A Warm Bore Anticryostat for Series Magnetic Measurements of LHC Superconducting Dipole and Short Straight Section Magnets

All LHC twin-aperture magnets will be tested under operating conditions to verify their performance. The field measurement equipment works at ambient temperature and pressure. Each magnet is therefore equipped with two warm bore anticryostats. As a consequence a total of nearly 80 anticryostats of different lengths have to be assembled, handled and serviced during the test period. Two main constraints determine the frame for the design of these anticryostats: inside a given beam pipe aperture of 50 mm kept at 1.9 K, a warm bore aperture of 40 mm must provide the highest possible mechanical stability and robustness for numerous mounting cycles as well as the lowest possible heat losses towards the cryogenic system. In addition, compatibility with high magnetic fields and an insulation vacuum of about 10-7 mbar have to be maintained. This paper describes how a satisfactory mechanical stability as well as heat losses in the order of 0.8 W/m are achieved with a design based on very careful space and material optimization. Other aspects like assembly, installation, thermal behavior and temperature control during the operation are described.