MYRRHA was promoted by ESFRI (European Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructure) in 2010 as a high priority large infrastructure, designed to be able to operate as an accelerator driven sub-critical system (ADS) and to demonstrate the feasibility of ADS transmuter systems at industrial scale, which would be able to close the fuel cycle of fission Generation.
The goal of the H2020 project MYRTE (MYRRHA Research and transmutation Endeavour) that will last 48 months, is to perform the necessary research in order to demonstrate the feasibility of transmutation of high-level waste at industrial scale through the development of the MYRRHA research facility. ADEX will be in the MYRTE Consortium together with SCK•CEN, CEA, CERN, CIEMAT, CNRS, Thales and other European entities.
The largest work package of MYRTE, WP2, is dedicated to the accelerator R&D for MYRRHA with a 5.3 M€ Budget. The contents of the work package has been defined following the recommendations of the FP7 MAX project final report and addresses the topics that have been identified as priority ones to successfully pursue the research, design and development of the MYRRHA accelerator and prepare for its actual construction.
During the MAX project an ADEX system enhanced the stability and control precision of the CTS (Cold Tuning System) loop and demonstrated to be a reliable control system under unforeseen perturbations that resulted in the PID control system losing control of the cavity´s variables. The CTS loop performance is critical for the operation of the cavities of a linear accelerator (LINAC) and, therefore, for the performance of the whole accelerator.
ADEX will contribute to Task 2.5 of MYRTE “Control system development in a highly reliable accelerator context”. We quote from the accepted MYRTE Proposal: “The essential role of the accelerator control system and its very tightly connected timing system can hardly be overemphasized…. The use of intelligent regulation loops will be compulsory for obtaining the required stability levels in terms of beam power and position on target…..ADEX will participate to develop and test intelligent regulation (e.g. beam current control).”
The Grant Agreement between EURATOM and the MYRTE Consortium was signed in May 11, 2015, and the Kick-off meeting for Task 2.5 was held in Paris the past 15th and 16th of June. The meeting was opened by Jean-Luc Biarrotte, MYRTE WP2 leader, who warmly welcomed all the participants of this kick-off meeting that represents, in the continuity of the MAX project, the start of a very interesting new working period for the MYRRHA accelerator R&D.