ESS Bilbao
logo
MEBT Assembly at ESS Bilbao premises
1
Target Wheel installation at ESS. Image courtesy of ESS
2
RFQ sector at the ESS Bilbao R&D facility
3
Pic legend 1: MEBT Assembly at ESS Bilbao premises
Pic legend 2: Target Wheel installation at ESS. Image courtesy of ESS
Pic legend 3: RFQ sector at the ESS Bilbao R&D facility

General information

  • Hosting Organisation
    ESS Bilbao
  • Adress
    Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, calle Laida Bidea 207 B semisótano 2, 48160 Derio, Vizcaya España
  • Web
    http://www.essbilbao.org/

Description

ESS Bilbao is a public consortium of the Spanish and Basque governments, bringing knowledge and added value in particle accelerator and neutron scattering science and technologies; by leveraging its In-Kind Contributions to the European Spallation Source ERIC, in Lund (Sweden).

Main equipment or Facilities

ESS Bilbao has an R&D Centre at the Bizkaia Technology Park and an Advanced Welding Facility (AWF) at Jundiz (Vitoria) hosting the support laboratories and the infrastructures developed within its in-house projects:

- Injector: composed by an Ion Source Hydrogen Positive (ISHP) – ECR type; and a LEBT (Low Energy Beam Transport) producing a pulsed proton beam at 45 KeV, 40 mA, up to 2.84 msec, 50 Hz. Other light ions production include He+, N+, O+, Ar+, Kr+, Xe+, Ne+.

- RFQ (Radio Frequecy Quadrupole): able to accereate, bunch and focuss the protons from 45KeV to 3MeV. First segment tested, 2nd,3rd and 4th segments under manufacturing.

- RF Test Stand: a fully equipped high power RF test stand, providing up to 3MW peak at 352 MHz, for testing and conditioning of RF components such as power couplers, cavities, etc.

- Integration laboratory: Covering interceptive and non-interceptive beam instrumentation, a broad range of magnets design and RF technologies for particle accelerators. Electromagnetic design and simulations, RF measurements, cavity characterization, electronics, and controls. Local protection system, machine protection system and high level integration are also included.

- Vacuum laboratory and NDTs; having all the capabilities to ensure the compatibility and correct operation of components working under Ultra High Vacuum environment (<10- 7 mbar), including vacuum gauge calibration, leak detection and outgassing testing. Also, capabilities of NDT on visual inspection, pressure testing and ongoing penetrant liquids.

- Advanced welding Facility (AWF): Electron-beam welding, vacuum brazing furnace, clean room, metrology, for specialized welding processes of different metals and ceramics and a broad range of dimensions.

Projects under Development

ESS Bilbao is the organization in charge of channeling all Spanish contributions to the European Spallation Source ERIC. The scientific and technological advances that are being generated as part of the design, production and testing that are currently being carried out at the ESS Bilbao facilities (ion injector, RF, electronics and vacuum laboratories...) will play a key role in the ESS project. ESS Bilbao contributes in all ESS technical areas, making its contribution to the European source project with the design, manufacturing, testing and delivery of all work packages committed to accelerator (MEBT and RF systems), target (wheel, monolith, windows…) and instruments (MIRACLES).
Likewise, ESS Bilbao, as a reference center in neutron techniques and particle accelerators, participates in other large European projects such as ITER, IFMIF-DONES, ISOLDE (CERN) or Mhyrra (SCK/CEN).
Furthermore, in recent years, ESS Bilbao has been actively collaborating with several European centers in the development of HiCANs (Hich Current Compact Accelerator-Based Neutron Sources) within the framework of the ELENA association (European Low Energy Accelerator-Based Neutron Facilities Association). . ELENA promotes cooperation within Europe in the field of neutron sources based on an accelerator and a low-energy reaction to produce neutrons. Thus ESS Bilbao has proposed, together with BCMaterials, CFM and INEUSTAR, the ARGITU project to build a neutron source in the Basque country. The initial phase of this "Argitu-Zero" project (Ion Source – LEBT – RFQ – MEBT, together with a small target and a station for neutron detection) is already underway.

Technology Capabilities

Design, prototyping, manufacturing, testing of components, subsystems and systems for particle accelerator, target and neutron instruments, as well as for Fusion Projects.
AWF Advanced Welding Facility: Electron Beam Welding (EBW) and brazing.
Vacuum laboratory and NDTs

Summary of Research Services

Design, prototyping, manufacturing, testing of components, subsystems and systems for particle accelerator, target and neutron instrumen

Procurement process

Public procurement procedures are conducted by ESS Bilbao according to the Spanish Law (Law 9/2017 of 8 November on public sector contracts). This policy applies to all contracts signed with regional, national and international companies. ESS Bilbao has also joined the Spanish Public Procurement Platform.