The Short Model Coil (SMC) dipole: an R&D program towards Nb$_{3}$Sn accelerator magnets

The Short Model Coil (SMC) assembly has been designed, as test bench for short racetrack coils wound with Nb$_{3}$Sn cable. The mechanical structure comprises an iron yoke surrounded by a 20 mm thick aluminium alloy shell, and includes four loading pads that transmit the required pre-compression from the outer shell into the two coils. The outer shell is pre-tensioned with mechanical keys that are inserted with the help of pressurized bladders and two 30 mm diameter aluminium alloy rods provide the axial loading to the coil ends. The outer shell, the axial rods, and the coils are instrumented with strain gauges, which allow precise monitoring of the loading conditions during the assembly and at cryogenic temperature during the magnet test. Two SMC assemblies have been completed and cold tested in the frame of a European collaboration between CEA (FR), CERN and STFC (UK) and with the technical support from LBNL (US). This paper describes the main features of the SMC assembly, the experience from the dummy assemblies, the fabrication of the coils, and discusses the test results of the cold tests showing a peak field of 12.5 T at 1.9 K after training.