Category: Events

Project Committee #26

22 & 23 October 2020

The 26th Project Committee (PC#26) was held at Rokkasho IFERC Site on October 22nd and 23rd and by video conference. An update of the project status was presented as well as the outlook for 2021.

The main topics discussed were the progress since the last PC#25 and how the Team has adapted to the constraints imposed by the situation with the Covid-19 outbreak. The following main outcomes were reported:

  • Steady progress for the preparation of the beam commissioning at high duty cycle with a deuteron beam at 5 MeV;
  • Start of the commissioning phase of the individual systems;
  • New features to allow the remote participation access to the LIPAc beam operation.

In the frame of the new phase of the Broader Approach, the resuming of the engineering design activities for the fusion neutron source was presented with objectives for the next 5 years.

1st Fusion Neutron Source Technical Coordination Meeting

The first Fusion Neutron Source (FNS) technical coordination meeting was held on September 28-29 via videoconference. This meeting follows the EU-JA Workshop on Neutron Source Status and Technologies held under the bilateral agreement in Rokkasho on August 2019.

The objective of this virtual meeting is to further identify areas of collaboration between EU and JA for the neutron source development, and to develop the contents of the future IFMIF/EVEDA activities to be performed in the frame of the BA. In order to progress in the technical content, the FNS activities carried out or planned in EU and in JA were reviewed.

  • Workplans were jointly prepared by the EU and JA contact persons for each topic, providing technical descriptions;
  • Each workplan includes schedule and required budget;
  • Some topics may benefit from LIPAc operation, but LIPAc can only provide limited support as a test bench, and its focus remains the technical feasibility of the neutron source.
  • The strategy is under discussion for sharing the tasks and optimizing the project resources

Actions were agreed:

  • Technical description of workplans are to be further detailed for clarifying the proposed sharing and collaboration activities;
  • Expected EU and JA resources and budget will be refined and balanced, before an agreed proposal is presented to the IFMIF/EVEDA Project Leader.

A 2nd FNS technical coordination meeting is scheduled for November 2021 in Granada (Spain).

IFERC and IFMIF/EVEDA Technical Coordination Meeting on remote participation

A joint IFERC/REC and IFMIF/EVEDA Technical Coordination Meeting was held on July 28-30 via videoconference. The purpose was the following:

  • To take stock of the activities and developments performed in both IFMIF-EVEDA and IFERC projects for remote participation for LIPAc accelerator;
  • To clarify the high-level requirements for remote participation;
  • To discuss the detailed technical issues on various aspects of remote participation, and translate them into practical requirements;
  • To identify preferred solutions, agree on the hardware and software needed in data sharing, and on a distribution of tasks and responsibilities.

The plan of collaboration between REC and LIPAc will be part of a Procurement Arrangement of REC project. The expertise of IFERC team will allow LIPAc team to improve operation and maintenance. The Covid-19 outbreak has highlighted the importance to enhance the Information Technology remote system to allow support from Europe, and also to complete and improve the tools to operate and to manage efficiently the LIPAc accelerator.

In the Technical Coordination Meeting various visions, expectations and needs have been expressed. More discussion and work will be needed to share a common understanding of the high-level requirements, technical tools and preferred solutions to be developed.

This Joint coordination is the beginning of new phase which will enable us to exchange intensively to bring our projects and the Broader Approach site at the cutting edge of technology.  Remote participation systems are not just tools that can improve LIPAc operation. They are research subjects, proposing innovating concepts which will become the future standards.

Real-time information shared between QST and F4E

Second LIPAc Commissioning and Beam Operation Workshop at QST (Rokkasho)

20, 21 & 22 November 2019

During stop for the scheduled maintenance, a long-planned LIPAc Commissioning and Beam Operation workshop was organized at the Broader Approach Rokkasho site on Nov. 20-22. The workshop gathered again the LIPAc collaboration after the completion of the commissioning Phase B (5 MeV, 125 mA, D+, 0.1% DC, including the commissioning of the RFQ and buncher cavities, as well as a large part of the beam instrumentation).

Commissioning and Beam Operation workshop #02 session

The LIPAc team has been pleased to welcome Dr. M. Munoz (ESS), Prof. E. Kako (KEK) and Dr. Y. Kondo (J-PARC) to share valuable experience. During 3 days, the accelerator scientists and experts from Japan and Europe exchanged about the operational aspects of the LIPAc:

  • Status, results, outcome and achievements of the phase B
  • Difficulties and lessons learned from commissioning and operation
  • Organization of the LIPAc Unit for operation and maintenance
  • Coordination and tools for efficient operation
  • Coordination and tools for efficient maintenance

Furthermore, the steps ahead for LIPAc were addressed, including:

  • On-going preparation of the beam transport lines for Phase B+ (5 MeV, 125 mA, D+, high duty cycle)
  • Detailed definition of the phase B+ Commissioning Plan
  • Preparation of the SRF Linac cryomodule assembly

The goal of the workshop is also to strengthen the communication and team spirit among IFMIF/EVEDA collaborators who are geographically distant in Europe and Japan. The conclusions and actions identified by the chairman in each session will be gathered into an action plan.

Attendees of the Commissioning and Beam Operation workshop #02

Project Committee #24

15 & 16 October 2019

The 24th Project Committee (PC#24) was held at Rokkasho Broader Approach Site on October 15 and 16. The project status and achievements were presented as well as the outlook from phase B+ onward. The main update topics discussed were:

  • RF system improvement
  • Phase B milestone beam perveance record
  • Beam Dump installation resumed
  • Phase B end and the maintenance period start
  • Technical difficulties
  • Next objectives towards continuous wave operation
  • Objectives of High Energy Beam Transport line and Beam Dump validation
  • Long-term improvement actions
  • Preparation of the Medium Energy Beam Transport extension line
  • Status of superconducting solenoids procurement for the SRF Linac Cryomodule
  • Preparatory status for the clean room assembly of the Cryomodule

The action plan for 2020 was presented for installation, maintenance and operation.

Attendees PC#24
  • The PC members near the clean room
  • Inside the RF area

Project Committee #23

18 & 19 March 2019

The 23nd Project Committee (PC#23) was held at Rokkasho IFERC Site on March 18th and 19th, during which an update of the project status was presented as well as the outlook from 2019 onward.

The main topics discussed were the progress since the last PC#22 with the achievement of the annual maintenance campaign, the completion the HEBT and Beam Dump installation in the accelerator line and the resumption of the Beam Operation with proton beam and the first deuteron injection into the RFQ. The preparatory work for the assembly of the Cryomodule in the clean room at Rokkasho was also presented.

Attendees PC#23

The PC members in the LIPAc Control Room participating to the beam operation

Visit of the French Ambassador at Rokkasho on 12/11/2018

On November 12th, 2018, we were honored by the visit of the French Ambassador, his excellency Laurent Pic, and his delegation at Rokkasho. We were given the chance to present the activities performed at the IFERC site…

… followed by a tour focusing on the LIPAc activities. It was explained that these activities are conducted in the frame of the Broader Approach Agreement and the IFMIF/EVEDA Project. Emphasis was given to the substantial contribution from the French institute CEA being a key part of the European contribution.

The “Francophone” working at Rokkasho were given the opportunity to share their experience about living in the north of Japan and working in this international partnership.

The ambassador was favourably impressed by the activities ongoing at Rokkasho under the European – Japanese collaboration and confirmed the strong interest of France in this project.

Before leaving, he promised that he will come back soon to learn more about the progress in the commissioning of the accelerator systems.

Project Committee #22    

15 & 16 October 2018

The 22nd Project Committee was held at Rokkasho IFERC Site on October 15th and 16th, during which an update of the project was presented as well as the outlook from 2019 onward.

The main topics discussed were the progress since the last PC#21 with the first Beam Operation, the imminent resuming of the beam operation throught the RFQ and the preparation for the phase C with the delivery of the High Energy Beam Transport line and its Beam Dump as well as the assembly of the Cryomodule in the clean room at Rokkasho.

Attendees PC#22

The PC members in the LIPAc Control Room

LIPAc operation broadcast LIVE online

On 27 July 2018, from 4pm JST (9am CEST) a special broadcasting took place from LIPAc’s control room, with explanations, interviews to the LIPAc Operation Team staff about the different subsystems and the operational aspects. The engineers from Europe were also interviewed and presented their own institutes and expectations for the future.

http://live.nicovideo.jp/gate/lv314610330

Phase B configuration (stage at 5 MeV with deuterons and 2.5 MeV with protons)