Layout and Design of the Auxiliary Bus-Bar Line for the LHC Arc Main Cryostat

The superconducting multipole magnets housed in the cold mass of the LHC arc short straight sections, together with the arc dispersion suppressor and matching section quadrupole magnets, will be electrically fed along the 3 km arcs via 600 A and 6 kA superconducting flexible cables. These will be routed into a tube running parallel to the cold masses, placed inside their cryostat [1], from power converters located at each of the 16 arc extremities. The superconducting 53.5 m cable segments will be inserted in the pipeline at machine installation time in the tunnel, thus limiting the number of useless electrical interconnections to the minimum necessary. Cryogenically connected to the 1.9 K superfluid helium vessel of the cold masses at each main quadrupole location, this so-called auxiliary bus-bar tube (EAB) will be thermally and mechanically separated from the magnet main stream. The general layout of the pipeline, its thermo mechanical functional specification and the tight cryogenic, mechanical, electrical, interface and geometrical constraints imposed by the LHC arc cryostat are presented, together with its detailed design

Thermal Performance of the LHC External Auxiliary Bus-Bar Tube: Mathematical Modelling

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) externally routed auxiliary bus-bar tube (EAB) will house the electrical feeders of the LHC short straight section (SSS) correcting magnets. The superconducting wires w ill be contained in a stainless steel tube and immersed in a quasi-static helium bath. The EAB thermal performance during the cooling of the magnets down to the operating temperature of 1.9 K is studi ed. A 3-d finite element thermal model of the EAB during a cooling process from 293 K to 4.5 K is described. The semi-analytical model of the EAB cool-down from 4.5 K to 1.9 K is also presented

The Electrical Distribution Feed Box for the LHC Prototype Cell

The Electrical Distribution Feed Box (DFB) for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Prototype Cell (String 2) is a 6 meter-long 4.6 K / 0.135 MPa liquid helium cryostat which supports and cools 13 kA and 600 A High-Temperature Superconductor (HTS) current leads. These are used for powering the String 2 main dipole and quadrupole superconducting magnets, together with their correctors. The DFB also incorporates the l-plate between its saturated liquid helium bath and the magnet pressurized superfluid helium bath at 1.9 K/ 0.13 MPa. The DFB is built within the frame of a collaboration between CERN and the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics (Novosibirsk, Russian Federation). It is a complex cryostat satisfying a number of constraints (space available, accessibility, integration) and combining different technologies such as mechanical and electrical engineering, superconductivity, cryogenics and vacuum. The current status of the design and construction of the DFB for the LHC Prototype Cell, together with an outlook towards the LHC arc DFB's, is given

Experimental and numerical cross-validation of flow in real porous media. Part 1: Experimental framework

International audienceIn this study, we present the design of a purpose-built test cell, capable of closely mimicking boundary conditions which can be routinely imposed in fluid flow simulators. The test cell permits conducting systematic studies on the influence of unresolved pore-scale wall-roughness and pore space morphology on the hydraulic conductivity: it is therefore an ideal instrument for the generation of validation datasets for the next generation numerical flow models

The Interconnections of the LHC Cryomagnets

The main components of the LHC, the next world-class facility in high-energy physics, are the twin-aperture high-field superconducting cryomagnets to be installed in the existing 26.7-km long tunnel. After installation and alignment, the cryomagnets have to be interconnected. The interconnections must ensure the continuity of several functions: vacuum enclosures, beam pipe image currents (RF contacts), cryogenic circuits, electrical power supply, and thermal insulation. In the machine, about 1700 interconnections between cryomagnets are necessary. The interconnections constitute a unique system that is nearly entirely assembled in the tunnel. For each of them, various operations must be done: TIG welding of cryogenic channels (~ 50 000 welds), induction soldering of main superconducting cables (~ 10 000 joints), ultrasonic welding of auxiliary superconducting cables (~ 20 000 welds), mechanical assembly of various elements, and installation of the multi-layer insulation (~ 200 000 m2). Defective junctions could be very difficult and expensive to detect and repair. Reproducible and reliable processes must be implemented together with a strict quality control. The interconnection activities are optimized taking into account several constraints: limited space availability, tight installation schedule, high level of quality, high reliability and economical aspects. In this paper, the functions to be fulfilled by the interconnections and the various technologies selected are presented. Quality control at different levels (component/ interconnect, subsystem, system) is also described. The interconnection assembly sequences are summarized. Finally, the validation of the interconnection procedures is presented, based in particular on the LHC prototype cell assembly (STRING2)

The Assembly of the LHC Short Straight Sections at CERN: Work Organization, Quality Assurance and Lessons Learned

After 4 years of activity, the assembly of approximately 500 Short Straight Sections (SSS) for the LHC has come to an end at the beginning of 2007. This activity, which was initially foreseen in European industry, was in-sourced at CERN because of the insolvency of the prime contractor. While the quadrupole cold masses were produced in industry, the assembly within their cryostats was transferred to CERN and executed by an external company under a result-oriented contract. CERN procured cryostat components, set up a dedicated 2000 m2 assembly hall with all the specific assembly equipment and tooling and defined the assembly and testing procedures. The contractor took up responsibility for the delivery, on time, of assemblies according to the required quality. A dedicated CERN production and quality assurance team was constituted. A specific quality assurance plan was set up involving 2 additional contractors responsible for weld inspections on a total of about 20'000 assembly welds and the execution of about 3300 leak detection tests. This paper presents the organizational aspects of the activity and the experience gained throughout the production. The learning curves and statistics by type of non-conformities detected and general quality assurance aspects are presented and discussed. The main lessons learnt are summarized, in an attempt to draw some conclusions which could be useful in making strategic choices for the cryostat assembly in future large-scale accelerators

The Interconnections of the LHC Cryomagnets at CERN: Strategy Applied and First Results of the Industrialization Process

The final interconnections of the LHC superconducting magnets in the underground tunnel are performed by a contractor on a result-oriented basis. A consortium of firms was awarded the contract after competitive tendering based on a technical and commercial specification. The implementation of the specific technologies and tooling developed and qualified by CERN has required an important effort to transfer the know-how and implement the follow-up of the contractor. This paper summarizes the start-up phase and the difficulties encountered. The organization and management tools put in place during the ramping-up phase are presented. In addition to contractual adaptations of the workforce, several configuration changes to the workflows were necessary to reach production rates compatible with the overall schedule and with the different constraints: availability of magnets, co-activities with magnets transport and alignment, handling of non-conformities, etc. Also the QA procedures underwent many changes to reach the high level of quality mandatory to ensure the LHC performance. The specificities of this worksite are underlined and first figures of merit of the learning process are presented

Leak-Tight Welding Experience from the Industrial Assembly of the LHC Cryostats at CERN

The assembly of the approximately 1700 LHC main ring cryostats at CERN involved extensive welding of cryogenic lines and vacuum vessels. More than 6 km of welding requiring leak tightness to a rate better than 1.10-9 mbar.l.s-1 on stainless steel and aluminium piping and envelopes was made, essentially by manual welding but also making use of orbital welding machines. In order to fulfil the safety regulations related to pressure vessels and to comply with the leak-tightness requirements of the vacuum systems of the machine, welds were executed according to high qualification standards and following a severe quality assurance plan. Leak detection by He mass spectrometry was extensively used. Neon leak detection was used successfully to locate leaks in the presence of helium backgrounds. This paper presents the quality assurance strategy adopted for welds and leak detection. It presents the statistics of non-conformities on welds and leaks detected throughout the entire production and the advances in the use of alternative leak detection methods in an industrial environment

Rapport final de la Collaboration CERN-CNRS pour la construction du LHC: Accord Technique d'Exécution No 2 Cryostats et assemblage des sections droites courtes (SSS) du LHC

Depuis 1995 et suite à la signature du protocole de Collaboration, le CERN, le CEA et le CNRS ont étroitement collaboré dans le cadre de la contribution exceptionnelle de la France à la construction du LHC. Pour le CNRS, l'Institut de Physique Nucléaire d'Orsay a pris en charge deux Accords Techniques d'Exécution. Le premier concerne la conception et l'assemblage des Sections Droites Courtes de la machine, et le deuxième, l'étalonnage des thermomètres cryogéniques du LHC. Dans le cadre de l'Accord Technique d'Exécution N°2, le Bureau d'Etudes de la Division Accélérateur de l'IPNO et le groupe AT-CRI du CERN ont travaillé de concert pour mener à bien la conception des SSS (Short Straight Section) et de tous les équipements nécessaires à l'assemblage. Ce rapport a donc pour objectif de dresser, en termes d'historique, d'organisation, de résultats quantitatifs et qualitatifs et de moyens mis en ?uvre, un tableau aussi complet que possible du déroulement de cette Collaboration entre le CERN et le CNRS