First Proof-of-Concept Prototype of an Additive Manufactured Radio Frequency Quadrupole
Continuous developments in additive manufacturing (AM) technology are opening up opportunities in novel machining, and improving design alternatives for modern particle accelerator components. One of the most critical, complex, and delicate accelerator elements to manufacture and assemble is the rad...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-11-01
|
| Series: | Instruments |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-390X/5/4/35 |
| _version_ | 1827671963793883136 |
|---|---|
| author | Toms Torims Guntis Pikurs Samira Gruber Maurizio Vretenar Andris Ratkus Maurizio Vedani Elena López Frank Brückner |
| author_facet | Toms Torims Guntis Pikurs Samira Gruber Maurizio Vretenar Andris Ratkus Maurizio Vedani Elena López Frank Brückner |
| author_sort | Toms Torims |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Continuous developments in additive manufacturing (AM) technology are opening up opportunities in novel machining, and improving design alternatives for modern particle accelerator components. One of the most critical, complex, and delicate accelerator elements to manufacture and assemble is the radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) linear accelerator, which is used as an injector for all large modern proton and ion accelerator systems. For this reason, the RFQ has been selected by a wide European collaboration participating in the AM developments of the I.FAST (Innovation Fostering in Accelerator Science and Technology) Horizon 2020 project. The RFQ is as an excellent candidate to show how sophisticated pure copper accelerator components can be manufactured by AM and how their functionalities can be boosted by this evolving technology. To show the feasibility of the AM process, a prototype RFQ section has been designed, corresponding to one-quarter of a 750 MHz 4-vane RFQ, which was optimised for production with state-of-the-art laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) technology, and then manufactured in pure copper. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first RFQ section manufactured in the world by AM. Subsequently, geometrical precision and surface roughness of the prototype were measured. The results obtained are encouraging and confirm the feasibility of AM manufactured high-tech accelerator components. It has been also confirmed that the RFQ geometry, particularly the critical electrode modulation and the complex cooling channels, can be successfully realised thanks to the opportunities provided by the AM technology. Further prototypes will aim to improve surface roughness and to test vacuum properties. In parallel, laboratory measurements will start to test and improve the voltage holding properties of AM manufactured electrode samples. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:53:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d2a949e820374fd4b7075ec88514ce62 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2410-390X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:53:05Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Instruments |
| spelling | doaj.art-d2a949e820374fd4b7075ec88514ce622023-11-23T08:53:32ZengMDPI AGInstruments2410-390X2021-11-01543510.3390/instruments5040035First Proof-of-Concept Prototype of an Additive Manufactured Radio Frequency QuadrupoleToms Torims0Guntis Pikurs1Samira Gruber2Maurizio Vretenar3Andris Ratkus4Maurizio Vedani5Elena López6Frank Brückner7Centre of High-Energy Physics and Accelerator Technologies, Riga Technical University, Azenes iela 12/1-406, LV-1048 Riga, LatviaCentre of High-Energy Physics and Accelerator Technologies, Riga Technical University, Azenes iela 12/1-406, LV-1048 Riga, LatviaFraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS, Winterbergstraße 28, 01277 Dresden, GermanyCERN, The European Organization for Nuclear Research, 1211 Meyrin, SwitzerlandCentre of High-Energy Physics and Accelerator Technologies, Riga Technical University, Azenes iela 12/1-406, LV-1048 Riga, LatviaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20156 Milan, ItalyFraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS, Winterbergstraße 28, 01277 Dresden, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS, Winterbergstraße 28, 01277 Dresden, GermanyContinuous developments in additive manufacturing (AM) technology are opening up opportunities in novel machining, and improving design alternatives for modern particle accelerator components. One of the most critical, complex, and delicate accelerator elements to manufacture and assemble is the radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) linear accelerator, which is used as an injector for all large modern proton and ion accelerator systems. For this reason, the RFQ has been selected by a wide European collaboration participating in the AM developments of the I.FAST (Innovation Fostering in Accelerator Science and Technology) Horizon 2020 project. The RFQ is as an excellent candidate to show how sophisticated pure copper accelerator components can be manufactured by AM and how their functionalities can be boosted by this evolving technology. To show the feasibility of the AM process, a prototype RFQ section has been designed, corresponding to one-quarter of a 750 MHz 4-vane RFQ, which was optimised for production with state-of-the-art laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) technology, and then manufactured in pure copper. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first RFQ section manufactured in the world by AM. Subsequently, geometrical precision and surface roughness of the prototype were measured. The results obtained are encouraging and confirm the feasibility of AM manufactured high-tech accelerator components. It has been also confirmed that the RFQ geometry, particularly the critical electrode modulation and the complex cooling channels, can be successfully realised thanks to the opportunities provided by the AM technology. Further prototypes will aim to improve surface roughness and to test vacuum properties. In parallel, laboratory measurements will start to test and improve the voltage holding properties of AM manufactured electrode samples.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-390X/5/4/35radio frequency quadrupoleadditive manufacturingpure coppertechnology |
| spellingShingle | Toms Torims Guntis Pikurs Samira Gruber Maurizio Vretenar Andris Ratkus Maurizio Vedani Elena López Frank Brückner First Proof-of-Concept Prototype of an Additive Manufactured Radio Frequency Quadrupole Instruments radio frequency quadrupole additive manufacturing pure copper technology |
| title | First Proof-of-Concept Prototype of an Additive Manufactured Radio Frequency Quadrupole |
| title_full | First Proof-of-Concept Prototype of an Additive Manufactured Radio Frequency Quadrupole |
| title_fullStr | First Proof-of-Concept Prototype of an Additive Manufactured Radio Frequency Quadrupole |
| title_full_unstemmed | First Proof-of-Concept Prototype of an Additive Manufactured Radio Frequency Quadrupole |
| title_short | First Proof-of-Concept Prototype of an Additive Manufactured Radio Frequency Quadrupole |
| title_sort | first proof of concept prototype of an additive manufactured radio frequency quadrupole |
| topic | radio frequency quadrupole additive manufacturing pure copper technology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-390X/5/4/35 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tomstorims firstproofofconceptprototypeofanadditivemanufacturedradiofrequencyquadrupole AT guntispikurs firstproofofconceptprototypeofanadditivemanufacturedradiofrequencyquadrupole AT samiragruber firstproofofconceptprototypeofanadditivemanufacturedradiofrequencyquadrupole AT mauriziovretenar firstproofofconceptprototypeofanadditivemanufacturedradiofrequencyquadrupole AT andrisratkus firstproofofconceptprototypeofanadditivemanufacturedradiofrequencyquadrupole AT mauriziovedani firstproofofconceptprototypeofanadditivemanufacturedradiofrequencyquadrupole AT elenalopez firstproofofconceptprototypeofanadditivemanufacturedradiofrequencyquadrupole AT frankbruckner firstproofofconceptprototypeofanadditivemanufacturedradiofrequencyquadrupole |