In recent days, two of the three components of the MITICA beamline have arrived at the ITER-NBTF test facility, hosted at the Consorzio RFX in Padua. These components, the Neutralizer and the Residual Ion Dump (ERID), were supplied by a consortium of Spanish companies, led by AVS – Added Value Solutions, through the European Domestic Agency for ITER, F4E.
The neutralizer’s role is to neutralize the negative particle beam coming from the negative ion accelerator, in order to allow them to proceed with a linear trajectory towards the target even in presence of magnetic fields. It works by charge exchange with gas molecules of the same type. The device is composed of four channels through which the particle beam passes, formed by five copper panels capable of withstand power density up to 5 MW/m2. One of the most critical aspects of the neutralizer is its cooling circuits, which are subjected to high power loads. A few thousands of welds in the cooling system have undergone successful, non destructive verification. The main acceptance tests for the neutralizer, conducted after its arrival at the conclusion of the procurement process have been completed successfully.
The second component is the Electrostatic Residual Ion Dump (ERID), positioned downstream from the neutralizer in the MITICA vacuum chamber. Its role is to absorb and remove any remaining charged particles from the beam exiting the neutralizer. The ERID operates by applying a transverse electric field generated by five longitudinal panels, with a direct voltage up to 30 kV between each pair of panels. The ERID can absorb a total power of approximately 19 MW and withstand power densities up to 6 MW/m2. The component has been manufactured and delivered at the ITER-NBTF site, however, one crucial piece is still missing: the delivery of ceramic insulators for the cooling circuits. These will be essential to energize and correctly operate the neutralizer during MITICA’s operation. The first site acceptance tests have already satisfied the required specifications. The tests will be completed in coming days.
To complete the MITICA beamline, the final component will be the calorimeter, which is currently in an advanced stage of development. The calorimeter’s task will be to intercept the high-energy beam produced by the injector, absorb its full power, and diagnostic its parameters. The delivery of the calorimeter is expected next year.