Possible fabrication techniques and welding specifications for the external cylinder of the CMS coil

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) is one of the experiments, which are being designed in the framework of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project at CERN. The design field of the CMS magnet is 4 T, the magnetic length is 12.5 m and the free aperture is 6 m in diameter. This is achieved with a 4 layer and 5 module superconducting Al- stabilized coil energized at a nominal current of 20 kA at 4.5 K. In the CMS coil the structural function is ensured, unlike in other existing Al-stabilized thin solenoids, both by the Al-alloy reinforced conductor and the external cylinder. The calculated stress level in the cylinder at operating conditions is particularly severe. In this paper the different possible fabrication techniques are assessed and compared and a possible welding specification for this component is given. (9 refs).