Knowing Hilumiers
Knowing HiLumiers is a project in which many members of the HiLumi LHC, past and present, were interviewed to gain an insight into the people of the project.
WP6B Warm Powering Bees
New power converters are required to power the new superconducting magnets of the HL-LHC. WP6B bees work on the delivery of those systems that will ensure very high availability in order to maximize the overall machine efficiency.
The day-to-day of these bees includes dealing with new operational power converters (18kA, 14kA and 6kA converters), also with 4-quadrant converters. WP6B bees will design, manufacture, test and install the new power converters in the existing LHC and in the new HL-LHC underground galleries.
These bees are working conjointly with bees from WP3, WP6A, WP7 and WP15.
Find out more about Warm Powering
Michele Martino
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Pasolini, one of Michele’s favourite film directors, once said that “the best in life are the past, the present and the future”. Michele is clear about this. “If you do not live with your mind in the past, the past only enriches you. And if you do not worry too much about the future, that is when you can really enjoy what is coming which, in fact, you cannot foresee”.
It reminds him of the Latin locution, carpe diem. This hymn to the present was conceived by the Roman poet Horace. Although Michele was born in Naples, both he and the ancient poet grew up in the region of Basilicata, in Southern Italy. A region, whose most representative town, Matera, was designated as the European Capital of Culture in 2019. No wonder Michele misses the energy of that place, its flavours, its colours and the beauty that surrounds it.
At the age of 19, he returned to Naples to study electronics engineering at Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II. Founded in 1224 by the emperor from whom it takes its name, it is the oldest state and secular university in the world. There too, Michele reoriented his career and got his PhD in electrical engineering, majoring in electrical and electronics measurement.
After an internship at CERN in 2006 and almost a year and a half working at his alma mater, Michele became a CERNie during the summer of 2010. At first, he worked with sensor and analogue circuit design, modelling and simulation. Since 2017, Michele has been in charge of WP6B, which deals with all aspects related to the warm powering of the HL-LHC.
Being part of CERN means being at many different frontiers of technology, which implies constant challenges. “There is always something you have to scratch your head about to find a solution and a new way to approach the problem”, says Michele, for whom this atmosphere is very interesting and moving.
He is not very inclined to dream big. He belongs to the carpe diem team. Perhaps, when he grows up, he will devote himself to yoga and aikidō, two of his great passions. Perhaps then he will be able to devote more time and energy to these practices that pursue vital harmony and union with our present.
“An incitement not to worry about the unknown future”, in Michele’s words. As simple as that. As difficult as that.
Irene Garcia Obrero / CERN 2020