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Stockli, Martin P

Publications and source records attributed to Stockli, Martin P.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Recent Performance of and Plasma Outage Studies with the SNS H- Source

SNS ramps to higher power levels that can be sustained with high availability. The goal is 1.4 MW despite a compromised RFQ, which requires higher RF power than design levels to approach the nominal beam transmission. Unfortunately at higher power the RFQ often loses its thermal stability, a problem apparently enhanced by beam losses and high influxes of hydrogen. Delivering as much H- beam as possible with the least amount of hydrogen led to plasma outages. The root cause is the dense 1-ms long ~55-kW 2-MHz plasma pulses reflecting ~90% of the continuous ~300W, 13-MHz power, which was mitigated with a 4-ms filter for the reflected power signal and an outage resistant, slightly-detuned 13-MHz match. Lowering the H2 also increased the H- beam current to ~55 mA, and increased the transmission by ~7%.

H- ion source↗
DOE OSTI2015

Recent Performance and Ignition Tests of the pulsed SNS H- Source for 1-MW Neutron Production

After acquiring several reliable spare targets, SNS ramped the beam power from 850 kW to 1.4 MW, which required an increase in H- beam pulse length from 0.88 to 1.0 ms at 60 Hz. This increase initially produced slow 2-MHz power ramp-ups and, after several weeks of uninterrupted operation, it produced plasma outages every time the pulse length was raised above ~0.95 ms. Similar outages were previously observed towards the end of long service cycles, which were believed to indicate that the breakdown voltage of the high purity hydrogen started to exceed the induced electric fields. In 2011 the RF was reconfigured to start with 10 cycles of 1.96 MHz, which yielded the shortest H- beam rise times and apparently eliminated those plasma outages. The new, pulse-length dependent outages were eliminated by increasing the initial frequency to 1.985 MHz. However, careful frequency studies are unable to justify this frequency. In addition, the paper discusses the issues and solutions for the electron-dump voltage, which starts to sag and become unstable after several weeks of high current operation.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Plasma emission spectroscopy for operating and developing the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) H- ion sources

An RF-driven, Cs-enhanced H- ion source feeds the SNS accelerator with a high current (typically >50 mA), ~1.0 ms pulsed beam at 60 Hz. To achieve the persistent high current beam for several weeks long service cycles, each newly installed ion source undergoes a rigorous conditioning and cesiation processes. Plasma conditioning outgases the system and sputter-cleans the ion conversion surfaces. A cesiation process immediately following the plasma conditioning releases Cs to provide coverage on the ion conversion surfaces. The effectiveness of the ion source conditioning and cesiation is monitored with plasma emission spectroscopy using a high-sensitivity optical spectrometer. Plasma emission spectroscopy is also used to provide a mean for diagnosing and confirming a failure of the insulating coating of the ion source RF antenna which is immersed in the plasma. Emissions of composition elements of the antenna coating material, Na emission being the most significant, drastically elevate to signal a failure when it happens. Plasma spectra of the developmental ion source with an AlN chamber and an external RF antenna are also briefly discussed.

Han, Baoxi↗
DOE OSTI2014

Recent Performance of the SNS H- ion source and low-energy beam transport system

Recent measurements of the H beam current show that SNS is injecting about 55 mA into the RFQ compared to 45 mA in 2010. Since 2010, the H beam exiting the RFQ dropped from 40 mA to 34 mA, which is sufficient for 1 MW of beam power. To minimize the impact of the RFQ degradation, the service cycle of the best performing source was extended to 6 weeks. The only degradation is fluctuations in the electron dump voltage towards the end of some service cycles, a problem that is being investigated. Very recently, the RFQ was retuned, which partly restored its transmission. In addition, the electrostatic low-energy beam transport system was reengineered to double its heat sinking and equipped with a thermocouple that monitors the temperature of the ground electrode between the two Einzel lenses. The recorded data show that emissions from the source at high voltage dominate the heat load. Emissions from the partly Cs-covered first lens cause the temperature to peak several hours after starting up. On rare occasions, the temperature can also peak due to corona discharges between the center ground electrode and one of the lenses.

H- source↗
DOE OSTI2014

STATUS OF NEW 2.5 MEV TEST FACILITY AT SNS

A new 2.5MeV beam test facility is being built at SNS. It consists of a 65 keV H- ion source, a 2.5MeV RFQ, a beam line with various beam diagnostics and a 6 kW beam dump. The facility is capable of producing one-ms-long pulses at 60Hz repetition rate with up to 50mA peak current. The commissioning with reduced average beam power is planned for fall 2014 to verify operation of all systems. The full power operation is scheduled to begin in 2015. The status of the facility will be presented as well as a discussion of the future R&D program.

Aleksandrov, Alexander V↗
DOE OSTI2013

Recent Performance of the SNS H-Source for 1-MW Neutron Production

This paper describes the performance of the SNS ion source and LEBT as they continue to deliver ~50 mA H- beams at a 5.3% duty factor required for neutron production with a ~1MW proton beam since the fall of 2009. The source continues to deliver persistent H- beams for up to 6 weeks without adding Cs after an initial dose of ~4 mg, except when there are excessive plasma impurities. In one case the H- beam decayed due to an air leak, which is shown to be consistent with sputtering of the Cs layer, and which allows to bracket the plasma potential. In another case, the performance of two sources degraded progressively, which appears to be consistent with a progressive deterioration of the Cs covered Mo converter. These two and other recently discovered issues are discussed in detail.

Cesium↗
DOE OSTI2013

Workshop on Performance Variations in H- Ion Sources 2012: PV H-12

This paper briefly summarizes a workshop held in Jyvaskyla the day after NIBS 12. The half-day workshop aimed at globally capturing the issue of performance variations in H- sources. There was a focus on production facilities and facilities that work under production like conditions, because there are often high expectations to be met.

cesium↗
DOE OSTI2013

Ion Injectors for High-Intensity Accelerators

With a growing number of applications for ion accelerators, and a growing demand for high ion intensities, often coupled with increasing complex requirements, the ion injector can play a crucial role for the success of such projects. First there is the ion source that has to produce the desired ion specie, with the large variety of desired species requiring vastly different ion sources. In addition, the ion source has to produce those ions with the desired rate and without debilitating impurities, as well as with the desired duty factor. Several examples will show very successful ion sources to become useless when the duty factor is increased because the lifetime and or availability can change drastically. Equally important is the extraction of those ions and their transport to the next stage of acceleration because the slow ion velocities impose a serious challenge to increasing the intensity. As the beam intensity is increased, its emittance, stability, and controllability become increasingly important. This paper cannot cover this subject in depth. It tries to give a flavor of the complexities and to serve as an introduction to further reading and studies.

Intense low-energy ion beam↗
DOE OSTI2012

H{sup -} radio frequency source development at the Spallation Neutron Source

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) now routinely operates nearly 1 MW of beam power on target with a highly persistent {approx}38 mA peak current in the linac and an availability of {approx}90%. H{sup -} beam pulses ({approx}1 ms, 60 Hz) are produced by a Cs-enhanced, multicusp ion source closely coupled with an electrostatic low energy beam transport (LEBT), which focuses the 65 kV beam into a radio frequency quadrupole accelerator. The source plasma is generated by RF excitation (2 MHz, {approx}60 kW) of a copper antenna that has been encased with a thickness of {approx}0.7 mm of porcelain enamel and immersed into the plasma chamber. The ion source and LEBT normally have a combined availability of {approx}99%. Recent increases in duty-factor and RF power have made antenna failures a leading cause of downtime. This report first identifies the physical mechanism of antenna failure from a statistical inspection of {approx}75 antennas which ran at the SNS, scanning electron microscopy studies of antenna surface, and cross sectional cuts and analysis of calorimetric heating measurements. Failure mitigation efforts are then described which include modifying the antenna geometry and our acceptance/installation criteria. Progress and status of the development of the SNS external antenna source, a long-term solution to the internal antenna problem, are then discussed. Currently, this source is capable of delivering comparable beam currents to the baseline source to the SNS and, an earlier version, has briefly demonstrated unanalyzed currents up to {approx}100 mA (1 ms, 60 Hz) on the test stand. In particular, this paper discusses plasma ignition (dc and RF plasma guns), antenna reliability, magnet overheating, and insufficient beam persistence.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Producing persistent, high-current, high-duty-factor H{sup -} beams for routine 1 MW operation of Spallation Neutron Source (invited)

Since 2009, the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) has been producing neutrons with ion beam powers near 1 MW, which requires the extraction of {approx}50 mA H{sup -} ions from the ion source with a {approx}5% duty factor. The 50 mA are achieved after an initial dose of {approx}3 mg of Cs and heating the Cs collar to {approx}170 deg. C. The 50 mA normally persist for the entire 4-week source service cycles. Fundamental processes are reviewed to elucidate the persistence of the SNS H{sup -} beams without a steady feed of Cs and why the Cs collar temperature may have to be kept near 170 deg. C.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Plasma-Wall Interactions in the Cesiated SNS H- Ion Source

High-current H- ion beams are needed to drive high-power accelerators as well as to heat future fusion reactors with neutral beams. The most productive H- sources enhance the production of H- ions with caesium. Cs lowers the work functions of the metal walls, which increases the probability of ions to capture a second electron when bouncing back from the metal plasma walls. However, caesium also causes voltage break downs that can be severe and cause significant downtime. SNS has developed a frugal caesium management, which uses a single injection of ~4 mg of caesium to produce ~50 mA of H- beam without decay for up to 6 weeks. This paper presents calculations and experimental data, which suggest the persistence of the caesium enhanced H- beams are due to 1) thermally limiting the Cs emission, and 2) conditioning for high purity hydrogen plasma, which eliminates the sputtering of Cs by non-hydrogen ions, and 3) hydrogen ions being too light to sputter Cs.

ion source↗
DOE OSTI2012

Producing Persistent, High-Current, High-Duty-Factor H- Beams for Routine 1 MW Operation of SNS

Since 2009, SNS has been producing neutrons with ion beam powers near 1 MW, which requires the extraction of ~50 mA H- ions from the ion source with a ~5% duty factor. The 50 mA are achieved after an initial dose of ~3 mg of Cs and heating the Cs collar to ~170 C. The 50 mA normally persist for the entire 4-week source service cycles. Fundamental processes are reviewed to elucidate the persistence of the SNS H- beams without a steady feed of Cs and why the Cs collar temperature may have to be kept near 170 C.

Cesium↗
DOE OSTI2012

Low-energy beam transport studies supporting the Spallation Neutron Source 1-MW beam operationa

The H- injector consisting of a cesium enhanced RF-driven ion source and a 2-lens electrostatic low-energy beam transport (LEBT) system supports the Spallation Neutron Source 1-MW beam operation with ~38 mA beam current in the linac at 60 Hz with a pulse length of up to ~1.0 ms. In this work, two important issues associated with the low-energy beam transport are discussed: 1) inconsistent dependence of the post-RFQ beam current on the ion source tilt angle, and 2) high power beam losses on the LEBT electrodes under some off-nominal conditions compromising their reliability.

Han, Baoxi↗