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Title: A Metallurgical Inspection Method to Assess the Damage in Performance-Limiting Nb3Sn Accelerator Magnet Coils

Abstract

The design and production of Nb3Sn-based dipole and quadrupole magnets is critical for the realization of the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Nb3Sn superconducting coils are aimed at enhancing the bending and focusing strengths of accelerator magnets for HL-LHC and beyond. Due to the brittle nature of Nb3Sn, the coil fabrication steps are very challenging and require very careful QA/QC. Flaws in the Nb3Sn filaments may lead to quenches, and eventually, performance limitation below nominal during magnet testing. A novel inspection method, including advanced non-destructive and destructive techniques, was developed to explore the root-causes of quenches occurring in performance-limiting coils. The most relevant results obtained for MQXF coils through this innovative inspection method are presented. This approach allows for precise assessment of the physical events associated to the quenches experienced b y magnet coils, mainly occurring under the form of damaged strands with transversely broken sub-elements. Coil-slice preparation, micro-optical observations of transverse and longitudinal cross-sections, and a deep etching technique of copper will be illustrated in the present work, with a focus on the results achieved for a CERN coil from a non-conforming quadrupole magnet prototype, and two coils fabricated in themore » US, in the framework of the Accelerator Upgrade Project (AUP) collaboration, from two different non-conforming quadrupole magnets, respectively. The results obtained through the proposed inspection method will be illustrated.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [3];  [4]; ORCiD logo [3]
  1. European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland)
  2. Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
  3. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  4. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
Contributing Org.:
LARP
OSTI Identifier:
1909879
Report Number(s):
FERMILAB-PUB-22-859-TD; arXiv:2211.09684
Journal ID: ISSN 1051-8223; oai:inspirehep.net:2183342; TRN: US2312182
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-07CH11359
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 33; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 1051-8223
Publisher:
IEEE
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; Coils; Superconducting magnets; Inspection; Etching; Microscopy; Copper; Magnetomechanical effects

Citation Formats

Moros, Alice, Crouvizier, Mickael Denis, Santillana, Ignacio Aviles, Sgobba, Stefano, Bermudez, Susana Izquierdo, Lusa, Nicholas, Troitino, Jose Ferradas, Milanese, Attilio, Todesco, Ezio, Devred, Arnaud, Ambrosio, Giorgio, Baldini, Maria, Ferracin, Paolo, Schmalzle, Jesse, and Vallone, Giorgio. A Metallurgical Inspection Method to Assess the Damage in Performance-Limiting Nb3Sn Accelerator Magnet Coils. United States: N. p., 2023. Web. doi:10.1109/tasc.2023.3237662.
Moros, Alice, Crouvizier, Mickael Denis, Santillana, Ignacio Aviles, Sgobba, Stefano, Bermudez, Susana Izquierdo, Lusa, Nicholas, Troitino, Jose Ferradas, Milanese, Attilio, Todesco, Ezio, Devred, Arnaud, Ambrosio, Giorgio, Baldini, Maria, Ferracin, Paolo, Schmalzle, Jesse, & Vallone, Giorgio. A Metallurgical Inspection Method to Assess the Damage in Performance-Limiting Nb3Sn Accelerator Magnet Coils. United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/tasc.2023.3237662
Moros, Alice, Crouvizier, Mickael Denis, Santillana, Ignacio Aviles, Sgobba, Stefano, Bermudez, Susana Izquierdo, Lusa, Nicholas, Troitino, Jose Ferradas, Milanese, Attilio, Todesco, Ezio, Devred, Arnaud, Ambrosio, Giorgio, Baldini, Maria, Ferracin, Paolo, Schmalzle, Jesse, and Vallone, Giorgio. Mon . "A Metallurgical Inspection Method to Assess the Damage in Performance-Limiting Nb3Sn Accelerator Magnet Coils". United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/tasc.2023.3237662. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1909879.
@article{osti_1909879,
title = {A Metallurgical Inspection Method to Assess the Damage in Performance-Limiting Nb3Sn Accelerator Magnet Coils},
author = {Moros, Alice and Crouvizier, Mickael Denis and Santillana, Ignacio Aviles and Sgobba, Stefano and Bermudez, Susana Izquierdo and Lusa, Nicholas and Troitino, Jose Ferradas and Milanese, Attilio and Todesco, Ezio and Devred, Arnaud and Ambrosio, Giorgio and Baldini, Maria and Ferracin, Paolo and Schmalzle, Jesse and Vallone, Giorgio},
abstractNote = {The design and production of Nb3Sn-based dipole and quadrupole magnets is critical for the realization of the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Nb3Sn superconducting coils are aimed at enhancing the bending and focusing strengths of accelerator magnets for HL-LHC and beyond. Due to the brittle nature of Nb3Sn, the coil fabrication steps are very challenging and require very careful QA/QC. Flaws in the Nb3Sn filaments may lead to quenches, and eventually, performance limitation below nominal during magnet testing. A novel inspection method, including advanced non-destructive and destructive techniques, was developed to explore the root-causes of quenches occurring in performance-limiting coils. The most relevant results obtained for MQXF coils through this innovative inspection method are presented. This approach allows for precise assessment of the physical events associated to the quenches experienced b y magnet coils, mainly occurring under the form of damaged strands with transversely broken sub-elements. Coil-slice preparation, micro-optical observations of transverse and longitudinal cross-sections, and a deep etching technique of copper will be illustrated in the present work, with a focus on the results achieved for a CERN coil from a non-conforming quadrupole magnet prototype, and two coils fabricated in the US, in the framework of the Accelerator Upgrade Project (AUP) collaboration, from two different non-conforming quadrupole magnets, respectively. The results obtained through the proposed inspection method will be illustrated.},
doi = {10.1109/tasc.2023.3237662},
journal = {IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity},
number = 5,
volume = 33,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 23 00:00:00 EST 2023},
month = {Mon Jan 23 00:00:00 EST 2023}
}

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