Frank confirms: LHC - "Big bang machine" had electrical problem, restart 2009

by SOLARLIFE | October 17, 2008 at 06:36 am

775 views | 26 Recommendations | 15 comments

Remember "Frank and the magic machine" cern, the discussed problem with the magnet connector is now offical confirmed

The technical problem that forced the shut-down of a huge particle collider built to probe the origins of the universe was a faulty electrical connection between two of the accelerator's magnets, CERN said on Thursday.

Frank by phone today Oct-17:

Yes it is now official, it is an electrical problem at one magnet contact. We have many magnets. Yes we discussed this in the last Interview already: Update Sept-24: NowPublic interview 3 hours ahead of BBC report confirming magnet contact problem

Next week Part III interview with Frank

Update with "Frank and the magic machine" part III,
cern switzerland what's new for LHC collider 2009 program,
Incident during powering

Inside CERN Technical report:
Geneva, 16 October 2008.

Investigations at CERN1 following a large helium leak into sector 3-4 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) tunnel have confirmed that cause of the incident was a faulty electrical connection between two of the accelerator’s magnets. This resulted in mechanical damage and release of helium from the magnet cold mass into the tunnel.

Proper safety procedures were in force, the safety systems performed as expected, and no one was put at risk. Sufficient spare components are in hand to ensure that the LHC is able to restart in 2009, and measures to prevent a similar incident in the future are being put in place.

“This incident was unforeseen,” said CERN

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) was forced to shut down the biggest scientific experiment ever conducted last month only 10 days after starting up its Large Hadron Collider (LHC) because of a helium leak in its tunnel.

"This incident was unforeseen," CERN Director-General Robert Aymar said in a statement. "But I am now confident that we can make the necessary repairs, ensure that a similar incident can not happen in the future and move forward to achieving our research objectives

LHC collider - CERN located at Geneva
Switzerland / Europe

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. India, Israel, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status

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Rachel Nixon

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 08:43 on October 17th, 2008

SOLARLIFE, thanks for the update.

SOLARLIFE

at 09:02 on October 17th, 2008

Rachel thanks fro Flag "Frank confirms: LHC - "Big bang machine" had electrical problem, restart 2009"

Babel-Fish

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:07 on October 17th, 2008

SOLARLIFE, I like this story. I really hope this gizmo does not do a big bang, lol

SOLARLIFE

at 09:17 on October 17th, 2008

Babel-Fish..I really hope this gizmo does not do a big bang, lol. The open information policy of cern now, is a step for confidence. Up to now have been beam tests, no colliding of the beams. But like in your car the battery cabel not proper fixed, so one magnet cabel had contact problems. Because it is -270 °C cool, you can't get there for repair, have to wait 3 months for warming up.

campanaro

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:12 on October 17th, 2008

SOLARLIFE, I like this story. It's good stuff.
WONDERFUL STORY....
Just Great!
This is something that is close to my heart (One of them)
I find it, for lack of many words..
Fascinating, Educational, Vitally important, Technologically Leaping...
If you will.
But also a little bit of feather lite treading into the
-unknown.
Thanks
Peace,
campanaro

SOLARLIFE

at 13:03 on October 17th, 2008

Well camparo, it is not a wonderful story when an expensive experiment is in delay. But I agree, it is a technology quantum leap into the Unknown. If only we would know, are the tiny particles searched for the "particles of God" the universal energy ....

campanaro

at 09:48 on October 17th, 2008

SOLARLIFE,

Hi Yes I agree with you.

I liked the way it was written.

On another note..

It is very important to helping us as a universe to know a little more

than we do.

Sometimes it isn't always what we see or hear

But what we unequivocally can confirm.

Be it with Science,Physics,Technology,Theory,Truth

Like you I'll take truth :~)

With the help of all the above and more

Thanks

Peace,

campanaro

SOLARLIFE

at 13:19 on October 17th, 2008

campanaro...I liked the way it was written. ....Sometimes it isn't always what we see or hear. A very good description, where we go in the dialogue with the Universe, it is not what we see or hear. We have expectations what to find. In most cases the result comes later. The first electron beam experiment long ago , considered useless. Someone came applied an electromagnet to it, under vacuum, to guide the beam, our Televison set was born. If you want to read more, about us read this experiment to describe us: Night club: Tonight only, the truth about Internet writing

Amy Judd

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 10:15 on October 17th, 2008

SOLARLIFE, so we have to wait until 2009?

SOLARLIFE

at 13:01 on October 17th, 2008

amyjudd, LHC collider...so we have to wait until 2009? Yes, so far no fireworks in winter, to save electricity ( is true, no joke) but far more open information stream by cern now. Franks family was happy to see him on NP he told me today. Well scientists go public on NP. Thanks for Flag

Fairbanks

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:03 on October 17th, 2008

This specific incident was not foreseen.

“This incident was unforeseen,” said CERN . . .

From now on all physical science is under the category literary criticism.

SOLARLIFE

at 15:16 on October 17th, 2008

Fairbanks...This incident was unforeseen (original cern text), the economists would say the event was unpredictable, thanks for Flag

Fairbanks

at 15:23 on October 17th, 2008

Solarlife:

the event was unpredictable . . .

Can't say how many times I have traced a fault to a connector, it's many and sometimes expensive like this CERN problem with exploding components. Expect it, and not always an accident.

SOLARLIFE

at 15:39 on October 17th, 2008

Fairbanks you know the connector, hundreds of magnets hundreds of connectors: 7 - 10 kA is a lot.

Fairbanks

at 15:48 on October 17th, 2008

hundreds of connectors: 7 - 10 kA . . .

Yes. Many opportunities for innocent error. A connector prevented a Space Shuttle launch for several months, just bad design. Sometimes it is not innocent error.