Design Concepts of and Lessons Learned from the
PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
SINQ High Power Targets
Aare
by Werner Wagner
Spallation Neutron Source Division ASQ
Paul Scherrer Institut, PSI, Switzerland
Proton accelerator
Neutron Spallation Source
SINQ
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI G:ER01/standard/2003

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Proton beam:
SINQ Targetstation
590 MeV, 51 MHz
2.0-2.2 mA 1.3 MW
on SINQ:
~ 1.4 mA 0.8 MW
Vertical Section of the SINQ Facility
Target bulk shielding
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
SINQ target development:
The early concept…….
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
late 1980‘s:
Concept of a
Liquid Metal Target for SINQ
Vision or Fiction?
Ch. Tschalär, W. Fischer, G. Bauer et al.
Presented at ICANS-XI (1990)
Internatl. Collaboration on
Advanced Neutron Sources
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
outline
• The SINQ solid target
– from early achievments to routine operation
• The MEGAPIE „adventure“
• Recent improvements of the solid target
• The ultimate goal: LIMETS
– a routine liquid metal target for SINQ
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
outline
• The SINQ solid target
– from early achievments to routine operation
• The MEGAPIE „adventure“
• Recent improvements of the solid target
• The ultimate goal: LIMETS
– a routine liquid metal target for SINQ
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
SINQ Targetstation
Vertical Section of the SINQ Facility
Target bulk shielding
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
1997-1999
The SINQ Target Mark 2: Solid target with Zircaloy rods
equipped with thermocouples and test specimen rods:
start of STIP, the SINQ Target Irradiation Program
after 2 years of service
as manufactured (6800 mAh of 570 MeV protons)
Gerd Heidenreich
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Since 2000: SINQ-Target Mark 3:
Lead rods, cladded by steel tubes
42% increase in neutron yield
12.8
STIP continued and consolidated
14
22.08
12 13
11
9 10
8
7
6
5
C 4
Rod Including samples
3
A Hg Capsules
B Pb-Bi Capsules
C Pb-Bi Capsules
2
1
Tensile, Fatigue, TEM
1
2 Tensile, Fatigue, TEM
Tensile, Fatigue, TEM
3
B
A
4 Bend bar, Tensile, TEM
Tensile, TEM
5
6 CT, Tal-clad W, SiC SANS
7 Bend bar, Tensile, TEM
Fatigue, SANS, TAP
8
9 Carbon fibre samples
Bend bar, Tensile, TEM
10
11 Charpy samples
Charpy samples
12
Charpy samples
13
Charpy samples
14
Note: The materials of the
Proton Beam samples are Steel, Inconel
Zircaloy mainly.
Thermocouple
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner
DY,13.12.99

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Manipulator handling and dismantling
Target
in ATEC hotcell
Kurt Geissmann et al.
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Approaching a lifetime assessment
of high-power target materials:
Extensive materials studies within STIP
A martensitic steel
T91 (9Cr2WTaV)
tensile specimen
irradiated in liquid
Lead-Bismuth-Eutectic
After 12 dpa (2 years of irradiation) at 210 to 250°C:
NO severe LBE corrosion and NO LBE embrittlement effects Yong Dai et al.
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
outline
• The SINQ solid target
– from early achievments to routine operation
• The MEGAPIE „adventure“
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
MEGAPIE
A liquid metal target for SINQ
MEGAwatt Pilot Experiment:
Joint international initiative to design,
build, licence, operate and explore
a liquid metal*) spallation target
for 1 MW beam power
*) Lead-Bismuth-Eutectic (LBE)
Tm=125oC
Goals of MEGAPIE:
Increase the neutron flux at SINQ
Demonstrate the feasibility of a liquid metal target
for high-power spallation and ADS applications
Initiated by Günter Bauer, managed and conducted by
Friedrich Gröschel, Knud Thomsen et al. 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March

2006: MEGAPIE (Flüssigmetalltarget)
PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
MEGAPIE target
Vertical Section of the SINQ Facility
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
MEGAPIE target features
target
lower target
head
assembly
central flow
guide tube
electro-
magnetic
pumps
safety
heat beam
hull
exchanger window
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
System integration in SINQ (Jan.– July 2006)
Cover gas handling system
LBE filling system
Target head
Heat removal system
Insulation gas system (oil loop)
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
MEGAPIE Target Operation: full history
On beam: August 14 – December 21,
2006
• Accumulated charge: 2.8 Ah
1400 µA
• Peak Current:
• Beam trips (< 1 min): 5500
• Interrupts (< 8 h): 570
First protons on target
August 14, 2006
First protons on target, August
14
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
THX inlet
Low beam 150 A
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Target temperatures at full beam
Oil outlet:
Cover gas: 226 C
210 C
THX inlet: 315 C
THX outlet:
229 C
Beam current:
1274 mA
Spallation zone
outlet: 340 C
Spallation zone
inlet: 280 C
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Temperature transients during beam trips
LBE: in main guide
LBE: THX inlet
LBE: lower main guide
LBE: THX outlet
Proton beam
Oil: THX inlet
scrutinize / validate the thermo-hydraulic simulations
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

New safety- and diagnostic devices
PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
VIMOS: beam footprint visualization system
Collimating slit
in proton beamline
LBE leak detector
Knud Thomsen et al
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

Results
PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Neutron fluxes with MEGAPIE
Flux gain by
measured by Au foil activation (in neutrons/cm2/s/mA)
MEGAPIE
Err. Err.
MEGAPIE
SINQ
ratio
2005 (%) (%)
2006
ICON 3.80E+8 ~5 6.89E+8 ~5 1.81
NEUTRA 2.59E+7 ~5 4.80E+7 ~5 1.85
EIGER 6.46E+8 ~5 1.04E+9 ~5 1.61
NAA 5.82E+12* ~5 1.04E+13 ~5 1.79
Markus Luethy
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Understanding the flux gain
Canneloni (with STIP) MEGAPIE
Mark III (current) Megapie
• Compaction of reaction
zone, no D2O, no steel and
no empty volumes
• by that: ‚pushing out‘ the
flux maximum
• and: no proton energy loss
in water
• no STIP samples
Luca Zanini et al.
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
outline
• The SINQ solid target
– from early achievments to routine operation
• The MEGAPIE „adventure“
• Recent improvements of the solid target
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Improvement options for the canneloni target
• Zr cladding (replacing
steel)
Scetch from Knud Thomsen
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Zr-clad rods …after 2 years in SINQ
(>10Ah of accumulated proton charge):
Zr-clad rod:
visual inspection
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Improvement options for the canneloni target
(predicted) gain
• Zr cladding (replacing 10-13%
steel) done!
• compaction: closer rod- 5%
packing (2mm gap 1mm),
oval rod shape ?
• thinner tube wall 5%
(0.75 mm 0.5 mm)
Scetch from Knud Thomsen
• Pb-reflectors filling the
10%
gap around the canneloni
structure
• inverted calotte of 5%
safety hull
• No (or less) STIP
10%
samples
∼45%
Michael Wohlmuther, Luca Zanini/ etWagner
ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 W. al.
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI

Compact PAUL SCHERRERtarget
cannelloni INSTITUT
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
The new Zr-Pb cannellomi
target for SINQ
Status:
ready to be operated
starting April 2009
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
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Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
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Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Basic technical parameters:
Modular design allowing testing of
different concepts of the THX, EMP, BEW
Existing EMP (prototype of EMP1 for
MEGAPIE) is adopted for the mock-up
– Working fluid PbBi eutectic (melting
temp. 126°C) or Pb (327°C), volume 65 l
°
Maximum operation temperature – 500°C
Electric heater – 170 kW (former
MEGAPIE test heater)
Michael Wohlmuther et al.
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
Distribution of shear
stress
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner

PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
1 0
• Neutronics and target optimization:
– Michael Wohlmuther, Luca Zanini, Daniela Kiselev,
Markus Luethy,…
• Liquid metal targets:
– Friedrich Groeschel, Michael Wohlmuther, Sergej
Dementjev, Karel Samec, Rade Milenkovic, Jacek
Patorski et al.
• Materials research:
– Yong Dai et al.
• SINQ target management and operation:
– Hajo Heyck, Kurt Geissmann, Frank Heinrich and the
operation team
• Knud Thomsen for always bringing-in good ideas
Paul Scherrer Institut • 5232 Villigen PSI ESS Bilbao WS, March 16-19, 2009 / W. Wagner