Test Results of LARP 3.6 m Nb3Sn Racetrack Coils Support by Full-length and Segmented Shell Structures

Abstract

As part of the LHC Accelerator Research Program (LARP) to build a high performance quadrupole magnet with Nb{sub 3}Sn conductor, a pair of 3.6 m-long Nb{sub 3}Sn racetrack coils has been made at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and installed in two shell-type support structures built by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL). These magnet assemblies have been tested at 4.5 K at BNL to gauge the effect of extended length and prestress on the mechanical performance of the long structure compared to earlier short models. This paper presents the results of quench testing and compares the overall performance of the two versions of the support structure. We also summarize the shell strain measurements and discuss the variation of quench current with ramp rate