Design of a dependable interlock system for linear colliders

Abstract

For high energy accelerators, the interlock system is a key part of the machine protection. The interlock principle is to inhibit the beam either on failure of critical equipment and/or on low beam quality evaluation. The dependability of such a system is the most critical parameter. This thesis presents the design of an dependable interlock system for linear collider with an application to the CLIC (Compact Linear Collider) project. This design process is based on the IEEE 1220 standard and is is divided in four steps. First,the specifications are established, with a focus on the dependability, more precisely the reliability and the availability of the system. The second step is the design proposal based on a functional analysis, the CLIC and interfaced systems architecture. Third, the feasibility study is performed, applying the concepts in an accelerator facility. Finally, the last step is the hardware verification. Its aim is to prove that the proposed design is able to reach the requirements.