A redesigned superconducting magnet storage system at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory is expected to save about $420,000 while increasing storage capacity for equipment needed in a future particle accelerator.
The four-tier structure can hold up to 45,000 pounds of magnets in a limited space. It was developed by Robert Desjardins, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), during a 10-week summer internship.
The design will help Brookhaven store about 80 magnets that will be removed from its Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The equipment is intended for reuse in the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a next-generation accelerator expected to begin operations in the mid-2030s.
Each superconducting magnet is about 20 feet long and weighs more than 10,000 pounds. The new stands increase storage capacity from three magnets to four per structure without requiring additional floor space.
Four levels increase capacity
The original storage stands were designed in the 1990s to hold three magnets. Brookhaven needed a taller structure that could accommodate an additional magnet while meeting load-bearing and safety requirements.
Desjardins redesigned the stands using computer-aided engineering models, reviewed existing construction plans and worked with manufacturers to evaluate the proposed structure.
“The original stands were designed in the 1990s and could only hold three of the magnets at the time. They wanted to increase the capacity to four,” Desjardins said.
The redesign also required extensive simulations to evaluate structural strength, load tolerance and seismic performance. These checks were intended to determine whether the stands can safely support the heavy equipment even under seismic forces.
Desjardins worked with Brookhaven mechanical engineer Jonathon Greene, an RIT graduate, who oversaw the project. According to Greene, the revised design reduced costs while increasing the height of the storage system.
“Rob reduced the cost of the original design while increasing the height, saving us approximately $420,000,” Greene said in a Brookhaven article.
The savings reported relate to the redesign of the storage rack. The information provided does not indicate how the savings were calculated nor does it provide independent verification of the figure.
Preparing for future collisions
The RHIC at Brookhaven has been in operation for more than 26 years, allowing scientists to study matter in extreme conditions. Some of its superconducting magnets will be retained for the new Electron-Ion Collider rather than thrown away.
The EIC is being developed to study the internal structure of protons and atomic nuclei. It will collide electrons with ions and allow researchers to study how quarks and gluons behave in matter.
Preservation of existing magnets is part of the lab’s preparation for the transition between the two facilities. The redesigned stands provide storage space for equipment before it is reused.
During development, Desjardins presented design updates to Brookhaven engineers and scientists and answered questions about material selection, safety reviews and simulation results.
A prototype of the four-tiered stand was also documented by Brookhaven. However, the material supplied does not prove that all the required stands were manufactured or that the entire inventory of approximately 80 magnets was stored.
The project demonstrates how a relatively simple structural redesign can increase storage density and reduce infrastructure costs while supporting the construction of a large scientific facility.
