Monday 22 August 2016

The Beginning is the End is the Beginning

Ready to roll!
On Friday 12 August 2016, the Oxford 400 MHz superconducting magnet known as Echo was quenched to make way for a new generation of magnet (video of the quench can be found here).  With the aid of a pallet jack and a forklift, she was then dismantled and transported to a workshop to prepare for the next stage of her life: dissection and display as a teaching aid to students and researchers alike.

Even empty she weighs in at 320kg,
so care must be taken when moving!









According to written records of two previous attempts at dissecting similar vintage magnets in the US and Japan, the process of opening up the outer shell (stainless steel) with an angle grinder could take up to ten hours.  

To be continued...







Stay tuned as we slowly peel back the layers and gain a privileged and rarely enjoyed view of the heart of a superconducting magnet.

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