L. Serio

Cooling Strings of Superconducting Devices below 2 K: The Helium II Bayonet Heat Exchanger

High-energy particle accelerators and colliders contain long strings of superconducting devices — acceleration RF cavities and magnets — operating at high field, which may require cooling in helium II below 2 K. In order to maintain adequate operating conditions, the applied or generated heat loads must be extracted and transported with minimum temperature difference. Conventional cooling schemes based on conductive or convective heat transport in pressurized helium II very soon reach their intrinsic limits of thermal impedance over extended lengths. We present the concept of helium II bayonet heat exchanger, which has been developed at CERN for the magnet cooling scheme of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and describe its specific advantages as a slim, quasi-isothermal heat sink. Experimental results obtained on several test set-ups and a prototype magnet string have permitted to validate its performance and sizing rules, for transporting linear heat loads in the W. m”1 range over distances of several tens of meters.

A Simplified Cryogenic Distribution Scheme for the Large Hadron Collider

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), currently under construction at CERN, will make use of superconducting magnets operating in superfluid helium below 2 K. The reference cryogenic distribution scheme was based, in each 3.3 km sector served by a cryogenic plant, on a separate cryogenic distribution line which feeds elementary cooling loops corresponding to the length of a half-cell (53 m). In order to decrease the number of active components, cryogenic modules and jumper connections between distribution line and magnet strings a simplified cryogenic scheme is now implemented, based on cooling loops corresponding to the length of a full-cell (107 m) and compatible with the LHC requirements. Performance and redundancy limitations are discussed with respect to the previous scheme and balanced against potential cost savings.

Thermohydraulics of quenches and helium recovery in the LHC prototype magnet strings

In preparation for the Large Hadron Collider project, a 42.5 m-long prototype superconducting magnet string, representing a half-cell of the machine lattice, has been built and operated. A series of tests was performed to assess the thermohydraulics of resistive transitions (quenches) of the superconducting magnets. These measurements provide the necessary foundation for describing the observed evolution of the helium in the cold mass and formulating a mathematical model based on energy conservation. The evolution of helium after a quench simulated with the model reproduces the observations. We then extend the simulations to a full LHC cell, and finally analyse the recovery of helium discharged from the cold mass.

The Superfluid Helium Cryogenic System for the LHC Test String: Design, Construction and First Operation

A major milestone in the preparation of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project is the testing and operation of a 50-m long superconducting magnet string, representing a half-cell of the machine lattice. This also corresponds to the length of the elementary cooling loops providing refrigeration at the 1.9 K, 4.5-to-20 K, and 50-to-75 K levels to the LHC cryomagnets. Based on existing large-capacity cryogenic infrastructure, we have designed, built and are operating a dedicated cryogenic system feeding the LHC Test String, with installed capacities of 120 W @ 1.8 K and 10 g/s supercritical helium at 4.5 K. The system also includes 15 kA, 1.6 kA, 500 A, 250 A and 50 A current lead pairs for powering of main and auxiliary magnet circuits, as well as a 120 kW liquid nitrogen vaporizer for controlled cooldown of the 105 kg cold mass. The system is fully instrumented, controlled by dedicated industrial PLCs connected to an industrial supervision system. We report on performance in operation, including response of the system to transients such as current ramp and discharge, as well as magnet resistive transitions.

Cryogenic operation and testing of the extended LHC Prototype Magnet String

Publisher Summary A major milestone in the validation of the basic technical choices for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project, as far as main accelerator systems - magnets, cryogenics and vacuum- are concerned, is the testing and operation of a full-scale superconducting magnet string, representing a half-cell of the machine lattice. After the assembly, commissioning and successful first operation of a full-scale superconducting magnet string, and as a new prototype dipole magnet is added to approach final configuration, the cryogenic system has been slightly modified to allow the verification of the performance of the superfluid helium cooling loop in counter-current two-phase flow. At the same time the control system strategies have been updated and only two quench relief valves have been installed, one at each end of the string.

DESIGN, PRODUCTION AND FIRST COMMISSIONING RESULTS OF THE ELECTRICAL FEEDBOXES OF THE LHC

A total of 44 CERN designed cryogenic electrical feedboxes are needed to power the LHC superconducting magnets. The feedboxes include more than 1000 superconducting circuits fed by high temperature superconductor and conventional current leads ranging from 120 A to 13 kA. In addition to providing the electrical current to the superconducting circuits, they also ensure specific mechanical and cryogenic functions for the LHC. The paper focuses on the main design aspects and related production operations and gives an overview of specific technologies employed. Results of the commissioning of the feedboxes of the first LHC sectors are presented.

EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION AND OPERATION OF THE LHC TEST STRING 2 CRYOGENIC SYSTEM

The LHC Test String 2 is a 107‐m long superconducting magnet string representing a full‐cell of the LHC machine. It was designed and commissioned at CERN in order to validate the final design choices and to investigate the collective behavior and operation modes of the LHC machine systems. It has been commissioned and operated since April 2001 and has accumulated more than 8000 hours at its nominal operating temperature of 1.9 K under machine‐like conditions. We report on the experimental validation of the supercritical and superfluid helium cooling loops, quench propagation and recovery, heat loads, as well as on investigation of operational performances, advanced control techniques, process control, instrumentation and long term behavior under electrical and thermal cycling.

A LOW HEAT INLEAK CRYOGENIC STATION FOR TESTING HTS CURRENT LEADS FOR THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER

The LHC will be equipped with about 8000 superconducting magnets of all types. The total current to be transported into the cryogenic enclosure amounts to some 3360 kA. In order to reduce the heat load into the liquid helium, CERN intends to use High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) material for leads having current ratings up to 13 kA. The resistive part of the leads is cooled by forced flow of gaseous helium between 20 K and 300 K. The HTS part of the lead is immersed in a 4.5 K liquid helium bath, operates in self cooling conditions and is hydraulically separated from the resistive part.

Testing of the Superconducting Magnets for the FAIR Project

The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) is currently being constructed at GSI Darmstadt. Around 500 superconducting magnets are being procured for the heavy ion synchrotron SIS100, and around 180 are being procured for the Super Fragment Separator (Super-FRS). All these magnets have to be tested at cryogenic temperature in order to verify and guarantee their performances before they are installed in the tunnel. Test stations, measurement equipment, and the required infrastructure are being built up at the host laboratory and, due to the large number of magnets and testing requirements, at CERN and JINR. We report on the plans, testing strategy, developments, and, particularly, the status of preparations for testing of the SIS100 dipoles at GSI.

Thermohydraulics of Resistive Transitions of the LHC Prototype Magnet String: Theoretical Modeling and Experimental Results

In preparation for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project, a 40 m-long prototype superconducting magnet string, representing a half-cell of the machine lattice, has been built and operated. The superconducting magnets which comprise this string normally operate in a pressurized static bath of superfluid helium at a pressure of 1 bar and at a temperature of 1.9 K. At 13.1 kA they have about 15.3 MJ of stored magnetic energy. A series of tests was performed to assess the thermohydraulics of resistive transitions (quenches) of the string of magnets. These measurements provide the necessary foundation for describing of the observed pressure rise as the combination of two processes, each acting on a different time scale. The measurements are presented and an explanatory model description of the events is given.