DRIVE UNIT DRIVE UNIT POSITIONING SYSTEM

2017 - 2021 | ESS Bilbao

Engineering support services for the definition of the requirements, preliminary and detailed design, analysis of the model for the balancing and positioning system of the ESS target and manufacturing of a Drive Unit.

The Target wheel is essential to the fundamental purpose of the ESS facility in that it is the source of the neutrons produced during the spallation process as a result of the interaction with the 2 GeV 5 MW proton beam generated by the ESS linear accelerator. The wheel and shaft systems are contained within the target monolith, which is located in the Target building at the end of the accelerator-to-target (A2T) area.

The complete system has a mass of around 17 Tn and rotates to 14/36Hz. All the system weight lays on a ball bearing of axial thrust, and this onto a balancing system. Due to the great weight of the system and its harsh performance conditions (radiation and temperature) the balancing system is a crucial component in the installation.

The system is divided into three parts: Target vessel, Target shaft and Drive Unit.

AVS is in charge of the Drive Unit. The project is divided onto three different phases:
1. Revision of the conceptual design and preliminary 2D drawings
2. Re-design of the initial design complying with the RCC-MRx standard for nuclear environment, definition of the manufacturing requirements and creation of the manufacturing data package (BTP)
3. Manufacturing of the parts.

Client: ESS BIlbao