Together with 13 member countries and 40 In-Kind Partners we have made considerable advancement on the ESS Road To Science this year. Here are some of the highlights.
Accelerator
Beam in the Normal Conducting Linac
With DTL RF conditioning out of the way, Beam Commissioning to DTL4 was completed in July 2023, sending beams of protons from the Ion Source to the Faraday Cup after Drift Tube Linac 4.
Installation of DTL5
The fifth and final Drift Tube Linac was put in place and the DTL Control system was made ready for commissioning. DTL5 completed the installations for the Normal Conducting Linac.
Cryomodules and magnets for the Superconducting Linac
A second cooldown of the Cryogenic Distribution System included the two cryomodules part of a pilot installation (operational conditions with a temperature of 2 Kelvin was achieved!).
Series installation of the 13 spoke cryomodules was completed and is well under way for the elliptical cryomodules.
In the ESS on-site Test Stand, 12 of the elliptical cryomodules have been tested and made ready for installation. For the Beam on Target milestone, 9 medium beta and 5 high beta cryomodules are required.
A particle-free coupler exchange on a medium beta cryomodule was successfully executed.
All 13 spoke Linac Warm Units were put in place with installations within a cleanroom confinement now in the final stages.
Controls for the Accelerator
The Timing System for the Superconducting Linac became operational.
Final integration tests for the Machine Protection System were completed.
The Oxygen Deficiency Hazard (ODH) system was validated and ready for operations.
With the Personnel Safety System (PSS) fully commissioned for the Normal Conducting Linac, the PSS expansion for the entire linac, including a second access station in the HEBT loading bay and zone gates, progressed.
Radio-Frequency (RF) Power Sources
All 26 RF power stations are in place in the Spoke section of the gallery with full power tests ongoing.
All medium beta RF cells are fully populated with two modulators and eight klystrons per cell and with waveguides connected and tests ongoing.
High beta cell population is ongoing and in-situ power tests have started.
The end of the tunnel: Accelerator to Target
A raster system and magnets are in place at the end of the tunnel.
The first dipole bending magnet was installed.
Dumpline magnets and vacuum chambers have been installed, as well as infrastructure and water cooling.
Target
Target Monolith – the heart of ESS
The installation of inner shielding blocks was completed – this comprises 1,000 tons of stainless steel and an extensive piping system.
Flushing of cooling channels and rewelds were completed for all cooling blocks.
The connection ring was installed with all vessel-internal pipes in place, and circumferential piping started.
A vacuum test of the full Monolith confinement was successfully completed.
The target wheel, shaft, drive unit and helium rotary unit as well as the moderator were subject to extensive testing in the Target Mock-Up and Test Stand – this included a 1,000 hours spinning test of the wheel.
The Target Wheel and Moderator were installed into the Monolith vessel – and we made a video to celebrate and explain the significance of this important milestone.
The Target Monitoring Plug, including measurement plugs, was permanently installed.
Where the target meets the instruments
All 42 beam ports surrounding the Target have been equipped with a Neutron Beam Port Insert (16) or a Port Plug (26) and fitted with a Neutron Beam Window.
The Light Shutter System was installed for each active beam port, and the system was commissioned.
Optics Assembly for the Bridge Beam Guides started.
Target Systems Cooling
A lead bunker for delay tanks for the cooling system was installed, and the Primary and Intermediate cooling systems were commissioned.
Preparations were made for the upcoming installation of Helium Circulators.
System commissioning of the Cryogenic Moderator System is in progress.
Activity in the Active Cells
With the Telbot manipulator system in place, remote handling test operations and training started in the Active Cells, using the new local control room.
All waste storage pit lids were put in place in the maintenance cell.
Instruments
We built the scientific caves for:
ODIN, ESTIA, SKADI, MAGIC and the Test Beamline.
Adding to the already built caves for LOKI, DREAM, BIFROST and NMX.
Neutron guide systems were installed along the beamlines for: BEER, NMX, DREAM and ODIN.
LOKI
The very first detector system installation at ESS took place inside the LOKI detector vessel.
The collimation vessel and the sample area were subject to installations. In-bunker installations started. Infrastructure and cable pulling were substantially completed.
ESTIA
The Selene guide supermirrors were installed and tested.
A control hutch was built.
SKADI
The sample area cave was built and equipped with a roof hatch and internal boron-coated panels.
In-bunker neutron guides and a heavy shutter were installed.
Choppers
The first fast triplet chopper, for instrument MAGIC, was produced and tested in-house.