520
M. Lamont et al.
twenty-first century technology. It is not possible to go into too much depth here,
instead some fundamentals that have been established from experience are outlined.
References are given to more detailed sources. Some key operational considerations
are outlined below and addressed in more detail in this chapter.
• Availability Accelerators are complex and their operations demands interfacing
to a wide number of systems. Some these may be regarded as technical services
e.g. cooling; cryogenics; electricity distribution. Others will have a more direct
relationship with beam based operation e.g. power converters; radio frequency
systems; beam instrumentation. One main challenge is to maintain the facility
in a operable state for the maximum amount of time. Preventative maintenance,
consolidation, fault tracking and fast problem resolution are required. In larger
complexes there can be a chain of dependencies from sources, linacs and so
on. Availability will be the cross product of the whole chain and associated
primary services. Mean time between failure of essential components have to
be evaluated at the design stage and appropriate component reliability assured.
An effective fault tracking system is essential to identify weaknesses and targets
for improvement.
• Reproducibility One key operational driver is reproducibility. In terms of the
magnetic machine this implies careful attention to the powering history via a
well defined pre-cycling strategy in a collider or careful cycle configuration in a
fast cycling machine. A on-line measurement of the dipole field in a dedicated
reference magnet system may be required. Reproducibility and stability of
orbit can be critical for a number of reasons including guaranteeing collimator
hierarchy or available aperture. Reproducibility of machine settings is to be
expected and must be guaranteed.
• Control The control system will act as the primary interface to the accelerator
systems and provide the means to communicate with a sub-system components.
It will also provide high level facilities for driving the accelerator through its duty
cycle. Although sometimes taken for granted, poorly designed controls can have
a debilitating effect on the operability of an accelerator. Careful evaluation of the
requirements and sufficient resources for development are required. Flexibility is
required for commissioning and machine studies; access to control functionality
and measurements for non-standard development should be considered.
• Instrumentation Effective beam instrumentation underpins control, optimization and understanding. The importance of well specified, reliable, accurate
systems with appropriate acquisition systems and software cannot be understated.
• Optimization and stability The high performance demanded of modern
machines can demand operating within tight parameter envelopes. Appropriate
flexibility and precision in parameter control should be anticipated. Feedback
systems for control of the key beam parameters can become mandatory. These
could range from orbit and tune to transverse feedback systems. Harnessing
modern technology and techniques is vital and again, expert resources must be
given over to ensuring appropriate solutions. Commissioning these systems early
in the lifetime of a machine should be a priority.
M. Lamont et al.
twenty-first century technology. It is not possible to go into too much depth here,
instead some fundamentals that have been established from experience are outlined.
References are given to more detailed sources. Some key operational considerations
are outlined below and addressed in more detail in this chapter.
• Availability Accelerators are complex and their operations demands interfacing
to a wide number of systems. Some these may be regarded as technical services
e.g. cooling; cryogenics; electricity distribution. Others will have a more direct
relationship with beam based operation e.g. power converters; radio frequency
systems; beam instrumentation. One main challenge is to maintain the facility
in a operable state for the maximum amount of time. Preventative maintenance,
consolidation, fault tracking and fast problem resolution are required. In larger
complexes there can be a chain of dependencies from sources, linacs and so
on. Availability will be the cross product of the whole chain and associated
primary services. Mean time between failure of essential components have to
be evaluated at the design stage and appropriate component reliability assured.
An effective fault tracking system is essential to identify weaknesses and targets
for improvement.
• Reproducibility One key operational driver is reproducibility. In terms of the
magnetic machine this implies careful attention to the powering history via a
well defined pre-cycling strategy in a collider or careful cycle configuration in a
fast cycling machine. A on-line measurement of the dipole field in a dedicated
reference magnet system may be required. Reproducibility and stability of
orbit can be critical for a number of reasons including guaranteeing collimator
hierarchy or available aperture. Reproducibility of machine settings is to be
expected and must be guaranteed.
• Control The control system will act as the primary interface to the accelerator
systems and provide the means to communicate with a sub-system components.
It will also provide high level facilities for driving the accelerator through its duty
cycle. Although sometimes taken for granted, poorly designed controls can have
a debilitating effect on the operability of an accelerator. Careful evaluation of the
requirements and sufficient resources for development are required. Flexibility is
required for commissioning and machine studies; access to control functionality
and measurements for non-standard development should be considered.
• Instrumentation Effective beam instrumentation underpins control, optimization and understanding. The importance of well specified, reliable, accurate
systems with appropriate acquisition systems and software cannot be understated.
• Optimization and stability The high performance demanded of modern
machines can demand operating within tight parameter envelopes. Appropriate
flexibility and precision in parameter control should be anticipated. Feedback
systems for control of the key beam parameters can become mandatory. These
could range from orbit and tune to transverse feedback systems. Harnessing
modern technology and techniques is vital and again, expert resources must be
given over to ensuring appropriate solutions. Commissioning these systems early
in the lifetime of a machine should be a priority.