The SSC full cell prototype string test

At the conclusion of the SSC (Superconducting Super Collider) half cell magnet string testing program in February, 1993, the preliminary data analysis revealed that several substantive technical questions remained unresolved. These questions were: (1) could the high voltages to ground (>2 kV) measured during fault (quench) conditions be substantially reduced, (2) could the number of magnetic elements that became resistive (quenched) be controlled, and (3) did the cryostats of the magnetic elements provide adequate insulation and isolation to meet designed refrigeration loads. To address these and other existing questions, a prototypical full cell of collider magnets (ten dipoles and two quadrupoles) was assembled and tested. At the conclusion of this testing there were definitive answers to most of the questions with numerical substantiation, the notable exception being the heat leak question. These answers and other results and issues are presented in this paper.<
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