New Quench Detection System to Enhance Protection of the Individually Powered Magnets in the Large Hadron Collider

To further improve the existing Quench Detection System (QDS) of individually powered magnets installed in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a new radiation tolerant electronic board was developed. The board provides three signal acquisition channels. It is able to acquire with different and configurable signal resolution and acquisition rate the analog signals of different properties. These enhancements enable the application of different quench detection algorithms depending on the protected magnet. Additionally, the board can be used with newly developed current derivative sensors for reliable detection of symmetric quenches. The new system supports both open and closed loop current sensors.