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A FEW QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE TRIUMF CYCLOTRON


CYCLOTRON FUNCTION :

        To accelerate an H-minus ion beam, from 300 KeV to a maximum of 520 MeV in order to extract simultaneous proton beams
        at various energies and currents, into numerous beamlines, for delivery to targets for the designated experiments.


The  CYCLOTRON  with lid raised   The Cyclotron in the Vault with the lid raised for servicing         INSIDE  the  520 MeV  CYCLOTRON   Inside the Cyclotron with the lid raised for servicing.

Cost : The cyclotron and its associated systems cost about $12,000,000 (1974 CDN dollars)

Beam first extracted : 15 December 1974.

Peak intensity : 400 uA peak at 50% duty cycle achieved June, 1987.

Typical Operating Currents :

Beam delivered : 16,000,000 microamp-hours to March 2010.

CYCLOTRON   COMPONENTS

VACUUM TANK : Defines the volume where the beam can be accelerated in a very good vacuum (reduces air molecule collisions).

VACUUM TANK SUPPORT STRUCTURE :

    A 12-armed "spider" support structure weighing about 120 tons (109,000kg), was fabricated from 12' high 3' wide steel I-beams. Its primary purpose is to anchor the upper tie-rods thus resisting the atmospheric load on the lid. It also supports the upper magnet sectors, tank lid and internal components when the lid is lifted. When lowered, the spider rests on the top of the 12 jack columns.

MAGNET :

  • Type : Sector-focussed electro-magnet (sectors shaped for increasing particle velocity and mass gain).
  • Configuration : " Pinwheel " , 6-sectors trailing CCW looking from top (see TRIUMF logo)
  • Pole diameter: 59 feet (~18 meters)
  • Weight : 4400 tons (4,000,000 kg) total upper and lower sectors
  • Sectors & poles : Special magnetic low-carbon steel in 3-inch (7.6-cm) and 5-inch (12.7-cm) laminations.
  • Field : 4600 Gauss (3000 minimum - 5760 peak)
  • Field trimming :
    • Coarse : Many steel shims of various thicknesses added to pole pieces during original magnetic field measurements
    • Fine : 54 circular trim-coil pairs (68 kilowatts in total) and 13 harmonic-coil sets (modified pie-shaped)
  • Stability : Better than 1 part in 10**6 with remote field sensing

    MAGNET COIL :

    • Number of turns : 30 ( 15 upper and 15 lower all in series)
    • Power : 1.38 megawatts , (18,400 amperes at 75 volts DC)
    • Stored energy : 70,000,000 Joules (70MJ = the kinetic energy of a 70 ton Army tank moving at 160 km/h!)
    • Weight : 170 tons ( 154,000 kg )
    • Conductor material : Aluminum , 1" x 18" (~ 25mm x 457mm)
    • Cooling : direct cooled by an "aluminum only" low conductivity closed water system

ACCELERATION SYSTEM :

INJECTION SYSTEM :

Injection beam: H- ions. An "H-" beam is composed of hydrogen (1 proton (positive) & 1 electron (negative)) with 1 electron added. This results in an overall negative charge. Thus "H-" .

BEAM EXTRACTION SYSTEM :

BEAMLINES :

Vacuum pipe material : non-magnetic stainless steel

Vacuum seals : double-knife-edge steel on indium. Other forms are used for temporary setups

Magnets : Front end elements are radiation-hard and remotely handlable. The conductors are directly cooled hollow copper tubes (cooling water flows through the conductors). Noteable exceptions are the combination magnets which are mounted on the extraction horns and guide the beam out of the cyclotron into the beamlines. Combination-magnet conductors are mineral-insulated and indirectly cooled. Water cooling is via a closed-circuit, low-conductivity, copper-only system. Magnet specifications are available in the Control-Room copy of the TRIUMF MAGNET INDEX which lists all the beamline magnets on the site and gives their specifications.

Vacuum system : There is some pumping from the cyclotron tank itself, beamline vacuum is primarily achieved by turbo-molecular pumps.

Beam tunes and currents: Both Achromatic and Dispersed tunes are possible:

CYCLOTRON LOCATION :   " THE  VAULT "

Dimensions : 100ft (30.5m) x 100ft x 39ft (11.9m) high (from floor to underside of roof beams).

Ventilation :

Local Cyclotron Shielding :

Elevating System :

SAFETY SYSTEM :

CCTV : During shutdowns and extended maintenance periods, television cameras are installed in the vault. Due to radiation considerations, the cameras must be removed during beam operation.

MISCELLANEOUS :
Drainage : The Main Accelerator Building is more than twenty feet (>5m) below the water table. Pumps continuously drain the subsurface ground water into the storm sewer system. In case of power failure, the pumps are powered by the emergency generator system.

EMERGENCY GENERATORS:
Many systems deemed critical for both personnel and facility safety, can be powered via the five generators on site: