121144688
Cryogenic benches for superfluid helium testing of full-scale prototype superconducting magnetsfor the CERN LHC project
Abstract The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project at CERN will make massive use ofhigh-field superconducting magnets, operating below 1.9 K in pressurized superfluid helium. Reception testing of these magnets requires dedicated cryogenic facilities, consisting of an array of single-magnet test benches fed from a common large-capacity refrigeration system. Following installation and commissioning of general. cryogenic infrastructure, we have designed and constructed two such cryogenic benches, and are operating the first one for tests of 10-m long LHC prototype dipole cryomagnets supplied by European industry. We describe system architecture, cryogenic process and constructional features of these benches in the following, and report on test results in a companion paper.
55204249
A Cryogenic Axial-Centrifugal Compressor For Superfluid Helium Refrigeration
CERN's new project, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), will use superfluid helium as coolant for its high-field superconducting magnets and therefore require large capacity refrigeration at 1.8 K. This may only be achieved by subatmospheric compression of gaseous helium at cryogenic temperature. To stimulate development of this technology, CERN has procured from industry prototype Cold Compressor Units (CCU). This unit is based on a cryogenic axial-centrifugal compressor, running on ceramic ball bearings and driven by a variable-frequency electrical motor operating under low-pressure helium at ambient temperature. The machine has been commissioned and is now in operation. After describing basic constructional features of the compressor, we report on measured performance.
118122719
DESIGN, TEST AND PERFORMANCE OF THE LIQUID HELIUM CRYOSTATS FOR THE LEP SUPERCONDUCTING QUADRUPOLE MAGNETS
The experimental areas of LEP, the high-energy electron-positron collider presently under construction at CERN, will be equipped with eight superconducting quadrupole magnets, housed in liquid helium cryostats embedded in the complex detector set-ups. To comply with transverse space restrictions, the 2.5 m-long slender cryostats feature a 130 mm diameter warm bore and a horizontally-oriented service funnel at one end, equipped with 2000 A current leads. The cryostats have been designed by CERN, manufactured and assembled by industry, and tested in the laboratory. Besides design principles and constructional features, results of tests and comparative performance data are presented.
122695581
TOWARDS COST-TO-PERFORMANCE OPTIMISATION OF LARGE SUPERFLUID HELIUM REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS
The field range of superconducting devices may be extended by lowering their operating temperature, using superfluid helium refrigeration systems which have to deliver working pressures down to 1.6 kPa. The corresponding pressure ratio can be produced by integral cold compression or using a combination of cold compressors in series together with "warm" compressors at room temperature. The optimisation of such a system depends on the number, arrangement and characteristics of cold and warm machines as well as on the operating scenario and turndown capability. The aim of this paper is to compare relative investment and operating costs of different superfluid helium cryogenic systems, with the aim of optimising their cost-to-performance ratio within the constraints of their operating scenario.
133673972
Investigation and qualification of thermal insulation systems between 80-K and 4.2-K
116929466
The superfluid helium model cryoloop for the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
The high-field superconducting magnets of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will operate in static pressurized helium II at a maximum temperature of 1.9 K, irrespective of their position around the 26.7 km circumference of the machine ring. Their static and dynamic heat loads will be transported by conduction in the pressurized helium II, to a heat exchanger tube threading its way along the magnet string, in which flowing saturated helium II absorbs the heat in quasi-isothermal conditions. Following promising results obtained with heated flow tests on two-phase helium II, a full-scale 20 m-long thermohydraulic model of a LHC cryoloop was designed, built and operated, addressing key issues such as flow stability, steady-state heat transfer, transient response to varying loads, control strategies, and influence of slope. We present the results obtained and show that they validate the basic design choices of the proposed LHC cryogenic system.
122661128
A first approach to mechanical construction and cooling of a composite 3D silicon vertex detector
Abstract This paper presents first results on mechanical and cooling studies for a 3D silicon vertex detector designed for B physics at a hadron collider. Prototype modules were built from raw silicon wafers. One module was instrumented with resistors to simulate readout electronics. Both module movement and temperature variations were recorded. A cooling method utilizing simple air/helium flow was investigated, but proved inadequate because of too large temperature anisotropies.
17521917
Simulation of the Electron Flux Into the Main Injector Electron Cloud Retarding Field Analyzer Using Vorpal
We present results from precision simulations of the electron cloud (EC) in the Fermilab Main Injector (MI), focusing on the dynamics of the EC close to the Retarding Field Analyzer (RFA) detectors. Our simulations are based on the Vorpal plasma simulation package. We find that the presence of a parasitic, weak (few Gauss) magnetic field significantly alters the spatial distribution of electrons in the cloud. The detected flux can easily change by factors of two depending on the location of the RFA. Moreover, the growth rate of the EC is also sensitive to such magnetic fields. Therefore, we suggest to (i) upgrade the RFA preamplifier to ￻ 10 MHz bandwidth such that the change in EC growth rate during a complete MI bunch train can be detected; (ii) install a small solenoid (of ￻ 25 Gauss maximum) to optionally switch off the EC, and thereby cleanly establish the presence of low energy electrons in the pipe; and (iii) design an RFA that can be inserted in a ￻ 2 kGauss field, such that an EC signal can be seen in the environment that matters, i.e., in the MI dipoles.
116622236
Beam simulation tools for GEANT4 (and neutrino source applications)
Geant4 is a tool kit developed by a collaboration of physicists and computer professionals in the High Energy Physics field for simulation of the passage of particles through matter. The motivation for the development of the Beam Tools is to extend the Geant4 applications to accelerator physics. Although there are many computer programs for beam physics simulations, Geant4 is ideal to model a beam going through material or a system with a beam line integrated to a complex detector. There are many examples in the current international High Energy Physics programs, such as studies related to a future Neutrino Factory, a Linear Collider, and a very Large Hadron Collider.
120234331
Performances of a preamplifier-silicon photodiode readout system associated with large BGO crystal scintillators
Abstract The characteristics of a hybridized low noise preamplifier are described. Performances of the preamplifier in combination with silicon photodiodes are discussed and results from laboratory tests and test runs with an assembly of large BGO crystals are presented.
120522308
High energy cosmic muons and the calibration of the L3 electromagnetic calorimeter
Abstract A method to calibrate the L3 electromagnetic calorimeter with cosmic muons has been tested on a matrix of 100 tapered BGO crystals. Calibration constants in the energy range of 20–30 MeV were measured at the 2% level collecting about 200 muons per crystal. The results are in agreement with the calibration constant determined using a 10 GeV electron beam.