Key components of the Prototype Accelerator installed

The arrival of major accelerator components from Europe in Japan has opened a new chapter for the IFMIF/EVEDA project of the Broader Approach Agreement. The start of the new commissioning phase of the Linear IFMIF Prototype Accelerator (LIPAc), is seen as a step forward in terms of its design validation and expected to boost the expectations of the fusion community vis à vis this facility.

LIPAc, is designed to run a deuteron beam of 125 mA at 9 MeV in a continuous wave. This powerful accelerator will reach 1.1 MW beam power. Therefore, do not be fooled by its small size! CEA, CIEMAT, INFN and SCK-CEN are among its main contributors investing their extensive expertise in the design and manufacturing of its systems. The prototype accelerator will deploy cutting-edge technologies and operate in unprecedented beam conditions. Its injector, developed by CEA, has demonstrated that the deuterium beam can reach unprecedented characteristics between (100 keV, >100 mA). With the help of the Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) developed by INFN, the beam energy will increase by a factor of 50.

To celebrate the commissioning of the accelerator’s injector together with the first phase of installation of the RFQ and the Radio Frequency power generator, representatives from the policy and scientific communities from Europe and Japan visited the facility and witnessed the process on-site. The presence of delegates from all European countries that have been involved in the IFMIF/EVEDA project can be read as an expression of their commitment to the project and as a token of appreciation for this technical milestone.

So what is next? In the course of the year, the injector will undergo further upgrades in order to operate in a continuous wave mode. In parallel, the preparation activities for the beam commissioning with the RFQ, the Medium Energy Beam Transport (MBET), a beam shaping device, and the Diagnostic Plate (DP), an assembly of instruments to conduct measurements, will move forward.

The RFQ, currently under installation at Rokkasho, is the longest one ever constructed. Six out of the eight RF power chains produced by CIEMAT have been installed and are able to deliver 200 kW each to operate the RFQ. The remaining two chains will arrive before summer. The installation of the Medium Energy Beam Transport with the Radio Frequency amplifier and the Diagnostic Plate is ongoing and is expected to be completed by September.