Cryogenics Around the 11.7 T MRI Iseult Magnet

As part of the Iseult/Inumac project, the development of a 500 MHz whole body MRI magnet has been launched in 2006. This magnet with a central field of 11.7 T in a warm bore of 900 mm has outstanding specifications with respect to usual MRI systems. The normal operation of this magnet will need the construction of a cryoplant able to cool its superconducting coils with pressurized HeII 1.8 K. A helium liquefier and 4.2 K/1.8 K refrigeration stage will be installed in the vicinity of the magnet. Before that, a magnet test facility (Seht-??station d´essais huit teslas??) installed at CEA/Saclay has been built in order to validate technical and control-process aspects during all operating phases: cooling down, nominal operation, quench event. The cryogenic system has been designed according to the principles foreseen for Iseult. The facility integration, commissioning, and operating results will be presented. The design of the final cryogenic installation for Iseult magnet, adapted to the facility experiences, is previously described.