Machine Protection for the LHC: Architecture of the Beam and Powering Interlock Systems

The superconducting Large Hadron Collider under construction at CERN is an accelerator with unprecedented complexity. Its operation requires a large variety of instrumentation, not only for control of the beams, but also for the control and protection of the complex hardware systems. Sophisticated protection systems are mandatory to minimise the risk for serious damage caused by a failure. Each proton beam will have an energy of more than 300 MJ, and the energy stored in the magnet system amounts to about 1.2 GJ for each sector. Ideas for the architecture of the interlocks linking the protection systems are presented here.