Airix Induction Accelerator
Client
Challenge
Thales has been involved in this programme by supplying, on the basis of a CEA design, the complete electrostatic accelerator.
The main characteristics of the Thales supply are:
- Electron beam energy: up to 20 MeV
- Current: 3.5 kA
- Pulse length: 60 ns
- 32 x 250 kV HV generators
Furthermore, in 2011, Thales was involved in the detailed mechanical design studies and re-engineering and supply of the command control of the accelerator as well as the studies related to seismic requirements, especially the design of equipment under seismic conditions. This involved the geographic transfer of the Airix accelerator from the Champagne-Ardenne region to the CEA Valduc. The transfer required the disassembly of the radiographic machine and its reassembly at the Valduc site.
Solution
- Complete transfer of the machine (dismantling, packing, assembly reassembly, calibration)
- Mechanical design of the end of the beam-line accelerator
- Upgrade of HV generators (250 kV)
- Analysis of the EGF (Espace de Glissement et de Focalisation - Slide and Focus Space) beamline equipment to take into account the new requirements
- Re-engineering of instrumentation and control (production of functional analyses, development and production of new automation and supervision application, production of 35 electro-technical bays)
- Development of the command control (automatism and supervision, 10 000 I/O)
- Seismic studies
- On site qualification
- On site integration and commissioning of the complete accelerator
- Technical support during operation
Result
Thanks to the work of the Large Research Infrastructures product line teams, CEA successfully passed the return to service milestone for the X-ray generator accelerator at Moronvilliers, at the end of the first upgrade phase.
Capabilities
- System engineering
- New design, new procurement
- Relocation organization
- Full integration and validation