The GUINEVERE Project for Accelerator Driven System Physics

paper 9414International audienceThe GUINEVERE project is part of the EUROTRANS Integrated Project of the 6th EURATOM Framework Programme. It is mainly devoted to ADS on-line reactivity monitoring validation, sub-criticality determination and operational procedures (loading, start-up, shut-down, ...) as a follow-up of the MUSE experiments. The project consists in coupling a fast lead core, set-up in the VENUS reactor at SCK*CEN Mol (B), with a GENEPI neutron source under construction by CNRS. To accommodate the accelerator in a vertical coupling configuration, the VENUS building is being heightened. The fast core will be loaded with enriched Uranium and will be moderated and reflected with solid lead (zero power experiment). For the purpose of the experimental programme, the neutron source has to be operated not only in pulsed mode but also in continuous mode to investigate the current-to-flux reactivity indicator in representative conditions of a powerful ADS. In this latter mode it is also required to make short beam interruptions to have access to the neutron population decrease as a function of time: from this spectrum it will be possible to apply different analysis techniques such as "prompt decay" fitting techniques and "source jerk" techniques. Beam interruptions will be repeated at a programmable frequency to improve time spectra statistics. Different sub-criticality levels (keff=0.99, 0.97, 0.95, ...) will be investigated in order to obtain a full set of data points for the final overall validation of the methodology. This paper describes the status of the experimental facility assembling, and the foreseen experimental programme to be started

THE MYRRHA LINEAR ACCELERATOR R&D PROGRAM

The outstanding feature of the MYRRHA accelerator is the design requirement of Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF). The issue of reliability is thus considered the main design challenge, and concerns all the R&D activities. The current R&D program aims to provide a detailed accelerator design, suitable for an ADS demonstrator, with provisions for enhanced reliability. Research activities have been organized to specifically address advanced beam dynamics and error studies, reliability modeling studies, optimization of injector design and prototype cryomodules design and test

Study and Design of a Fast Switching Magnet for the MYRRHA Project

International audienceThe MYRRHA project aims at building an Accelerator Driven System demonstrator, which consists of two injectors and a superconducting linac. The proton beam from the first injector accelerated up to 17 MeV goes to the linac (600 MeV) through a Medium Energy Beam Transfer line (MEBT). Whereas in the meantime, the beam from the second injector is sent to a beam dump. In case of failure in the first injector, the beam of the awaiting injector is sent to the linac. A switching magnet located at the junction of the two injection lines performs this beam switch in less than 1.5 seconds. A magnetic design and a mechanical structure of this magnet proposed to the MYRRHA project are presented

Design of the MYRRHA 17-600 MeV Superconducting Linac

The goal of the MYRRHA project is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of transmutation in a 100MWth Accelerator Driven System (ADS) by building a new flexible irradiation complex in Mol (Belgium). The MYRRHA facility requires a 600 MeV accelerator delivering a maximum proton flux of 4 mA in continuous operation, with an additional requirement for exceptional reliability. This paper will briefly describe the beam dynamics design of the main superconducting linac section which covers the 17 to 600 MeV energy range and requires enhanced fault-tolerance capabilities