Magnet Design and Optimization

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    Machine layout and performance

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    The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is one of the largest scientific instruments ever built. Since opening up a new energy frontier for exploration in 2010, it has gathered a global user community of about 7,000 scientists working in fundamental particle physics and the physics of hadronic matter at extreme temperature and density. To sustain and extend its discovery potential, the LHC will need a major upgrade in the 2020s. This will increase its luminosity (rate of collisions) by a factor of five beyond the original design value and the integrated luminosity (total collisions created) by a factor ten. The LHC is already a highly complex and exquisitely optimised machine so this upgrade must be carefully conceived and will require about ten years to implement. The new configuration, known as High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC), will rely on a number of key innovations that push accelerator technology beyond its present limits. Among these are cutting-edge 11-12 tesla superconducting magnets, compact superconducting cavities for beam rotation with ultra-precise phase control, new technology and physical processes for beam collimation and 300 metre-long high-power superconducting links with negligible energy dissipation. The present document describes the technologies and components that will be used to realise the project and is intended to serve as the basis for the detailed engineering design of HL-LHC
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