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MICE PSAGPM report

• Brief overview• Re-planning the project• Solenoids, decay and spectrometer• Open issues and worries

Andy Nichols, STFC, PSAG, 5/5/10

Overview

• Most detail has been covered in open session:• Infrastructure at RAL in R5.2 is ready for Step II• And mostly ready for Step III• Target development is going very well, working ISIS target continues to

give reliable service• Decay solenoid has been disabled since January, has delayed Step I

data-taking – more later• FC #1 manufacture is progressing, but delayed six months – given

other problems, not a worry• Coupling coil contract has been signed in China• RF cavity production well on schedule – major success• Difficulties with spectrometer solenoid – this is the major influence on

the project schedule just now• No real progress with 2MVA substation upgrade• Diffuser is ready to assemble• PPS implementation complete by September• First EMR planes delivered by July

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MICE Schedule as of Sept 2009

Sep-Dec 2009STEP I

Q2/Q3 2010

Q4 2010 -> 2011

STEP II

STEP IV 2011

STEP V2012

STEP VI

2013

STEP III/III.1

Run date:

This is where we hoped to be NOW

Re-planning the project

• All the ingredients for Step II are in place, except Spectrometer solenoid – see Mike’s talk

• Installation crew, facilities and UK costed plan were geared towards solenoid arrival in Q2 2010

• This is will not happen – major upheaval.......

• So we have to re-define the FY 10/11 project

• Important that we:• Preserve the well-motivated staff

• Use the time sensibly

• Mitigate future technical risks by doing work in advance

• Presently we are planning to bring forward:• Liquid hydrogen pipe & valve work, vent system and safety case work

• RF power infrastructure work in R5.2

• Possibility to advance second LBL RF amplifier, either at DL or RAL

• New plan is ‘work in progress’

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Planning the project

LH2 system:– Problem is we held up

design work in 09/10

– Now need to do it quickly

– So we can start hands-on work ASAP

– If we start design now, hope to be done early Summer

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High level vents

Hydride Bed and Gas Panel Enclosure

Location of absorbers in the MICE beamline

Planning the project

For the RF:– We can do a lot

– Locating the major components in R5.2

– Amplifiers

– Loads

– Waveguides

– Cooling and power infrastructure

– Large design job

– Well worth investing a year of effort now

– But again, it’s design work to do before the hands-on

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Solenoids

Decay solenoid summary:– He compressor shaft seals suspected for N2 leakage

– Whole compressor exchanged in March

– Failed....turned out we NEVER had He compatible seals fitted

– They are being fitted today

– In parallel, large leaks discovered on cold box pipe/valve and turbo compressors – are being rectified now, much more likely to be the smoking gun

Risks & mitigation– Step I schedule in June/July user run now at risk

– Might have to do concentrated run in that period and take a construction ‘holiday’ – need to know around June 1st

– MICE must become more self-reliant in cryogenic matters, not impressed with the industry support we’ve had, cryogenics grad engineer starts Sept 2010

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Solenoids

Spectrometer solenoid summary– Magnet #2 has embedded open circuit in LTS leads between turret

& cold mass – bad– Need to withdraw cold mass to repair– Quicker to revert to magnet #1, presently in pieces– Golden opportunity to start afresh with QA procedures, thermal

understanding, documentation, detail design, etc– Very important that we stop and think, review committee meets 10th

May– Thermal margin being understood:

• At 4K measured heat load is around 6 watts• But we have a cooling power of about 4.5 watts• Understanding this is part of above process

– BUT we might have to face up to five CCRs instead of three per magnet

• Futile to discuss detail schedule till after reviewers have met

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Open Issues & Worries

• Spectrometer solenoid is clearly our biggest worry this year:• Need to stop and calmly take stock:

– Understand thermal imbalance and current lead failures– Is it a design or an execution/QA problem?– When we’ve done that, decide on a course of action (review

committee meets 10th May)– Design and manufacturing processes might have to be re-visited– Only then should we assess the schedule implications– Believe it’s critically important that manpower is reinforced in this

area• Several concrete leads being followed up by LBL

– Very important that we carry this process forward through the other S/C magnet subsystems in a collaborative way – we do not know if we’re working with a flawed concept or not.

– Hope the new person’s terms of ref allow this

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Open Issues & Worries

• 2MVA upgrade – important that we keep up the momentum:– No clear message received on the status – still need it for Step

III/IV - increasingly moves to Step III, as five CCRs per magnet very likely

• Pre-integration space at RAL– Permission received to occupy half of R9, but wait till cladding

is completed

• Engineering integration:– We had a narrow escape with the Focus coil/absorber

interface – cost us £20K and six months for a only a minor mod

– Integration engineer is planned in – Jason Tarrant

– But MICE has to invent a way of sharing design drawings and data – that’s my problem!

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