J. Schmalzle

Test Results of the First 3.7 m Long Nb3Sn Quadrupole by LARP and Future Plans

In December 2009 during its first cold test, LQS01, the first Long Nb3Sn Quadrupole made by LARP (LHC Accelerator Research Program, a collaboration of BNL, FNAL, LBNL and SLAC), reached its target field gradient of 200 T/m. This target was set in 2005 by the US Department of Energy, CERN and LARP, as a significant milestone toward the development of Nb3Sn quadrupoles for possible use in LHC luminosity upgrades. LQS01 is a 90 mm aperture, 3.7 m long quadrupole using Nb3Sn coils. The coil layout is equal to the layout used in the LARP Technological Quadrupoles (TQC and TQS models). Pre-stress and support are provided by a segmented aluminum shell pre-loaded using bladders and keys, similarly to the TQS models. After the first test the magnet was disassembled, reassembled with an optimized pre-stress, and reached 222 T/m at 4.5 K. In this paper we present the results of both tests and the next steps of the Long Quadrupole R&D.

Design of a 120 mm Bore 15 T Quadrupole for the LHC Upgrade Phase II

Future upgrades to machines like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN will push accelerator magnets beyond 10 T forcing the replacement of NbTi superconductors with advanced superconductors such as Nb3Sn. In support of the LHC Phase-II upgrade, the US LHC Accelerator Research Program (LARP) is developing a large bore (120 mm) Nb3Sn Interaction Region (IR) quadrupole (HQ) capable of reaching 15 T at its conductor limit and gradients of 199 T/m at 4.4 K and 219 T/m at 1.9 K. The 1 m long, two-layer magnet, addresses coil alignment and accelerator quality features while exploring the magnet performance limits in terms of gradient, stress and structure. This paper summarizes and reports on the design, mechanical structure, coil windings, reaction and impregnation processes.

Development and Coil Fabrication for the LARP 3.7-m Long Nb3Sn Quadrupole

The U.S. LHC Accelerator Research Program (LARP) has started the fabrication of 3.7-m long Nb3Sn quadrupole models. The Long Quadrupoles (LQ) are ldquoProof-of-Principlerdquo magnets which are to demonstrate that Nb3Sn technology is mature for use in high energy particle accelerators. Their design is based on the LARP Technological Quadrupole (TQ) models, developed at FNAL and LBNL, which have design gradients higher than 200 T/m and an aperture of 90 mm. The plans for the LQ R&D and a design update are presented and discussed in this paper. The challenges of fabricating long accelerator-quality Nb3Sn coils are presented together with the solutions adopted for the LQ coils (based on the TQ experience). During the fabrication and inspection of practice coils some problems were found and corrected. The fabrication at BNL and FNAL of the set of coils for the first Long Quadrupole is in progress.

Cold Test Results of the LARP HQ

The high gradient quadrupole magnet is a 120-mm-aperture, 1-m-long Nb3Sn quadrupole developed by the LHC Accelerator Research Program collaboration in support of the High-Luminosity LHC project. Several tests were performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 2010-2011 achieving a maximum gradient of 170 T/m at 4.4 K. As a next step in the program, the latest model (HQ01e) was sent to CERN for testing at 1.9 K. As part of this test campaign, the magnet training has been done up to a maximum current of 16.2 kA corresponding to 85% of the short sample limit. The ramp rate dependence of the quench current is also identified. The efficiency of the quench heaters is then studied at 4.2 K and at 1.9 K. The analyses of the magnet resistance evolution during fast current discharge showed evidence of quench whereas high energy quenches have been successfully achieved and sustained with no dump resistor.

\hbox{Nb}_{3} \hbox{Sn}

In the past two years the US LARP program carried out five tests on a quadrupole magnet aimed at the high luminosity upgrade of Large Hadron Collider (HiLumi-LHC). The 1-meter long, 120 mm bore IR quadrupole magnet (HQ) with a short sample gradient of 219 T/m at 1.9 K and a conductor peak field of 15 T is part of the US LHC Accelerator Research Program (LARP). In a series of tests, carried out at 4.4 K, the magnet reached a maximum “short-sample” performance of 86%. The tests exposed several shortcomings that are now being addressed in a Research & Development program. This paper summarizes the magnet test results, reveals findings, R&D actions and future improvements.

Quadrupole Magnet at 1.9 K

In preparation for the high luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the LHC Accelerator Research Program (LARP) is developing a new generation of large aperture high-field quadrupoles based on Nb3Sn technology. One meter long and 120 mm diameter HQ quadrupoles are currently produced as a step toward the eventual aperture of 150 mm. Tests of the first series of HQ coils revealed the necessity for further optimization of the coil design and fabrication process. A new model (HQ02) has been fabricated with several design modifications, including a reduction of the cable size and an improved insulation scheme. Coils in this magnet are made of a cored cable using 0.778 mm diameter Nb3Sn strands of RRP 108/127 subelement design. The HQ02 magnet has been fabricated at LBNL and BNL, and then tested at Fermilab. This paper summarizes the performance of HQ02 at 4.5 K and 1.9 K temperatures.

Impact of Coil Compaction on

The 3.7 m long quadrupole magnet LQS01 represents a major step of the US LHC Accelerator Research Program (LARP) towards the development of long Nb3Sn accelerator quadrupole magnets for a LHC Luminosity upgrade. The magnet support structure is a scale up of the 1 m long Technology Quadrupole TQS design with some modifications suggested by TQS model test results. It includes an aluminum shell pre-tensioned over iron yokes using pressurized bladders and locking keys (bladder and key technology). The axial support is provided by two stainless steel end plates compressed against the coil ends by four stainless steel rods. The structure, instrumented with strain gauges, has been fabricated and assembled around four aluminum ldquodummy coilsrdquo to determine pre-load homogeneity and mechanical characteristics during cool-down. After presenting the main magnetic and mechanical parameters of LQS01, we report in this paper on the design, assembly, and test of the support structure, with a comparison between strain gauges data and 3D finite element model results.

{\hbox {Nb}}_{3}{\hbox {Sn}}

The High Luminosity (HiLumi) Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project has, as the main objective, to increase the LHC peak luminosity by a factor five and the integrated luminosity by a factor ten. This goal will be achieved mainly with a new interaction region layout, which will allow a stronger focusing of the colliding beams. The target will be to reduce the beam size in the interaction points by a factor of two, which requires doubling the aperture of the low-β (or inner triplet) quadrupole magnets. The use of Nb3Sn superconducting material and, as a result, the possibility of operating at magnetic field levels in the windings higher than 11 T will limit the increase in length of these quadrupoles, called MQXF, to acceptable levels. After the initial design phase, where the key parameters were chosen and the magnets conceptual design finalized, the MQXF project, a joint effort between the U.S. LHC Accelerator Research Program and the Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERN), has now entered the construction and test phase of the short models. Concurrently, the preparation for the development of the full-length prototypes has been initiated. This paper will provide an overview of the project status, describing and reporting on the performance of the superconducting material, the lessons learnt during the fabrication of superconducting coils and support structure, and the fine tuning of the magnet design in view of the start of the prototyping phase.

LARP HQ Magnet

The first quadrupole in the fragment separator region of the proposed Facility for rare isotope beams would be subjected to extremely high radiation and heat loads (~15 kW in the magnet and 5 kW/m in the coil). As a critical part of this proposal, a radiation resistant quadrupole made with first generation high temperature superconductor (HTS) has been built and tested. This paper summarizes design, construction and test results of this magnet that has been designed to operate at ~30 K to remove this heat economically. Of particular interest are the simulated energy deposition experiments that demonstrate the stable operation of this HTS magnet in the presence of these unprecedented loads. The next quadrupole will use second generation HTS and is expected to operate at 50 K or above for even more efficient energy removal.

Performance of HQ02, an Optimized Version of the 120 mm

In support of the luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the US LHC Accelerator Research Program (LARP) has been developing a 1-meter long, 120 mm bore Nb3Sn IR quadrupole magnet (HQ). With a short sample gradient of 219 T/m at 1.9 K and a conductor peak field of 15 T, the magnet will operate under higher forces and stored-energy levels than that of any previous LARP magnet models. In addition, HQ has been designed to incorporate accelerator quality features such as precise coil alignment and adequate cooling. The first 6 coils (out of the 8 fabricated so far) have been assembled and used in two separate tests-HQ01a and HQ01b. This paper presents design parameters, summary of the assemblies, the mechanical behavior as well as the performance of HQ01a and HQ01b.