°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility
The SPIDER beam source (photo) at the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility in Padua, Italy, is the world's most powerful negative ion source. © Luca Lotto
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's most powerful external heating system—neutral beam injection—will be tested in advance of operation at the Neutral Beam Test Facility (NBTF) in Padua, Italy.
Although neutral beam injection is routinely used for plasma heating in fusion devices, the size of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ imposes enhanced requirements: particle beams have to be much thicker, for example, and individual particles have to be much faster in order to travel far into the core of the plasma. The Neutral Beam Test Facility offers scientists the opportunity to investigate challenging physics and technology issues and validate concepts before the neutral beam system is installed on °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ.
Neutral beam injection relies on beams of high-speed, high-energy atoms that penetrate into the plasma, initiating collisions and transferring their energy. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ will be equipped with two heating neutral beam injectors (with a provision of a third injector) and a neutral beam line for diagnostic purposes. The injectors will be capable of operating for up to 3600 seconds, each delivering deuterium beams of 16.5 MW with particle energies of 1 MeV.
Challenging negative ion technology
Neutral beams are formed through the acceleration and subsequent neutralization of ions—typically positive ions, but at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ power levels and speeds the positive ions become difficult to neutralize. The negative ion technology chosen for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ neutral beam injection offers much higher neutralization efficiency, however the negative ions are significantly harder to handle during production and acceleration.
Creating reliable high energy neutral beams at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ parameters, from a negative ion source, will require a large jump in technology. Some of the critical challenges include:
- Extracting a 40A negative ion beam from a large-size radiofrequency source;
- Accelerating the negative ion beam to 1 MeV with accurate beam optics;
- Developing high-voltage, gas-insulated transmission lines to connect the power supply to the beam source;
- Holding high voltage (1 MV) over pulses of 3,600 seconds;
- Developing diagnostics to monitor the source.
R&D programs in Japan and Europe have been instrumental over the last decade in helping to close the gap between current technology and what is needed for the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ neutral beam program. The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ source is based on a radio-frequency-driven negative ion source that has been evolving over several generations of prototypes at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Garching, Germany. Since 2009 IPP's negative source —half the size of what is projected for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ—has been a valuable source of experimental data as technological solutions have been tried, tested and advanced. (The ELISE R&D program is financed by the European Domestic Agency as a voluntary contribution to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ neutral beam program.)
The next step is a facility that can achieve the challenging requirements for the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ neutral beam system in terms of power, energy, and pulse length simultaneously. The Neutral Beam Test Facility—launched in 2012 after the approval of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Council—has been strongly endorsed by the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization and the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ parties involved in the development of the neutral beam injectors, namely Europe and Japan for the in-kind contribution of the heating neutral beam injectors, and India for the diagnostic neutral beam.
Two test stands for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ
The 17,500 m² NBTF building at Consorzio RFX in Padua houses two neutral beam test stands for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ:
SPIDER is an °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ-scale negative ion source designed to achieve all ion source requirements.
MITICA is a full-size 1 MV heating neutral beam injector, capable of full acceleration voltage and power.
The components designed for the Neutral Beam Test Facility are the same components that °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ will be using on its heating neutral beams in °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ, which will allow the neutral beam teams to acquire valuable information about neutral beam manufacturability and operation.
- Europe has contributed all SPIDER and MITICA mechanical components (including beam sources and accelerators); the SPIDER power supply (excluding the acceleration grid and power supply provided by India); the MITICA low-voltage power supply and high-voltage deck; plant auxiliaries (cooling, vacuum and gas injection systems, insulating SF6 gas handling and storage plant, cryogenic plant); instrumentation and control; and finally diagnostics;
- India has provided the calorimeter and the acceleration grid power supply for SPIDER;
- Japan has provided high voltage components for the 1 MV power supply system of MITICA (including the megavolt bushing, the megavolt transmission line and the high voltage part of the megavolt power supply);
- Italy has provided buildings, auxiliaries and the power grid. Consorzio RFX, as host, is providing expertise through a large contribution to manpower.
Neutral Beam Test Facility facts:
- Location: Consorzio RFX, Padua, Italy
- Construction: 2012-2015
- SPIDER timeline: start of operation (June 2018); first beam (June 2019)
- MITICA timeline: design concluded early 2016; beam source manufacturing 2018-2023; component installation underway
- Construction phase agreement: European Domestic Agency, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, Italy
- Voluntary component contributions: Europe, Japan, India
- Operation phase agreement: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, Consorzio RFX
- SPIDER stands for "Source for the Production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from a Radiofrequency plasma"
- MITICA stands for "Megavolt °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Injector and Concept Advancement"
Photo Gallery
Capturing the non-neutrals
2024-11-20 - The electrostatic residual ion dump (ERID) is delivered for the MITICA testbed by TECHNALIA-AVS. ERID panels will capture non-neutralized ions during acceleration so that a beam of neutral particles can penetrate the magnetic field. ©Consorzio RFX
MITICA neutralizer arrives
2024-10-11 - TECHNALIA and AVS are collaborating to manufacture and deliver key components for MITICA under contract with the European Domestic Agency Fusion for Energy. Pictured is the delivery of the neutralizer that will remove the electrical charge of the particles to create "neutrals" that can be injected into the plasma to increase its temperature.
ELISE achieves target values for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ
2024-04-29 - Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Garching, Germany, have generated the ion current densities required for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ neutral beam injection on the ELISE testbed—a negative ion source prototype that is half the size of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's. This experimental first is good news for the development of reliable, high-performance heating neutral beam injectors for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ. See more at /newsline/-/4032.
SPIDER re-assembly underway
2024-02-09 - Assembly of the beam source at Consorzio RFX. In the background is the SPIDER bunker. © Maria Teresa Orlando
2024-02-09 - A close-up view of four of SPIDER's eight radiofrequency drivers, each one surrounded by a ferromagnetic shield. © Luca Lotto
After upgrades, SPIDER set to restart
2024-02-09 - The SPIDER beam source is the world's most powerful negative ion source. It was removed in December 2021 for engineering upgrades, and has now been re-installed in the vacuum vessel of the SPIDER test bed at Consorzio RFX. © Luca Lotto See: /newsline/-/3994
Back side
2024-02-09 - The rear side of the ion beam source is visible before final assembly. © Luca Lotto
Lifting
2024-02-09 - The beam source is lifted for re-installation. During the shutdown there were approximately 60 procurements for new or revised components for beam source enhancement. © Luca Lotto
Advancing R&D for neutral beam injection
2023-10-27 - A cooperation agreement signed in 2020 between the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, Consorzio RFX (host to the test facility) and EUROfusion formalized the involvement of European experts in the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility. In October 2023, some of these experts were at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ.
Neutral beam experts at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ
2023-10-26 - On 26 and 27 October 2023, EUROfusion experts working to support the R&D for the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ neutral beam injection system at Consorzio RFX and IPP Garching meet at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ. Each one presents research updates in poster form.
A team from IPP (Germany) visits the facility
2023-09-13 - Engineers and physicists from the Neutral Beam Injection Group at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics together with members of the Neutral Beam Test Facility Team in the experimental hall. At IPP, two test facilities have for years been supporting the development of the radio-frequency-driven ion source for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ neutral beam injection.
Inside the MITICA bunker
2023-09-13 - Inside of the MITICA bunker with the vacuum vessel on the right and the last part of the 1MV transmission line in blue. When it enters operation, MITICA will be a 1:1-scale °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ neutral beam injector, the first to operate at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ requirements (up to the full acceleration voltage of 1 MV and full power of 16.5 MW.
MITICA cryopump passes site acceptance tests
2023-03-12 - These huge panels coated with charcoal are part of the cryopump that will allow high vacuum to be created in the full-size °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ neutral beam injector MITICA (part of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility in Padua, Italy.) See more at: /newsline/-/3856
Final assembly and testing for MITICA cryopump
2022-10-22 - European Domestic Agency contractor SDMS (France) is completing the final mounting and testing of the MITICA cryopump's two pumping assemblies, which consist of frames with 32 pumping sections each. In this photo, technicians are positioning one pumping section. © SDMS
MITICA beam source: 90% complete
2022-06-02 - The European Domestic Agency Fusion for Energy (F4E) is procuring the beam source for MITICA. Composed of a radio frequency ion source and a seven-grid accelerator, the beam source is being assembled at ALSYMEX (Tarbes, France) from components produced at approximately 20 European companies. © F4E
In the clean room at ALSYMEX
2022-06-01 - Segments of the MITICA beam source accelerator components prior to being assembled at ALSYMEX. May 2022 © ALSYMEX
MITICA advancing
2022-04-15 - Workers verify MITICA accelerator components at ALSYMEX. April 2022 © F4E
One-year engineering shutdown for SPIDER
2021-12-15 - The SPIDER testbed is now entering an engineering upgrade phase. During a one-year shutdown, improved diagnostics and other upgrades will be installed to allow for future testing at full intensity and for the required duration—1000 seconds for hydrogen, and one hour for deuterium.
Maintenance period begins for SPIDER
2021-12-15 - The SPIDER ion source is removed in December 2021 from the vacuum vessel and concrete bunker for engineering maintenance. Photo courtesy of Consorzio RFX
Testing operation in cesium
2021-12-15 - One of the highlights of SPIDER's first campaign was operation in cesium. (Cesium is used as a catalyst to get negative ions out of hydrogen using a technique that has been known for years but never tested on a large-scale ion source.) Experiments demonstrated that cesium injection was effective, even with reduced source power.)
Neutraliser
2021-11-29 - On the right is the neutraliser panel—one of the MITICA beam line components under construction for the European Domestic Agency at AVS, Spain.
Building a beam line in Europe
2021-11-29 - Following a conclusive manufacturing readiness review, European contractor AVS—Tecnalia (Spain) is proceeding with the manufacturing of the beam line components for MITICA—the full-size prototype of the 1 MV heating neutral beam injectors at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ. See more at /construction/NBTF.
MITICA calorimeter tubes in fabrication
2021-11-29 - Performing dimensional measurements on one of the 200 calorimeter tubes to be produced for MITICA. (AVS, Spain)
Science on SPIDER
2021-11-11 - The SPIDER testbed was inaugurated in 2018 and it produced its first beam in 2019. Stay tuned for a December 2021 update in the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Newsline on the science underway since.
MITICA cryopump: another qualification milestone
2021-06-07 - A mockup pumping section is inspected by a European Domestic Agency metrologist at SDMS France. The MITICA cryopump will have 64 pumping sections; now that qualification tests have been completed, series manufacturing can start.
Charcoal as an excellent adsorbant
2021-04-15 - Inside of the MITICA test bed, a large sorption cryopump will be installed in the beam line vessel with cold surfaces to adsorb all particles. At SDMS in France. the surfaces (230 cryopanels) have been coated with charcoal for its excellent adsorption properties. Photo: F4E (Adsorption: the adhesion of atoms, ions or molecules from a gas, liquid or dissolved solid to a surface.)
MITICA cryopump: components completed
2021-02-09 - An important part of accelerating neutral beam particles is the cryopump, whose charcoal-coated panels trap unwanted particles. The French firm Ravanat was charged by the European Domestic Agency with delivering the main components of the cryopump: the cryopanels (blue) and the thermal radiation shields (green). Fabrication ended in December 2020.
MITICA: first integrated power supply tests
2020-10-27 - In October, integrated tests on high voltage equipment supplied by Japan (left) and Europe (right) were carried out successfully at 50 kV. The next step will be testing at 1MV.
EUROfusion becomes part of the team
2020-09-18 - Under the terms of a Cooperation Agreement signed with the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization and Consorzio RFX, the European Consortium for the Development of Fusion Energy (EUROfusion) can provide select experts from European labs—up to 14 professionals per year (PPY)—to work on the neutral beam project at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's facility in Padua (and another 6 PPY to support the development of the half-size negative ion source ELISE in Garching). The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ team welcomes EUROfusion's "strong commitment" and the "support of our European colleagues and experts in developing and operating the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ facility."
Site acceptance tests on the injector's power supplies
2020-09-15 - The European Domestic Agency has carried out successful site acceptance tests on power supply equipment installed overhead in the spectacular high voltage deck. The eight power supplies and auxiliary equipment for MITICA's ISEPS (ion source and extraction power supply) were successfully tested in September.
Europe completes NBTF cooling plant
2020-08-04 - In a 17,500 m² building on the premises of Consorzio RFX, in Padua, Italy, two test stands will allow the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization to test all the components of the neutral beam heating system. Europe, one of the contributing parties, has just completed the cooling plant.
MITICA vessel is ready for handover
2020-05-10 - A technician conducts final checks on the MITICA vacuum vessel prior to handover to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization. The vacuum vessel was delivered in two parts by European contractor De Pretto Industrie, and welded in May 2020.
Large vacuum chamber
2020-05-04 - Looking down into the MITICA vessel before welding. The MITICA beam source, beam line components and cryogenic pumps will all be housed inside this vessel.
MITICA vacuum vessel now complete
2020-03-23 - The second part of the MITICA beam source vacuum vessel, financed by the European Domestic Agency (F4E) and manufactured by De Pretto Industrie (Italy), has been delivered to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility.
Contract signed for MITICA beam line components
2019-12-01 - The European Domestic Agency has signed a contract with the AVS/Fundación Tecnalia consortium for the manufacture of MITICA's beamline components (neutraliser, electrostatic residual dump, calorimeter and auxiliary equipment). Their main function is to remove the negative ions and guide them through, in the form of a neutralized beam, to the final target.
Progress on MITICA in August
2019-08-19 - In August, the last component of the MITICA 1 MV transmission line is successfully installed.
Perfect fit
2019-08-19 - All MITICA "utilities" will pass through the high voltage bushing supplied by Japan: electricity, water (for cooling) and gas (for the plasma).
2019-08-19 - The bend component now connects the MITICA transmission line to the high voltage bushing.
New agreement ratified for the Neutral Beam Test Facility
2019-07-25 - The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization and the Italian consortium Consorzio RFX sign a new agreement governing the construction and operation of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility. In a first phase, testbed results will inform the procurement of components for the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ system. After operation starts at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ, by 2032, the facility in Padua, Italy, will be a testbed for ongoing performance enhancement.
Successful high voltage tests for MITICA
2019-07-09 - Engineers from the European Domestic Agency (F4E), Consorzio RFX, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Japan, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, and the companies involved in fabrication of the MITICA high voltage deck and high voltage bushing assemblies are pictured in the NBTF High Voltage Hall below the connection between the insulating transformer from Japan (left) and the high voltage deck from Europe (right) after a series of successful high voltage tests.
High voltage bushing installed
2019-06-13 - The 50-tonne MITICA high voltage bushing has been installed on top of the square, 57-tonne vacuum vessel.
How MITICA will look
2019-06-13 - Here is what the MITICA test bed will look like, when finalized.
Up and over
2019-06-10 - At the Consorzio RFX facility in Padua, Italy, three °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Members (Europe, Japan and India) have made voluntary contributions to the Neutral Beam Test Facility. In this image, for example, the high voltage bushing (top) has been procured by Japan, while the MITICA vacuum vessel (bottom) has been procured by Europe.
MITICA assembly advancing
2019-06-09 - The 50-tonne high voltage bushing is installed in June on the MITICA vacuum vessel. The bushing acts like a feedthrough between the transmission line and the injector.
SPIDER: A beam for its first birthday
2019-05-24 - One year ago, on 11 June 2018, the world's largest negative ion source was inaugurated at the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility with the ignition of a brief plasma in the ion source. In the twelve months of experimentation since, scientists at SPIDER have been stepping up the testbed's power in increments, integrating additional components, and adjusting the complex system of controls. Efforts were rewarded on 24 May 2019 with the first negative hydrogen ion beam.
SPIDER's first beam!
2019-05-24 - One year after its inauguration, the SPIDER testbed achieves its first low-power beam. (Cartoon by Stefano Intini)
Container for the MITICA beam source
2019-05-07 - The vacuum vessel was installed at the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility in early May. The full vacuum vessel for MITICA will weigh 67 tonnes.
New component at MITICA
2019-03-28 - The first part of the MITICA beam source vacuum vessel, financed by the European Domestic Agency (F4E) and manufactured by De Pretto Industrie (Italy), has been delivered to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility.
Part of the high-voltage power supplies
2019-03-10 - This I MV insulating transformer supplied by Japan is part of the high-voltage power supply system for MITICA, the full-scale °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ neutral beam injector. Acceptance tests on the power supply system will be finalized when this transformer is connected to the high voltage deck on the inside of the building.
Leak-tight vessel for MITICA
2019-03-08 - Technicians perform the final acceptance tests of the MITICA beam source vacuum vessel at Pretto Industrie (Vincenza, Italy).
In the line of fire
2019-02-18 - The carbon-fibre panels of STRIKE stand directly in the line of the SPIDER ion beam. The power deposited on the front side of the tiles will be propagated in form of heat to the rear side, where a set of infrared cameras will detect and analyze the thermal pattern in order to reconstruct beam properties.
STRIKE installed
2019-02-18 - In Padua, technicians are installing the STRIKE diagnostic, which will characterize the uniformity and divergence of the SPIDER beam. Directly behind it, on the other side of the open vessel, is the actively cooled beam dump.
A pause in operations
2019-02-18 - The SPIDER vessel was opened for the installation of the STRIKE diagnostic. Plasma was generated for the first time in the beam source in June 2018 during the inauguration of the test bed.
End of fabrication: MITICA vessel
2019-02-06 - At De Pretto Industrie (Italy) the 6 m x 5 m MITICA vacuum vessel and its one kilometre of welds has been inspected successfully.
Installation of STRIKE diagnostic
2019-01-15 - Last-phase assembly activities are underway on the STRIKE calorimeter at the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility. STRIKE is designed to measure the SPIDER beam's uniformity and divergence.
In the line of the beam
2019-01-10 - Sixteen carbon fibre composite tiles are being mounted on the structure of the STRIKE diagnostic. These tiles will face the brunt of the SPIDER negative ion beam ... for short periods of time.
En route for the MITICA beam source
2018-12-03 - The European Domestic Agency, Fusion for Energy, has awarded a EUR 20 million contract to ALSYOM-SEIV (ALCEN group, France) for the fabrication of the MITICA beam source—a prototype of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ neutral beam heating beam source that will generate 40 A of negative hydrogen or deuterium ions. The equipment is expected in four years. (Pictured, representatives of Fusion for Energy, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, Consorzio RFX, and ALSYOM-SEIV.)
Power supply equipment for MITICA
2018-11-15 - Equipment arrives for the MITICA power sources, delivered by the European Domestic Agency. Centre: the power supply for MITICA's residual ion dump (manufactured by OCEM ET, Italy); at left, the conversion system for the acceleration grid power supply (manufactured by Nidec ASI, Italy).
Factory acceptance tests underway
2018-11-12 - Factory acceptance tests are underway on components of the MITICA high-voltage power supply procured and delivered by the Domestic Agencies of Europe and Japan.
1,280 apertures
2018-09-13 - The plasma generated by the SPIDER ion source expands out through a series of grids. A potential difference between the different grids provides the extraction of the negative charges from the neutral plasma and subsequent acceleration. Pictured: the back side of the acceleration grid.
Near the source
2018-08-22 - Inside the Faraday cage, which has been installed at the rear of the ion source.
In a see-through cage
2018-08-22 - The SPIDER beam source has been fitted out with a Faraday cage. This metallic grid reduces the probability of arch discharge effects induced by the radio frequency (RF) circuit, while allowing the visual inspection of the RF drivers.
Installation work for MITICA
2018-07-12 - Connecting the main cold box, on the left, with the auxiliary cold box, on the far right, with the help of cryolines. Photo: F4E
Cryogenic equipment for MITICA delivered
2018-06-25 - MITICA will require cryogenic pumps to maintain strong vacuum during operation. In June, Europe delivers the cryogenic equipment needed for cryopumping, including this auxiliary cold box. Photo: F4E
First test bed enters operation
2018-06-11 - The negative ion source SPIDER is officially launched at the Consorzio RFX facility in Padua, Italy, in the early afternoon of 11 June 2018.
Inauguration and first plasma
2018-06-11 - Plasma is generated in the beam source for the first time during the ceremony in the presence of all stakeholders.
Successful testing on site
2018-05-17 - The conversion system for MITICA's acceleration grid power supply completed site acceptance testing this year with excellent results. The equipment, manufactured by the Italian firm Nidec ASI, will convert AC power from the grid to the DC power required for the acceleration of the ion beam.
The world's most powerful negative ion source
2018-03-08 - The SPIDER beam source—a technological marvel and the world's most powerful negative ion source. A European consortium consisting of Thales (France), CECOM Srl (Italy), Galvano-T GmbH (Germany) and E.Zanon SpA (Italy) has been responsible for the manufacturing of the equipment for the European Domestic Agency.
Coordination group at Consorzio RFX
2018-03-01 - The Consorzio RFX leaders for diagnostics, interlock and control, thermo-mechanics, and power supplies stand with NBTF project leader Vanni Toigo (centre) in front of the sealed SPIDER vessel.
Integrated commissioning can start
2018-02-18 - Only auxiliary connections remain to be finalized. Once that is done the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, the European Domestic Agency, and Consorzio RFX can begin integrated commissioning activities.
Four years to build, many more to design
2018-02-17 - The SPIDER beam source is an °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ-like full-size radio-frequency-driven plasma source capable of extracting a negative deuterium ion beam (D¯ beam) of 70A and then accelerating it to energies of 100 keV. Manufacturing required just over four years.
Into position
2018-02-17 - A dedicated handling tool is used to transfer the beam source onto its bed support structure in the vacuum chamber.
On its way
2018-02-15 - The five-tonne SPIDER beam source is transferred from the clean room—where it had been stored and tested—to its handling tool using the Neutral Beam Test Facility's 50-tonne crane.
More first-of-a-kind equipment from Europe
2018-01-22 - The high-voltage bushing first passed electrical tests at HSP Gmbh, Germany, before being delivered to the NBTF facility in Italy. All required site tests have been completed. ©SIEMENS
High voltage deck delivered by Europe
2018-01-22 - Standing on eight legs, six metres overhead, the high-voltage deck of the MITICA testbed is an electrically insulated box that hosts the power supplies for the neutral beam injector's ion source. It was procured and delivered by Europe. © Consorzio RFX
Large vessel, in segments
2017-12-21 - A section of the SPIDER beam source vacuum vessel arriving at the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility.
Japan completes deliveries
2017-11-20 - The Japanese Domestic Agency delivers its final contribution to the Neutral Beam Test Facility in November 2017. Over two years, Japan has delivered high-voltage components for the 1 MV power supply system of MITICA, including the megavolt bushing (pictured), the megavolt transmission line and the high voltage part of the megavolt power supply.
Blossoms for the start of the facility
2017-11-20 - A cherry tree gifted by Japan is planted at the test facility site in Padua. It will blossom about the time of facility start-up in spring 2018.
Power supply components
2017-11-20 - The acceleration grid power supply for MITICA is composed of a conversion system that feeds step-up transformers and diode rectifiers. A 1 MV transmission line then connects the power supplies to the injector.
High Voltage Hall
2017-11-07 - For MITICA to function, high voltages must be maintained over pulses of 3600 seconds. Pictured: the High Voltage Hall at the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility.
Test period begins
2017-10-22 - The SPIDER beam source has been placed temporarily in a clean room for a series of site acceptance tests. SPIDER is scheduled to begin operating in April 2018. ©Thales
SPIDER: beam source delivered
2017-10-09 - A ceremony was held in October 2017 for the delivery of the beam source at Consorzio RFX. Present were representatives of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Section, the European Domestic Agency (responsible for the beam source procurement), facility host Consorzio RFX, and manufacturer Thales.
Auxiliary systems ...
2017-09-07 - Part of SPIDER's cooling distribution plant. Photo: F4E
Delivering millions of watts of heating power
2017-07-03 - An exploded isometric view of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ/MITICA beam source, composed of a radio frequency ion source and a seven-grid extractor and accelerator.
Putting heads together
2017-06-01 - Regular technical collaboration meetings are held at Consorzio RFX on design, manufacturing, and installation issues, with representatives from the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, the participating Domestic Agencies, and the host lab taking part. All of the critical heating neutral beam components will be tested at NBTF.
Arrivals from Europe and Japan
2017-03-24 - Europe and Japan deliver several large components to the NBTF high voltage hall in March. Photo: F4E
Ion source power supply, exploded view
2017-03-01 - The power supplies and transmission line for SPIDER. © F4E
Ion source power supply
2017-02-13 - The power required for the operation of SPIDER will be provided in part by this room-size ion source extraction grid power supply provided by Europe.
Transmission line connected
2016-07-25 - Part of the 35-metre-long, winding transmission line that will be connected to the SPIDER vessel. Photo: F4E
Site acceptance tests for the ion source power supply
2016-04-13 - The multi-year development of the ion source extraction grid power supply came to an end in 2016, with successful site acceptance tests at the NBTF facility. Representatives of the European contractor OCEM ET (Italy) and principal subcontractor Himmelwerk GmbH (Germany) were present. Photo: F4E
Power supply components en route from India
2016-03-01 - Nine trucks containing components for SPIDER's 100 kV power supply—transformers, switching modules, controllers, high-voltage racks, cables disconnector switches—are now en route to the port of Mundra, on India's west coast, for shipment to Italy.
First components from Japan
2015-12-22 - Japan delivers elements of the power supply system of the MITICA test bed: a transmission line that will be filled with SF6 at 0.6 MPa and the first three 200 kV step-up transformers that are part of the DC generator. (Pictured: the outer tank pressure vessel, part of the 100-metre transmission line.)
Office space
2015-11-17 - The control rooms of the Neutral Beam Test Facility in Padua, Italy. Photo: F4E
A dedicated enclosure
2015-11-17 - Workers are installing the bioshield to the SPIDER test bed. Photo: F4E
Exterior area
2015-11-17 - Work underway at Consorzio RFX to prepare the exterior areas for transformers and other electrical equipment.
High voltage hall emerging
2015-11-17 - The MITICA high voltage hall is under construction. Photo: F4E
Preparing for MITICA
2015-11-17 - Looking out from the MITICA test bed, through the bioshield door. Photo: F4E
Finished
2015-10-06 - The main building of the NBTF facility is completed and ready for its first components.
First European equipment installed
2015-08-31 - The first European component installed at the Padua facility is the high voltage deck for SPIDER. The European agency collaborated with the Italian company COELME for the design, manufacture and installation of the high voltage deck, a mechanical structure that will hold power supply equipment weighing around 40 tonnes. Photo: F4E
Ultra-compact, but just right for the job
2015-02-13 - The Japanese Domestic Agency and its supplier have been able to design and fabricate an ultra-compact testing power supply, which will be used to test the neutral beam injection power supplies at NBTF, then at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ.
Indian "beam dump" arrives
2014-12-22 - The SPIDER beam dump—designed to absorb the ion beam power up to 6.1 MW extracted from the SPIDER beam source—is the first component delivered by the Indian Domestic Agency.
Success in factory tests
2014-05-14 - The last components of the ion source and extraction grid power supply (ISEPS) successfully pass factory acceptance tests at the supplier facility in San Giorgio di Piano, Italy (OCEM Energy Technology). The radio frequency power supplies and the DC power supply (provided by OCEM) and the radio frequency generator (provided by sub-contractor Himmelwerk from Germany) were tested on dummy load. Photo: F4E
SPIDER power supply
2014-05-14 - A schematic of the SPIDER power supply, describing the contributions of Europe (blue) and India (yellow).
Inside the facility
2014-04-18 - Workers installed the main door of the SPIDER bioshield in April 2014. Photo: F4E
Final design review in India
2014-04-16 - In August, the Indian Domestic Agency hosts the final design review for the acceleration grid power supplies for SPIDER. Pictured: a 3D view of the acceleration grid power supply hall at NBTF.
Consorzio RFX hosts
2014-04-15 - The NBTF facility is going up on the premises of Consorzio RFX, an Italian research laboratory for plasma physics and controlled nuclear fusion in Padua, Italy, about 40 km west of Venice.
Groundbreaking
2012-02-27 - Ceremony participants stand on the site of the future 17,500 m² building, whose construction will be financed by the Italian government as a voluntary contribution to the neutral beam test facility.
Construction project launched in Italy
2012-02-27 - A ceremony was held in Padua, Italy, on 27 February 2012 for the launch of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Neutral Beam Test Facility.
SPIDER and MITICA
2011-02-11 - SPIDER is the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ-scale negative ion source. MITICA will test all of the integrated technologies of the injector (source, electrostatic accelerator, neutralizer, separator of residual ions, calorimeter, etc) with a 1 MeV line.
Testing °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ-scale neutral beam injection
2011-02-11 - To heat the huge plasma volume in °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ (830 m³), the injected heating particles will have to move three times faster than in previous machines in order to penetrate into the centre of the plasma. The technologies involved will be tested at NBTF in advance of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ operation.
A first-of-a-kind injector
2011-02-09 - The neutral beam injectors shoot uncharged high-energy particles into the plasma where, by way of collision, they transfer their energy to the plasma particles ... much in the same way that a household cappuccino machine uses steam to heat milk. Left: the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ machine. Right: a stick figure that gives a sense of scale.