Civil construction continues ahead of schedule; significant technical installations complete

FRIB construction continues to move ten weeks ahead of schedule, with an increasing number of technical installations enabling technical milestones.

The Advanced Room-TEMperature Ion Source (ARTEMIS) platform is complete, which enabled ARTEMIS to make its first beam on 14 October (see related story). On 29 September, the first of 48 cryomodules was installed in FRIB’s linear accelerator tunnel (see related story).

Additionally, the radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) has been delivered and will take approximately two weeks to assemble. The RFQ prepares the beam for further acceleration in the linac.

The high-voltage platform low-conductivity water (LCW) skids have been installed and commissioned. They have been piped to the high-voltage platforms utilizing chilled water from a temporary 20-ton chiller. The LCW skids remove particles from the water to bring the conductivity of the water down to a level that is acceptable for the equipment. 

Warm-helium piping installation continues in the compressor room and the cold-box room. Non-conventional utilities (NCU) piping is currently 82 percent complete, and is continuing in the target facility and ground floor.

On the building exterior, metal panel installation progresses on the west side, roofing continues on the east side of the target facility, and stone caps are being set at the planter walls.