S. Sequeira Tavares

The CMS conductor

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) is one of the experiments, which are being designed in the framework of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project at CERN, the design field of the CMS magnet is 4 T, the magnetic length is 13 m and the aperture is 6 m. This high magnetic field is achieved by means of a 4 layer, 5 modules superconducting coil. The coil is wound from an Al-stabilized Rutherford type conductor. The nominal current of the magnet is 20 kA at 4.5 K. In the CMS coil the structural function is ensured, unlike in other existing Al-stabilized thin solenoids, both by the Al-alloy reinforced conductor and the external former. In this paper the retained manufacturing process of the 50-km long reinforced conductor is described. In general the Rutherford type cable is surrounded by high purity aluminium in a continuous co-extrusion process to produce the Insert. Thereafter the reinforcement is joined by Electron Beam Welding to the pure Al of the insert, before being machined to the final dimensions. During the manufacture the bond quality between the Rutherford cable and the high purity aluminium as well as the quality of the EB welding are continuously controlled by a novel ultrasonic phased array system. The dimensions of the insert and the final conductor are measured by laser micrometer.

Development of MQXF: The Nb 3 Sn Low-

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.

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The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) is one of the general-purpose detectors to be provided for the LHC project at CERN. The design field of the CMS superconducting magnet is 4 T, the magnetic length is 12.5 m and the free bore is 6 m. In order to withstand the electro-mechanical forces during the operation of the CMS magnet, the superconducting cable embedded in a 99.998% pure aluminum matrix is reinforced with two sections of aluminum alloy EN AW-6082 assembled by continuous Electron Beam Welding (EBW). A dedicated production line has been designed by Techmeta, a leading company in the field of EBW. The production line has a total length of 70 m. Non-stop welding of each of the 20 lengths of 2.5 km, required to build the coil, will last 22 hours. EBW is the most critical process involved in the production line. The main advantage of the EBW process is to minimize the Heat Affected Zone; this is particularly important for avoiding damage to the superconducting cable located only 4.7 mm from the welded joints. Two welding guns of 20 kW each operate in parallel in a vacuum chamber fitted with dynamic airlocks. After welding, the conductor is continuously machined on the four faces and on each corner to obtain the required dimensions and surface finish. Special emphasis has been put on quality monitoring. All significant production parameters are recorded during operation and relevant samples are taken from each produced length for destructive testing purposes. In addition, a continuous phased array ultrasonic checking device is located immediately after the welding unit for the continuous welding quality control, along with a dimension laser measurement unit following the machining.

Quadrupole for the HiLumi LHC

The CMS experiment (Compact Muon Solenoid) is a general-purpose proton-proton detector designed to run at the highest luminosity at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Distinctive features of the CMS detector include a high-magnetic-field solenoid (4 T) coupled with a multilayer muon system, a fully active scintillating-crystal electromagnetic calorimeter, a tile hadronic calorimeter, and a powerful inner tracking system. The superconducting solenoid (6 m diameter by 12.5 m long free bore) is enclosed inside a 10,000 t return yoke. The external cylinder of the CMS coil consists of five modules having an inner diameter of 6.8 m, a thickness of 50 mm and an individual length of 2.5 m. The cylinder shall feature a yield strength of 209 MPa at its working temperature of 4.5 K. The structural material selected for the components of the cylinders is the non heat-treatable aluminum alloy EN AW-5083. Each module of the cylinder is composed of a 50 mm thick shell, manufactured by bending and welding thick plates of strain hardened EN AW-5083-H321, of two 130 mm thick end flanges fabricated as seamless rolled rings and circumferentially welded to the shells, and of radial shoulders of the same alloy, to which the coil support system is attached through tie-rods. The components (seamless rings, plates, shoulders) and the manufacturing methods have been fully validated by a systematic assessment down to cryogenic temperature of the mechanical properties on samples issued from full scale parts, and by a rigorous qualification of the fabrication welds, performed on weld extra-lengths issued from each one of the modules.

Continuous EB welding of the reinforcement of the CMS conductor

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) is one of the general-purpose detectors to be provided for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project at CERN. The design field of the CMS superconducting magnet is 4 T, the magnetic length is 12.5 m and the free bore is 6 m. To reinforce the high-purity (99.998%) Al-stabilized conductor of the magnet against the magnetic loadings experienced during operation at 4.2 K, two continuous sections of Al-alloy (AA) reinforcement are Electron Beam (EB) welded to it. The reinforcements have a section of 24/spl times/18 mm and are produced in continuous 2.55 km lengths. The alloy EN AW-6082 has been selected for the reinforcement due to its excellent extrudability, high strength in the precipitation hardened states, high toughness and strength at cryogenic temperature and good EB weldability. Each of the continuous lengths of the reinforcement is extruded billet on billet and press quenched on-line from the extrusion temperature in an industrial extrusion plant. In order to insure the ready EB weldability of the reinforcement onto the pure aluminum of the insert, tight dimensional tolerances and proper surface finish of the reinforcement are required in the as-extruded state. As well, in order to facilitate the winding operation of the conductor, the uniformity of the mechanical properties of the extruded reinforcement, especially at the billet on billet joints, is critical. To achieve these requirements in an industrial environment, substantial effort was made to refine existing production techniques and to monitor critical extrusion parameters during production. This paper summarizes the main results obtained during the establishment of the extrusion line and of the production phase of the reinforcement.

Mechanical performance at cryogenic temperature of the modules of the external cylinder of CMS and quality controls applied during their fabrication

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) is one of the general-purpose detectors to be provided for the LHC project at CERN. The design field of the CMS superconducting magnet is 4 T, the magnetic length is 12.5 m and the free bore is 6 m. Almost all large indirectly cooled solenoids constructed to date (e.g., Zeus, Aleph, Delphi, Finuda, Babar) comprise Al-alloy mandrels fabricated by welding together plates bent to the correct radius. The external cylinder of CMS will consist of five modules having an inner diameter of 6.8 m, a thickness of 50 mm and an individual length of 2.5 m. It will be manufactured by bending and welding thick plates (75 mm) of the strain hardened aluminum alloy EN AW-5083-H321. The required high geometrical tolerances and mechanical strength (a yield strength of 209 MPa at 4.2 K) impose a critical appraisal of the design, the fabrication techniques, the welding procedures and the quality controls. The thick flanges at both ends of each module will be fabricated as seamless rolled rings, circumferentially welded to the body of the modules. The developed procedures and manufacturing methods will be validated by the construction of a prototype mandrel of full diameter and reduced length (670 mm).

Aluminum alloy production for the reinforcement of the CMS conductor

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) is one of the experiments which are being designed in the framework of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project at CERN. The design field of the CMS magnet is 4 T, the magnetic length is 12.5m and the free aperture is 6 m in diameter. This is achieved with a 4 layer and 5 module superconducting Al stabilized coil, resulting into 20 lengths of conductor of 2.5 km each, energized at a nominal current of 20 kA at 4.5 K. One of the unique features of this thin solenoid is an Al-stabilized conductor reinforced by an Al-alloy. An extensive characterization of mechanical properties at room temperature and 4.2 K has been carried out in order to define the most appropriate alloy and temper for the reinforcement. The effect of the coil curing cycle on the alloy properties has been taken into account. This paper summarizes the main results of these tests.

Design, construction, and quality tests of the large Al-alloy mandrels for the CMS coil

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) is one of the experiments, which are being designed in the framework of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project at CERN. The design field of the CMS magnet is 4 T, the magnetic length is 12.5 m and the free aperture is 6 m in diameter. This is achieved with a 4 layer and 5 module superconducting Al-stabilized coil energized at a nominal current of 20 kA at 4.5 K. In the CMS coil the structural function is ensured, unlike in other existing Al-stabilized thin solenoids, both by the Al-alloy reinforced conductor and the external cylinder. The calculated stress level in the cylinder at operating conditions is particularly severe. In this paper the different possible fabrication techniques are assessed and compared and a possible welding specification for this component is given.

Mechanical characterization and assessment of the CMS conductor

The Nb3Sn FRESCA2 dipole magnet is dedicated to upgrade the CERN cable test facility FRESCA. It is also a technological demonstrator of large-aperture Nb3Sn accelerator magnet. It has an aperture of 100 mm and a target bore magnetic field of 13 T. It is composed of four 1.5-m-long double-pancake “block-type” coils, manufactured following the wind, react and impregnation technique. It is developed by CEA and CERN in the framework of a collaboration agreement, in the continuity of the EuCARD program. Through the fabrication of two full-scale copper prototypes, the different steps of the coil fabrication process (winding, heat treatment, splicing, instrumentation, impregnation, and transport) and the corresponding tooling have been adjusted. The final winding and reaction procedure integrates the possibility to open longitudinal gaps in the winding table and in the central post, in order to accommodate partially the longitudinal contraction of the cable during reaction. This new feature has been experienced through full-scale tests using superconducting cable with a reduced number of turns. This paper reports on the fabrication procedure of these coils. The production phase of the superconducting magnets has started in June 2015.