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PM reportInternational MICE programme

• Principal deliverables• Schedule summary• Schedule considerations and drivers• Status of SS, RFCC and EMR, LH2 & LiH absorbers• Conclusion

• Acknowledgements to Steve Gourlay, Ruslan Asfandiayarov, Alan Bross

Andy Nichols, STFC, MICE OsC, 5-11-12

Principal deliverables

• EMR (Electron Muon Ranger)• UNIGE responsibility, changes to fibre spec this year, in

manufacture, no reported difficulties, delivery Q2 2013

• SS (Spectrometer solenoids)• Recent difficulty with cold mass heater controls, leaking PRV and

blocked vent lines. Being reviewed presently, significant delay, major concern, delivery Q3, 2013

• RFCC (Radio Frequency Coupling module)• Cryostat/cold mass parts now in manufacture at LBNL, very good

news – assembly plan for all three magnets in US is advanced but not complete. Cavities are being electro-polished

• Bad leak on LHe cooling pipes for first coil, has delayed testing at FNAL

• Planned RFCC delivery now consistent with MICE Step VI in 2018

• Other international equipment is now covered by M&O• But owners are still engaged, eg INFN for TOF/KL & UMISS for

cKOV

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Principal deliverables

• Liquid hydrogen absorber vessel #2• Required for MICE Step V• In manufacture at KEK, update probably required

• LiH absorber• US responsibility – has been complete for sometime• MOU between US & UK has been generated; is on way to SPO for

UK signature• When this is done, risk assessment for acceptance can begin

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STEP IVSubsystem Date

Spectrometer solenoid #1 + #2 Q3 2013Fibre tracker #1 + #2 ReadyFocus coil #1 Nov ’12

LH2 system A TBC

Solid absorber(s) TBCLiquid absorber ReadyDiffuser ReadyVirostek plate & TOF cage assy

Ready

Substation upgrade ReadyEMR installation Q2’13Radiation shutter ReadyAFC Moving platform #1 Ready

SS platforms Installation Ready

Magnetic shielding plan TBC

Step IV ready Q2, 2014

Principal Schedule drivers and concerns

• As usual, the major deliverables are the main influence:• Spectrometer solenoids

• Recent delay with vent line blockage and heater controls• Training behaviour is clearly a schedule and resource/staffing issue

– Magnetic shielding• Work underway on default global plan for Step IV• But local return yoke is being engineered in parallel• MICE will need a branch point in early/mid 2013• Cannot discuss Step IV schedule implications of return yoke now

– Coupling magnets• Manufacturing plan is now much more robust• Plan out to Steps V & VI will be a close match with UK flat funding profile

Spectrometer solenoid status

Spectrometer Solenoids, progress since March 2012– 1st magnet

• Assembled with modifications• Pump down commenced in mid-March• Cooldown started in mid-May• Issues with

– Power supply controls (after much work decided to control by hand)

– Helium supply – ordered through FNAL» Somewhat regular schedule achieved by mid-June

• Magnet retrained but was making steady progress• Problem with HTS lead on July 4

– Subsequently discovered that it had burned out during last quench

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Spectrometer solenoid status

• Warmed up and HTS Lead replaced– Careful examination of the data revealed that there had been a

problem (small resistance) in previous tests– During the subsequent cooldown, two other leads were observed to

have a similar but much smaller resistance,

• Testing recommenced in early August– Pump down went much more quickly!– Power supplies operated in manual mode

• Retraining more or less as before

• On September 17, magnet reached full operating current

• On the 18th, the coldmass heater switched off over night, with no indicator/warning from the control system

• – AN comment: important to note that manual control was specified in agreement between LBNL and DL controls group

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Spectrometer solenoid status

• Without the heater operating, the cold mass pressure dropped to 0.41 bar, and air leaked into the system through one of the relief valves, resulting in an ice blockage in the vent lines.  

• Several options were explored– Attempts to clear blocked vents failed– Cryocooler was removed to create new vent

• Inputs were solicited on how to proceed from an international group of magnet and cryogenic experts

• Given that– We had not completed the 24 hour hold at current– There were two suspect HTS leads– There were concerns about quenching the magnet with possible ice in the coldmass– MICE management insists that the Controls Monitoring and Alarms be fully functional in

order for the magnet to be considered operational

• We decided to warm up and fix all the problems at once• HTS leads• Review controls

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Spectrometer Solenoid 1 Training History

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0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 160

50

100

150

200

250

300

Training from 8/16 – 9/17

272 A

Note on second magnet

• Under construction at Wang NMR• Cold mass is in vessel, awaiting cold mass supports• Work has been suspended due to budget constraints but restarted at

beginning of US FY (October)• Wang are exploring ways to work in parallel with magnet #1• Effort availability, as ever, is the main issue here

• Decision taken to ship both magnets at once – makes planning simpler on both sides• Sea/surface is default plan, schedule based on this• If air transport proves affordable (it isn’t now), this might be a way to

advance schedule

• But it’s not all bad news:• Magnet #1 has performed at design current (270 amps)• Thermal performance is exemplary and fully up to the design spec• A lot has been learned that can be carried over to magnet #2 and the

FC

RFCC/Coupling magnets

• Focus is on preparations for test of first cold mass• Facility at FNAL is making

good progress• Leak in cooling tubes, pretty

serious, but work underway• Difficulty meeting FNAL

pressurised system directive• Order for cryostat/cold mass

componentry is placed with LBNL workshops

• Review of remaining coil winding work in China in December

Cooling Pipe Leak

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Problem with leaky cooling tubeJust below LHe reservoir

Future Plans/Schedule

• Now have the first resource-loaded schedule integrated with the UK effort– Assumes a constrained budget profile, based on US DOE guidance– Matches reasonably to the RAL schedule (some slack is present, consistent

with the novel nature of the cooling channel magnets and RF)– Further iteration may be necessary as budget discussions evolve and

interaction with the RAL schedule are further evaluated

• Cryostat parts fab started October 2012 at LBNL

• Coil winding review at Qi Huan (December 2012)

• Complete testing of first coil cold mass is a key milestone (late March 2013)

• Following initial testing of 1st cold mass, proceed with winding 3 more coils at Qi Huan (2nd coil at LBNL September 2013)

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Progress with EMR

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Expect construction to be complete in 3 monthsDelivery to RAL Q2 2013Full time electrical technician starts at UNIGE in December

Liquid and solid absorbers

• Liquid absorber #1 has been unpacked• Very rudimentary check with FC done• One pipe might need to ‘persuaded’• Handling/insertion tool required• No major worries…..

• Lithium hydride absorber holder is complete• As is absorber itself• MOU for delivery is underway• Plan is to run with LiH before LH2• In a way this defines the LH2

commissioning timetable

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Conclusion

• The enforced delay to Step IV is very unfortunate.• Motivating the team during the hiatus will be difficult• The proximity of the long ISIS shutdown is now quite awkward

• But we now have a better idea of reconciling aspirations with available resources; much work done by Ken, Alan and US counterparts

• In line with the above, 2018 could be a realistic aspiration for Step VI

• It’s clear that concentrating the right level of engineering effort in the right place for as long as it takes brings results – need to apply across the project

• And a major deliverable, FC#1, is now at RAL!