Machine Protection Issues and Strategies for the LHC

For nominal beam parameters at 7 TeV/c, each of the two LHC proton beams has a stored energy of 350 MJ threatening to damage accelerator equipment in case of uncontrolled beam loss. The energy stored in the magnet system at 7 TeV/c will exceed 10 GJ. In order to avoid damage of accelerator equipment, operation of the LHC will be strongly constrained. For the first commissioning of the complex magnet powering, quench protection and powering interlock systems must be fully operational. For safe injection, beam absorbers must be in the correct position and specific procedures for safe injection have to be applied. Since the beam dump blocks are the only element of the LHC that can withstand the impact of the full beam, it is essential that the beams are properly extracted onto the dump blocks at the end of a fill and in case of emergency. The time constants for failures leading to beam loss extend from some µs to few seconds. Requirements for safe operation throughout the cycle necessitate the use of beam instrumentation (mainly beam loss monitors), as well as collimators and beam absorbers. Failures must be detected sufficiently early and transmitted to the beam interlock system that triggers a beam dump. The strategy for the protection of the LHC will be illustrated starting from some typical failures.