Speaker
Description
Modern accelerator facilities like the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) demand highly reliable and maintainable control system infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted operation and rapid fault recovery. To meet these requirements, LCLS has implemented a centralized, standardized low-voltage DC (LVDC) power distribution architecture that supports mission-critical subsystems, including vacuum controls, system PLCs, and other essential control components. The architecture features dual-voltage distribution—24V DC for PLCs and select vacuum systems, and 48V DC for powering motors. At its core are intelligent DC circuit breakers that offer integrated protection, real-time monitoring, and remote control. These breakers are integrated with IOCs (Input/Output Controllers) and are fully manageable via the EPICS control system. This integration enables remote power cycling, fault isolation, and system recovery without requiring physical access, significantly improving uptime and maintainability. The standardized LVDC infrastructure reduces system complexity and supports modular scalability. Integrating with the control system enables advanced diagnostics and continuous monitoring. This talk will review the current LVDC implementation at LCLS, explore the challenges involved in designing DC systems for new applications, and outline planned enhancements and future developments.
