Engineering topics

McGee, Kellen

Publications and source records attributed to McGee, Kellen.

8 records

DOE OSTI2024

Development of a half-meter scale Traveling-Wave (TW) SRF cavity

Traveling-wave technology can push the accelerator field gradient of niobium SRF cavity to 70MV/m or higher beyond the fundamental limit of 50~60MV/m in Standing-Wave regime. The 1st demonstration of TW resonance excitation in a proof-of-principle 3-cell SRF cavity in 2K liquid helium was successfully carried out at Fermilab in collaboration with Euclid Techlabs. In parallel with that, the RF design process of 0.5~1 meter scale TW cavity was begun at Fermilab for advancing TW technologies necessary more for future accelerator-scale one. Considering the physical dimensions of existing SRF facilities (for fabrication, processing, and cryogenic testing) and the lessons learned from the 3-cell, Fermilab has proposed a preliminary RF design of a half-meter scale TW SRF cavity. It consists of a 7-cell structure and a power feedback waveguide (WG) loop with new RF configurations to control TW resonance. Here we report a preliminary RF design, development plans, and activities.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Flux Expulsion Studies of Niobium Material of 650 MHz Cavities for PIP-II

Two different vendors supplied the niobium sheet material for PIP-II 5-cell 650 MHz cavities, which was characterized by multiple different ASTM sizes. Cavities subsequently fabricated from these sheets were heat-treated at various temperatures, then the cavities’ flux-expulsion performance was measured. Where the initial measurements of vendor O materials showed that nearly all flux remained trapped despite a high thermal gradient, 900C heat treatment subsequently improved the flux expulsion to an acceptable rate. Understanding and characterizing vendor O materials in this way is key for upcoming and future projects planning to employ niobium sheet from this supplier.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Medium Temperature Furnace Baking of Low-beta 650 MHz Five-cell Cavities

Medium Temperature baking of low beta 650 MHz cavities was conducted in a UHV furnace. A systematic study of cavity surface resistance components, residual and BCS, was conducted, including analyzing surface resistance due to trapped magnetic flux. Cavities showed an average 4.5 nano-ohm surface resistance at 17 MV/m under 2 K, which meets PIP-II specifications with a 40% margin. The results provided helpful information for the PIP-II project to optimize the cavity processing recipe for cryomodule application. The results were compared to the 1.3 GHz cavity that received a similar furnace baking.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

The Evaluation of Mechanical Properties of LB650 Cavities

The 650 MHz cavities have a stronger requirement of niobium mechanical properties because of the geometric shape of the cavity due to reduced beta. The mechanical property of the niobium half-cell was measured following various heat treatments. The 5-cell cavities were tested in a controlled drop test fashion and the real-world road test. The result showed that the 900C heat treatment was compatible with cavity handling and transportation during production. The test provides the bases of the transportation specification and shipping container design guidelines.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Developments Towards FRIB Upgrade to 400 MeV/u for Heaviest Uranium Ions

High-Q₀ medium-velocity (beta opt = 0.6) 5-cell elliptical cavities for superconducting linacs are critical technology for advancing current and future projects such as the Proton Improvement Plan II linac and the proposed energy upgrade of Michigan State University’s Facility For Rare Isotope Beams linac, FRIB400. Previous work established the validity of the novel geometry of the FRIB400 prototype 644 MHz 5-cell elliptical β = 0.65 cavities for future high Q₀ development. In collaboration with FNAL, two leading-edge high-Q₀ recipes, N-doping and Mid-T baking, were tested in the 5-cell format. 2/0 N-doping + cold electropolishing was successful at achieving FRIB400 and PIP-II Q₀ requirements, achieving an unprecedented 3.8 x 10¹⁰ at 17.5 MV/m, satisfying the FRIB400 Q₀ requirements by 1.75 times in a low-gauss environment. Mid-T baking exceeded FRIB400 Q₀ requirements by 1.4 times, and benefitted from decreased residual resistance compared to the N-doped cavity test. Systematic ultrasonic thickness measurements in single-cell revealed bulk (150 microns) EP with the modified EP tool is consistent across the inner surfaces of the cavity walls.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2022

First N-Doping and Mid-T Baking of Medium-ß 644 MHz 5-Cell Elliptical Superconducting RF Cavities for Michigan State University’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

Two hadron linacs currently under development in the US, the PIP-II linac at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) and the upgrade for Michigan State University’s Facility For Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), will employ 650 and 644 MHz ß-0.6 elliptical superconducting cavities respectively to meet their design energy requirements. The desired CW operation modes of these two linacs sets Q-factor requirements well above any previously achieved for cavities at this operating frequency and velocity, driving the need to explore new high-Q treatments. The N-doping technique developed at FNAL and employed at an industrial scale to the LCLS-II cryomodules is a strong candidate for high-Q treatments, but work is needed to refine the treatment to the lower operating frequency and velocity regime. We present the first results of the first N-doping tests and a "mid-T" bake test in the FRIB 644 MHz 5-cell elliptical cavities.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Toward Qualifications of HB and LB 650 MHz Cavities for the Prototype Cryomodules for the PIP-II Project

High-beta (HB) and low-beta (LB) 650 MHz cryomodules are key components of the Proton Improvement Plan II (PIP-II) project. In this contribution we present the results of several 5-cell HB650 cavities that have been processed and tested with the purpose of qualifying them for the prototype cryomodule assembly, which will take place later this year. We also present the first results obtained in LB650 single-cell cavities process optimization. Taking advantage of their very similar geometry, we are also analyzing the effect of different surface treatments in FRIB’s 5-cell medium-beta 644MHz cavities. Cavities processed with N-doping and mid-T baking showed very promising results in term of both Q-factors and accelerating gradient for these low-beta structures.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Surface processing and discharge-conditioning of high voltage electrodes for the Ra EDM experiment

The Ra EDM experiment uses a pair of high voltage electrodes to search for the atomic electric dipole moment of 225 Ra. We use identical, plane–parallel electrodes with a primary high gradient surface of 200 mm 2 to generate reversible DC electric fields. Our statistical sensitivity is linearly proportional to the electric field strength in the electrode gap. We adapted surface decontamination and processing techniques from accelerator physics literature to chemical polish and clean a suite of newly fabricated large-grain niobium and grade-2 titanium electrodes. Three pairs of niobium electrodes and one pair of titanium electrodes were discharge-conditioned with a custom high voltage test station at electric field strengths as high as +52.5 kV/mm and –51.5 kV/mm over electrode gap sizes ranging from 0.4 mm to 2.5 mm. One pair of large-grain niobium electrodes was discharge-conditioned and validated to operate at ±20 kV/mm with steady-state leakage current ≤ 25 pA (1σ) and a polarity-averaged 98 ± 19 discharges per hour. These electrodes were installed in the Ra EDM experimental apparatus, replacing a copper electrode pair, and were revalidated to ±20 kV/mm. Here, the niobium electrodes perform at an electric field strength 3.1 times larger than the legacy copper electrodes and are ultimately limited by the maximum output of our 30 kV bipolar power supply.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗