Helium Inventory Management For LHC Cryogenics

The LHC is a 26.7 km circumference ring lined with superconducting magnets that operate at 1.9 K. These magnets are used to control the trajectory of beams of protons traveling in opposite directions and collide them at various experimental sites across the LHC where their debris is analyzed. The focus of this paper is the cryogenic system that allows the magnets to operate in their superconducting states. It aims to highlight the operating principles of helium refrigeration and liquefaction, with and without nitrogen pre-cooling; discuss the various refrigerators and liquefiers used at CERN for both LHC and Non-LHC applications, with their liquefaction capacities and purposes; and finally to deliberate the management of the LHC inventory and how it contributes to the strategic decision CERN makes regarding the inventory management during the Year-End Technical Stop (YETS), Extended Year-End Technical Stop (EYETS) and long shutdowns.