Abstract
The design, fabrication, and tests of the new generation of superconducting magnets for the High Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) require the support of an adequate sensing technology able to assure the integrity of the strain-sensitive and brittle superconducting cables through the whole service life of the magnet: assembly up to 150 MPa, cool down to 1.9 K, and powering up to about 16 kA. A precise temperature monitoring is also needed, in order to guarantee the safe working condition of the superconducting cables in the power transmission lines (SC-Link) designed to feed the magnet over long distance. Fiber Bragg Grating-based temperature and strain monitoring systems have been implemented in the first SC-Link prototype and in two subscale dipole magnets and tested in the cryogenic test facility at CERN, at 30 K, 77 K, and 1.9 K.
Highlights
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the largest circular particle accelerator built at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), is presently equipped with NbTi based superconducting magnets that achieve a bending field of 8.3 T in the main dipoles
In the framework of the High Luminosity upgrade (HL-LHC), new accelerator magnets able to operate in the 11–13 T range are developed using new design approach for a technology based on Nb3Sn which has a higher magnetic field capability
Resistive sensors are the devices most commonly used for measuring temperature and strain in the field of cryogenic and superconducting magnets, but their sensitivity to the magnetic field and the amount of electrical wires needed for their operation add issues that could be efficiently overcome through the use of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors
Summary
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the largest circular particle accelerator built at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), is presently equipped with NbTi based superconducting magnets that achieve a bending field of 8.3 T in the main dipoles. To avoid radiation damage of the power converters presently located in 100 m deep tunnel, it is planned to bring them to the surface or in radiation-free underground areas feeding the magnets down to the tunnel through High Temperature Superconducting transmission lines (SC-Link) to carry currents up to 20 kA [1] In this context a complex development phase is required and the implementation of new monitoring systems becomes crucial to provide useful information from fabrication to operation in extreme conditions as ultra-low temperatures (down to 1.9 K), strong electromagnetic fields (up to 13 T), and strong mechanical stress (up to 150 MPa).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
