Thermal design and performance of cryocatcher for BRing-S

Abstract

The cryocatcher serves as a crucial apparatus for mitigating the dynamic vacuum effects within a superconducting synchrotron. In anticipation of the stringent beam collimation demands imposed by the high-intensity beam operation in the forthcoming BRing-S project, a prototype cryocatcher has been meticulously designed and fabricated. This study is dedicated to an in-depth examination of the thermal design and cryogenic performance of the cryocatcher. A comprehensive thermodynamic model has been developed to facilitate finite element analysis and numerical simulations of the heat transfer mechanisms inherent in its critical components, including the target block, tension rods, thermal shield, beam chamber and bellows, the structure was optimized based on simulation results to minimize heat leakage. Additionally, this work systematically summarizes the thermal loads encountered at various temperature regimes. The cryocatcher subsequently underwent cooling tests, the results of which corroborate that the thermal design aligns with the predefined performance benchmarks. Consequently, this study has accumulated relevant experience for the subsequent formal research on cryocatcher and laid a foundation for the future online operation of cryocatcher.