accelerating-news-arc.web.cern.ch - industry

Third HiLumi Industry Day in the UK

Panagiotis Charitos — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 14:38:50 +0000

Third HiLumi Industry Day in the UK
by Isabel Bejar Alonso (CERN) and Panos Charitos (CERN)

Lucio Rossi, HL-LHC Project Coordinator, addresses participants at the HiLumi Industry Day (Image: CERN)

The cost of the upgrade, which will be realised within the regular CERN Budget, is estimated to close to 950 MCHF. The study phase of the upgrade started in 2010 and the commissioning phase will finish in 2026. The upgrade phase is crucial not only to be able to exploit fully the physics potential of the LHC, but also to continue to enable operation of the collider beyond 2025.

More than 1.2 km of the present LHC will be replaced, bringing with it new technical infrastructures - a challenge that can only be accomplished with the strong involvement of European industry. Since 2012, HiLumi, the HL-LHC upgrade project, has organized events to connect CERN with potential industrial partners able to handle the specific technical challenges of HL-LHC.

The third edition of the HiLumi Industry Day took place in Warrington, UK (close to Daresbury Laboratory) in May 2017. The two-day event jointly organised by CERN and STFC gathered some 200 participants from 17 European countries. Key engineers and physicists from CERN and STFC presented the technical challenges of the HL-LHC project to the numerous company delegates attending this event.

The face-to-face meetings arranged with the CERN engineers were also a nice opportunity for these companies to learn more about the key components of the HL-LHC upgrade and the upcoming calls for tender. The business to business meetings enhanced the creation of a community of industries wishing to work for large scientific infrastructures. In total, more than 1,000 face to face meetings were organized. The event finished with a visit to the STFC installations at Daresbury.

Industry will have a crucial role within the HL-LHC Project as the main provider of the technologies and the equipment that are required to successfully achieve the goals of this upgrade.

The HL-LHC project will collaborate with different types of industries and businesses to pursue its goals. Knowledge and technology to be developed during the HL-LHC project will make a lasting impact on society. These events allows scientific institutions to find the right industrial partners within our member states on schedule and for the best added value.

For the first time, ESS, ILL, ESO and SKA procurers also participated in the event, as it provided a great opportunity to discover new potential suppliers and to show the increasing global potential of the science market.

In 2018, HL-LHC will participate in the Big Science Business Forum 2018. In 2019 the event will be mainly focus to technical services.

More information on the event, including the technical presentations, are available on Indico event page, and more information on the HL-LHC industrial challenges can be found at the HL-LHC project website.

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HiLumi

HL-LHC

luminosity

industry

issue 21

ARIES and Industry

Livia Lapadatescu — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 12:53:42 +0000

ARIES and Industry
by Livia Lapadatescu (CERN)

Collaboration between academia and industry has long been a hot topic in many R&D projects, but for the first time in an accelerator Integrating Activity project there is a consistent industrial participation. In ARIES, the new H2020 Integrating Activity on “Accelerator Research and Innovation for European Science and Society”, industry has become a crucial partner in achieving common R&D objectives and in identifying and further exploring industrial and societal applications of accelerators.

The ARIES consortium includes eight industrial partners contributing to activities such as the development of accelerator applications, materials for extreme thermal management, HT superconductors, timing electronics, and acting as consultants on the activity of the innovation work package.

The reasoning behind having industry as partners was to provide academia with more information about the market demands, moving from the old “technology push” to a new “market pull” approach. ARIES set two targets for the collaboration with industry: short/medium term goals and long-term goals.

Short & Medium term goals aim to breach the gap of innovation. ARIES proposes three pillars of innovation to achieve these goals:

The Proof of Concept Fund to support perspective studies/projects on industrial application of the ARIES technology;
Academia meets Industry events to encourage the networking between academia and industry on ARIES related subjects;
Projects co-run with industry in the work package on “Promoting Innovation”.

Long term goals aim to create a common language and a common working ground between academia and industry.

Schematic representation of the ARIES collaboration with industry (Credit: Livia Lapadatescu, CERN)

The first ARIES Industrial Meeting took place during the project kick-off meeting on 5 May 2017 at CERN. The meeting brought together about 40 participants, with large industrial participation, to discuss the involvement of industry in ARIES, how to enhance the collaboration with industry, and possible future actions.

A follow-up meeting will be organized in Brussels at the end of 2017 with the aim of collecting success stories for industrial collaboration and innovation from both industry and the European Commission. This will help to identify ways for further industrial involvement in the future Research Infrastructures programmes of the European Commission.

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QUACO companies ready for announcement

Jennifer Toes — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 10:55:07 +0000

QUACO companies ready for announcement
by Isabel Bejar Alonso (CERN) & Panos Charitos (CERN)

The QUACO project logo (Image: CERN)

The four companies that will participate in phase 1 of the QUACO project are expected to be announced on the 29th September 2016. QUACO is a Pre Commercial Procurement (PCP) Project (Grant Agreement 689359) with scope to procure two pilot 3.8 m quadrupole magnets with two 90 mm apertures, an integrated gradient of 440 T with 120 T/m in the transverse plane, and which will have an operational temperature of 1.9 K. The magnets will be installed in the matching sections.

PCP is the European Union’s Horizon 2020 COFUND instrument for purchasing R&D services for the development of innovative products, services or processes. One of the biggest advantages of PCP is that it allows all involved parties, both public buyers and private suppliers, to share opportunities as well as risk. As such, public purchasers are able to acquire innovative solutions to satisfy challenging needs. In addition, the project supports the R&D of enterprises, with particular benefits for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which are encouraged to grow their competitive capital.

Leading companies in the field of magnet production attended the first QUACO meeting to provide an impression of present needs and share feedback with CERN experts (Image: CERN)

The QUACO project draws together four research infrastructures with similar technical requirements in magnet development. By pooling efforts on technological requirements and using their experience from prior procurements, the partners in QUACO act as a single buyer group with sufficient momentum for potential suppliers to consider the phased development of the requested magnets.

The four QUACO partners are:

Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies alternatives (CEA), France,
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Switzerland,
Centro De Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales Y Tecnologicas (CIEMAT), Spain,
Narodowe Centrum Badan Jadrowych (NCBJ), Poland

CERN acts as the lead procurer coordinating and leading the joint procurement in the name and on behalf of the aforementioned organisations.

The project began on 1 March 2016 and will come to an end in February 2020. It is divided into three phases: solution design, prototyping and pilot deployments, with intermediate evaluations after each phase that will progressively select the best competing solutions.

The QUACO Open Market Consultation was held at CERN on 30 March 2016. Leading companies in the field of magnet production attended the meeting to provide an impression of present needs and share feedback with CERN experts. The meeting covered a range of topics, from technical aspects, such as the current status of the Q4 magnet, its technical scope and requirements; to more legal and administrative matters, such as the legal and contractual framework in which the procurement will be executed. Moreover, CERN engineers demonstrated several examples of tools and fabrication methods that might be used in the frame the project. The project tooling requirements were explained, and the market availability and areas for development were identified.

Pre-commercial procurement is a unique and novel procurement method in the field of accelerator components, and QUACO aims to demonstrate its full potential for success in this field.

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HL-LHC

magnets

industry

FP7 CESSAMag: building industrial relations with SESAME members

Panagiotis Charitos — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 11:36:56 +0000

FP7 CESSAMag: building industrial relations with SESAME members
By Jean-Pierre Koutchouk & Livia Lapadatescu (CERN)

The goal of SESAME is to join forces in the Middle East and beyond, to build a synchrotron light source of excellence, attracting scientists from the region, including those already working at other such facilities in the world. In line with this international endeavour, the CERN engineers involved in the FP7 CESSAMag project in support of SESAME considered the possibility of procuring some components from companies based in the SESAME Members. Having extensive experience in carrying out quality control when buying from industry, CERN could take the challenge of procuring from companies without former accelerator experience, by providing appropriate knowledge transfer.

CESSAMag magnets being installed at SESAME. (Image credit: SESAME)

Identifying potential companies from SESAME members was, however, a challenge. In Cyprus, for example, a company was found through the Chamber of Commerce, while a Turkish company was identified at an industrial fair. Both companies had no previous experience in producing accelerator components, but, after an assessment, were found to have the potential to do it. By placing a pilot order first, CERN could test the components and ensure that they were produced at the highest standards for SESAME (all the components, in particular the magnets, were highly customized for SESAME, as is the case for most accelerators, and were not off the shelf products). In the end, the Turkish company built the quadrupole coils, while the Cyprus company assembled half of the sextupoles (33 magnets). The assembly of the other half was donated by Pakistan, who sent an expression of interest to assemble the sextupoles against a knowledge transfer from CERN. Except for the dipole, “the power supplies of the quadrupoles and sextupoles were bought from a well-established power supply company from Israel.

Another challenge in this industrial endeavour was the logistics behind the shipping of the various components, involving in particular maritime transport – to Pakistan, Cyprus and Jordan. Besides a proper conditioning of the crates to avoid damages, the various transit times, including customs clearance, had to be properly considered to meet the overall schedule.

Map of CESSAMag partners

Along with the industrial return for companies themselves (some of them now interested to participate in call for tenders with CERN or to continue producing accelerator components), the members involved have also welcomed the industrial collaboration with CERN.

The strategy chosen by CESSAMag to build industrial ties with SESAME members, in addition to purchasing accelerator components from experienced companies in Europe is yet another example of science diplomacy advanced by the project.

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Forging links between industry and fundamental science

Livia Lapadatescu — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 09:34:10 +0000

Forging links between industry and fundamental science
by Johannes Gutleber (CERN) with Alexandra Welsch (UNILIV)

Industry participation - exhibitor stand
Image credit: FCC

A future energy frontier research infrastructure requires current technologies to be pushed far beyond the state-of-the-art. Achieving collider parameters in an affordable and sustainable manner calls for breakthroughs in technologies, such as high-field magnets, superconducting radiofrequency cavities, and efficient RF power sources. This creates unprecedented opportunities for partnerships between academia and industry to the benefit of society.

The FCC study is committed to involving industry partners from the beginning, to jointly define the research and development roadmaps and to launch knowledge transfer programs. Starting collaboration at an early stage creates a mutually beneficial situation. It helps industry carry out strategic planning and provides the research community with better confidence in product quality and enhanced cost control. Nine key players from industry joined FCC Week as sponsors and several more attended the technical sessions, giving a glimpse of both the technical capabilities and economical needs that are required to overcome today’s technical limits.

For example, the R&D program of a 16 Tesla superconducting accelerator magnet, suitable for a 100 TeV hadron collider, calls for focused activities around the improvement of Nb3Sn based low-temperature superconductors in sufficiently large quantities and with ample performance margin, never produced before. Potential suppliers not only face the obvious challenges with respect to an increase of the critical current density and the sustained delivery of large quantities at high quality levels, but also the need to deliver improved materials and quantities at affordable cost for high-energy physics applications, as well as for other solid business cases.

To better understand the opportunities for high field applications in all relevant domains, dedicated technical R&D will be required together with business-case scouting, as foreseen by the EuroCirCol knowledge and innovation management task.

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FCC week

industry

networking

knowledge and innovation

FCC

issue 14

Uppsala University and TIARA highlighting RF power generation for accelerators

Sabrina El Yacoubi — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 11:25:27 +0000

Uppsala University and TIARA highlighting RF power generation for accelerators
by Tord Ekelof (Uppsala University) and Celine Tanguy (CEA)

Fig 1 left: Poster of the TIARA workshop on RF power generation for accelerators. Image credit: Uppsala University.
Fig 2 right: Inauguration of the FREIA hall in Angstrom laboratory with Eva Akesson, vice chancellor of Uppsala University, Tord Ekelof, director of FREIA department, Mats Lindroos, head of the ESS Accelerator Division, and Roy Aleksan, TIARA-PP coordinator. Image credit: Uppsala University.

The 2nd industry workshop sponsored by TIARA took place on 17-19 June at the Angstrom laboratory in Uppsala University. The event, dedicated to novel concepts for RF power generation for accelerators, was also the occasion to inaugurate the hall of FREIA (Facility for Research Instrumentation and Accelerator Development) Laboratory.

For the 3-day workshop, about 90 experienced researchers and leading companies in the field of RF power generation and related technologies gathered to explore the technical challenges emerging from the design of new accelerators and to match them with state-of-the-art industrial solutions for RF power generation.

An overview of the main types of accelerator projects and their different RF power generation schemes was first presented, followed by sessions focussed on electron tube devices, solid-state amplifiers and phase-stability and timing

On 18 June the conference participants attended the inauguration of the new FREIA laboratory in Uppsala, intended for research and development of RF power generation, distribution and control for superconducting and normal conducting accelerating cavities for future accelerators. It is the key infrastructure required for developing the superconducting accelerating technology needed for future very high intensity proton accelerators, new free electron lasers and other emerging accelerator projects

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"Green Magnets" to save energy in accelerators

Margarita Synanidi — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 10:22:24 +0000

"Green Magnets" to save energy in accelerators
by Livia Lapadatescu (CERN), Thomas Hind (CERN)

Fig 1: Green Magnets developed at Danfysik
Image credit: Danfysik

A partnership of universities and industry have produced “Green Magnets” which give more than 95% electrical efficiency savings. The “Green Magnets” technology could be used to replace non-superconducting accelerator electromagnets.

The idea for the magnets, which work by using very strong permanent magnetic materials based on rare earth minerals and shaping them in such a way to provide the desired magnetic field, originated at the International Climate Summit in Copenhagen in 2009. The partners expressed a desire to save energy and cut carbon emissions in accelerators and identified magnets as their primary power consumer. Breaking their set target of reducing power consumption by 75%, they managed to achieve a 95% cut in energy use in the magnets, as well as removing the need for water cooling infrastructure, heavy cabling and large power supplies.

The magnets were developed through a project run by five partners from academia and industry (Aarhus University, Aalborg University, Aarhus School of Engineering, Sintex A/S and Danfysik A/S). With financial support coming from Danish Advanced Technology Foundation the consortium is able to replace non-superconducting electromagnets of up to 1 Tesla which need not more than +/- 25% field variation during operation.

Having overcome various technical challenges, such as temperature stability and radiation resistance, what remains now is the challenge of increasing the focus of labs on energy consumption and sustainability, in addition to successfully marketing the need for more energy efficient magnets such as the Green Magnets.

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permanent magnets

energy efficiency

industry

Knowledge Technology Transfer

issue 11

Superconducting Technologies for the Next Generation of Accelerators

Margarita Synanidi — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 13:03:52 +0000

Superconducting Technologies for the Next Generation of Accelerators
by Marina Giampietro (CERN), Lucio Rossi (CERN), Agnes Szeberenyi (CERN)

Fig1: High Luminosity LHC will rely on cutting-edge 13 Tesla superconducting magnets, very compact and ultra-precise superconducting cavities for beam rotation, and 300-metre-long high-power superconducting links with zero energy dissipation. Image credit: CERN

CERN, in collaboration with TIARA and HiLumi LHC European FP7 projects, organized the Workshop on Superconducting Technologies for Next Generation of Accelerators at the Globe of Science and Innovation on 4th and 5th December, 2012.

The 2-day event focused on key areas such as the development of high- and low-field superconducting magnets, superconducting cavities, cryostats and superconducting links.

The workshop was the one of a series of initiatives at CERN aimed at connecting research infrastructures, facing specific technical challenges, with potential commercial partners, for R&D collaborations and knowledge exchange. More than 100 specialists, about half from industry and half from research laboratories and institutes, met to exchange information on: technologies, processes, materials, facilities, work organization and training of next generation engineers and technicians. In the workshop talks form HiLumi LHC, TIARA and ESS were complemented by presentations and booth stands from companies in forefront research of superconductivity.

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HiLumi

TIARA

Superconducting Technologies

Illuminating the way from Research to Industry

Margarita Synanidi — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 09:54:48 +0000

Illuminating the way from Research to Industry
by Katherine Chapman (CERN)

Fig 1:Nb₃Sn cable needed for the 11tesla superconducting magnets, WP3 of HiLumi. Image credit: CERN
Fig 2: Improving magnet performance (WP3) is a key aspect of the High Luminosity LHC upgrade at CERN (click image to enlarge) Image credit: HiLumi LHC

Euspen’s event in May brought together researchers and industry from around the world, helping to push boundaries in precision engineering. It provided invaluable opportunities for industry to become involved with CERN, including the luminosity upgrade of the LHC.

The two-day event entitled “Precision Engineering at CERN: Future Challenges & Opportunities”, included a number of presentations from keynote speakers and CERN's senior programme managers. The presentation given by Lucio Rossi (HiLumi LHC Project Coordinator) highlighted the precision engineering needed for this advanced upgrade from cryogenic mechanics to equipment and tooling. Industrial expertise in the fields of high vacuum, advanced remote handling and new material development for radiation-hard insulators is vital for this upgrade, which in turn requires infrastructure from civil engineering, electrical engineering and cooling and ventilation.

Given the need for collaboration between science, engineering and industry in the high luminosity upgrade, an Industry information event is planned in spring 2013, in partnership with the TIARA-PP and EuCARD projects. This will focus on superconducting magnets, superconducting radio frequency and cryotechnology, as well as new materials and surfaces. Events like these enhance opportunities for collaboration between science and industry, and create a platform for discussion. Click below to read more about Euspen’s event.

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industry

Precision Engineering

Hi Lumi LHC

event

issue 2