Fast Reactors and Accelerator Driven Systems Knowledge Base

Conference Article: High power accelerator developments at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

Abstract

The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory currently operates a pulsed 200 µA, 800 MeV rapid cycling proton synchrotron accelerator. The laboratory is actively engaged in research and development of accelerator systems for high power pulsed and CW machines. In particular, the Laboratory is involved in the design of accelerators and compressor rings for the European Spallation Source (ESS). This is a pulsed (50 Hz) source of neutrons for material science research with an average power of 5 MW at an energy of 1.33 GeV. The R&D for this project includes the design and production of a prototype of the low energy acceleration section. This prototype consists of (sequentially) a high intensity negative ion source (H-), a low energy beam transport system (LEBT), a 280 MHz radio frequency quadrupole accelerator (RFQ) and a drift tube linear accelerator (DTL). The prototype will produce a chopped beam of 60 mA at an energy of 20 MeV. With the completion of a second (identical) system, the technologies of funneling - where beams from the two systems can be combined in an RF structure - will be studied and prototyping undertaken. To accomplish this scheme, the technology of beam chopping is also being studied and will be part of the R&D prototype system. Although the project is at an early stage, a pre-prototype RFQ accelerator is being constricted, primarily as an upgrade to ISIS, but also to test design ideas appropriate to the design of the higher power RFQ, for which engineering and thermal studies are currently underway.

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Reference:

Proceedings of an Advisory Group meeting held inTaejon, Republic of Korea, 1–4 November 1999

International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

IAEA-TECDOC--1365, pp:65-69