Final pressure test in the LHC in sector 6-7

Representatives of the Cryogenics group and the DISMAC (Diode Insulation and Superconducting MAgnets Consolidation) project got together at Point 6 of the LHC to mark the final pressure test carried out during LS2 as part of the DISMAC project. The last of the eight pressure tests (one per sector) carried out in the LHC took place on 27 October in sector 6-7. The pressure tests are the last step before the cooling of each sector. Undertaken as part of the DISMAC project , these tests are designed to check and confirm the mechanical integrity of the accelerator components and systems. Each pressure test lasts over three weeks: the first stage is the preparation of the sector by removing the security measures that normally prevent any increase in pressure (the aim here being precisely to increase the pressure) and configuring the cryogenic equipment. Almost 200 items of equipment are put into test mode or deactivated in each sector, making this a large-scale logistical exercise. The second stage involves “rinsing” all the machine circuits before injecting helium into them, in order to preserve its purity.