CERN LHC: Basic research with Transtechnik converters

AC/DC
converter
Photo: CERN

The world's largest particle accelerator is being constructed in the vicinity of

Geneva Airport. The main underground ring of the LHC (Large Hadron Collider)
has a circumference of 27 km.

High-precision current source

for high current at low voltage,
up to 13 kA / 18 V

Compact, modular design

in 19-inch cabinets

Basic structure:
Chopper transformer
3x rectifier

Water cooling
for high power density

Redundancy using multiple

parallel-switched current
sources allows maintenance
during operation

2 different systems
600 A / 40 V
(particle deflection)
13 kA or 20.5 kA / 18 V
(particle acceleration,
alpha experiment)

Stringent
qualification procedure;
Transtechnik was the only
provider who met the
requirements for the
13-kA system

Technical data subject to change. Transtechnik 07/2004

for the European Linear

Particle Accelerator
CERN near Geneva

Technical data, 13-kA system

Input voltage
Chopper clock frequency
Output current
Output voltage
Output power
Parallel switching (13 kA)

400 V AC3
23 kHz
0 A through 13.0 kA
0 V through 18 V
0 W through 234 kW
5 individual cabinets,
regulated load distribution

Quantities

600 A: 50 cabinets
13 kA: 18 systems
of 5 cabinets each
20.5 kA: 1 system = 8 cabinets

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Transtechnik GmbH & Co. KG . Ohmstrasse 1 . 83607 Holzkirchen . Germany . Phone +49-8024-990-0 . Fax +49-8024-990-300
Internet: http://www.transtechnik.com . email: info@transtechnik.com
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