First Implementation of the CLIQ Quench Protection System on a Full-Scale Accelerator Quadrupole Magnet

The coupling-loss induced quench system (CLIQ) is an innovative method for the protection of high-field superconducting magnets. With respect to the conventional method based on quench heaters, it offers significant advantages in terms of electrical robustness and energy-deposition velocity. Its effective intrawire heating mechanism targets a fast and homogeneous transition to the normal state of the winding pack, hence assuring a quick magnet discharge and avoiding overheating of the coil's hot spot. Furthermore, it is possible to implement CLIQ as a time- and cost-effective repair solution for the protection of existing magnets with broken quench heaters. After being successfully tested on model magnets of different geometries and made of different types of superconductor, CLIQ is now applied for the first time for the protection of a full-scale quadrupole magnet at the CERN magnet test facility. One aperture of a 3.4-m-long LHC matching quadrupole magnet is equipped with dedicated terminals to allow the connection of a CLIQ system. Experimental results convincingly show that CLIQ can protect this coil over the entire range of operating conditions. The complex electrothermal transients during a CLIQ discharge are successfully reproduced by means of a 2-D model. The test is part of the R&D program of CLIQ quench protection systems, which has convincingly demonstrated the maturity of this technology and its effectiveness also for large-scale magnet systems. The proposed CLIQ-based solution for the quench protection of the LHC matching quadrupole magnet is now ready to be implemented in the LHC machine if needed.