[Paper Review] Proceedings of the CAS - CERN Accelerator School: Power Converters, Baden, Switzerland, 7-14 May 2014

R. Bailey|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jul 11, 2016

Particle accelerators and beam dynamics4 citations

TL;DR

This paper presents the proceedings of the 2014 CERN Accelerator School course on power converters, held in Baden, Switzerland, covering fundamental accelerator principles, power converter topologies, design challenges, control strategies, and operational issues in harsh environments. The course included lectures, site visits to ABB and the Paul Scherrer Institute, and seminars on state-of-the-art power converter technologies for particle accelerators.

ABSTRACT

These proceedings collate lectures given at the twenty-eighth specialized course organised by the CERN Accelerator School (CAS). The course was held at the Hotel du Parc, Baden, Switzerland from 7 - 14 May 2014, in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute. Following introductory lectures on accelerators and the requirements on power converters, the course covered components and topologies of the different types of power converters needed for particle accelerators. Issues of design, control and exploitation in a sometimes-hostile environment were addressed. Site visits to ABB and PSI provided an insight into state-of-the-art power converter production and operation, while topical seminars completed the programme.

Motivation & Objective

• To provide comprehensive training on power converter systems essential for particle accelerator operations.
• To address the unique engineering challenges posed by the harsh operating environments typical in accelerator facilities.
• To bridge theoretical knowledge with practical insights through site visits to leading industrial and research facilities.
• To disseminate current best practices in power converter design, control, and integration in accelerator systems.

Proposed method

• Delivering structured lectures on accelerator fundamentals and power converter requirements.
• Covering various power converter topologies and component technologies suitable for accelerator applications.
• Addressing design, control, and operational strategies for reliable performance in electromagnetically and thermally stressful environments.
• Incorporating site visits to ABB and the Paul Scherrer Institute to observe industrial and research-grade power converter systems.
• Presenting topical seminars to explore emerging trends and real-world implementations in power converter technology.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 What are the primary electrical and environmental challenges in designing power converters for particle accelerators?
• RQ2 How do different power converter topologies meet the dynamic and precision power demands of accelerator systems?
• RQ3 What control and design strategies ensure reliability and efficiency in high-stress accelerator environments?
• RQ4 How do industrial and research facilities implement and optimize power converter systems in practice?
• RQ5 What insights from real-world installations inform the design and operation of next-generation power converters?

Key findings

• The course successfully integrated theoretical foundations with practical exposure through visits to ABB and the Paul Scherrer Institute.
• Power converter systems for accelerators require robust design to withstand electromagnetic interference, thermal stress, and high reliability demands.
• Control strategies for power converters must ensure precise current and voltage regulation under varying load and operational conditions.
• Site visits demonstrated industrial-scale production and operational deployment of high-performance power converters in real accelerator environments.
• Topical seminars highlighted ongoing advancements in converter technology, including efficiency improvements and fault tolerance mechanisms.