Accelerator
Installation of header units – piping for the cryogenic distribution system connecting the valve boxes – is ongoing in the Spoke section of the Linac, with welding to start soon.
In the test stand bunker, the third medium beta cryomodule in line is being prepared for warm conditioning. This involves sending radio-frequency (RF) power, produced by a modulator and klystrons, to the cavities of the cryomodule. Cooling tests with liquid helium will follow.
Further modulators and RF power stations are subject to load tests inside the test stand area. These tests are done prior to positioning the units in the RF cells of the gallery, where further power tests will follow.
Preparations for the next stage of beam commissioning in the normal conducting linac are under way.
Target
The Active Cells facility is divided into the process cell and maintenance cell, separated by the intrabay doors. Last week, the lower intrabay door was subject to a Site Acceptance Test (SAT), and this week a team from ESS and in-kind partner UKEAEA performed the second SAT for the upper intrabay door. The door, weighting about 75 tonnes, is lifted with thick wires connected to a drive unit placed on the other side of the wall in the Transport Hall.
ESS main control room
The ESS main control room, located on the first floor of the Target Entrance building, has been subject to electrical infrastructure installations. The next step is to populate the room with furniture, computers and screens and connect all hardware for ESS operators to move in from mid-February.
Experimental Halls & Labs
DREAM
As the first level of hollow concrete blocks for the DREAM scientific cave were placed and filled with concrete, works now continue with scaffolding for the second layer of walls. More concrete blocks were delivered this week.
ODIN
Works on site for the instrument ODIN, using the beamline next to DREAM in the south sector of Experimental Hall 1, will commence soon. Marking and drilling in the floor will be the start, then lower shielding blocks close to the bunker wall will follow.
Infrastructure
Electrical infrastructure works are now ongoing both in the west bunker sector in Experimental hall 3 and in the south sector in Experimental hall 1.
Labs
In the E04 lab, the SULF (Sample handling and User Lab Facilities) group is preparing the luminescence coating powder for the Target wheel, which will be sprayed onto parts of the surface. About 500 ml of this fine powder is required.
The Target wheel is expected to arrive to Sweden from in-kind partner ESS Bilbao in March.
