FIRST SPANISH IN-KIND DELIVERY: Shielding for the proton beam dump
The initial elements of the shielding for the beam dump, in particular 200 concrete blocks, have been delivered by ESS Bilbao to the European Spallation Source as the first Spanish in-kind delivery to the European research infrastructure project in November 2016.
The Tuning Beam Dump Shielding is one of the components of the Target Station, which will however not be placed in the Target Building. The Beam Dump Shielding will be installed in a particular room call Tuning Beam Dump Cave and is based on concrete blocks and carbon steel plates. There are two different types of concrete blocks within the cave, one type of high density concrete (with more shielding power) and the other with normal density. The entire shielding component was planned to be delivered mid 2017. However, after the request from the conventional facility group for an early delivery of the concrete component due to better access of the Tuning Beam Dump Cave, ESS Bilbao, as a flexible and committed organization, accepted to advance the design and fabrication of these shielding elements. This is the first In-Kind Contribution delivery within the Target area work package commitment with the European Spallation Source ERIC, which include, apart from the Tuning Beam Dump, the Target Wheel, the Proton Beam Window, the Monolith Vessel and the Proton Beam Instrumentation Plug.
“We are deeply involved in the European Spallation Source, it’s our priority to take into account the suggestions from ESS and to be as pro-active and collaborative as possible, depending on the project’s requirements” says José Luis Martínez, Executive Director of ESS Bilbao.
ESS Bilbao is an international renowned strategic centre for neutron technologies which generates knowledge and added value through the In-Kind Contribution to the European Spallation Source. With a staff of 65 people, ESS Bilbao is a Public Consortium, in which two Administrations hold a 50% stake; the Spanish Government, through the Secretary of State of Research, Development and Innovation, and the Basque Autonomous Government. The Spanish commitment is to hold a 5% stake in the European Spallation Source ERIC, aiming to become a full member in the near future. The Spanish Government and the Basque Autonomous Government as owners have agreed to grant ESS Bilbao the corresponding budget to ensure the success of a viable project, with a real scientific and technological presence in neutron sciences for the period from 2010 to 2025.
