22.03.2011

First accelerator module from Saclay arrived at AMTF

Last Thursday, the first European XFEL accelerator module, assembled at Saclay, was delivered at DESY and unloaded in the AMTF hall. In the “Accelerator Module Test Facility“, all cavities and accelerator modules of the later serial production will be tested under operating conditions before being installed into the European XFEL tunnel.

The PXFEL2_1 module is unloaded with the AMTF hall crane ...

Module PXFEL2_1 is a prototype module for future serial production. Last summer, after the assembly and test at DESY, the complete module was transported to CEA-Saclay in France, the site where all European XFEL accelerator modules will be mounted as from 2012. At Saclay, the prototype module PXFEL2 was dis- and reassembled completely, except for the chain of eight superconducting cavities. The purpose was testing of the Saclay assembly lines as well as training of the assembly staff. After the reassembly by a mixed team of Saclay and DESY staff members, the module was named PXFEL2_1.

At its return to DESY, the approx. 7.5-tonnes and approx. 12-metres long module was unloaded from the truck with the AMTF hall crane. This was the first time that unloading took place under real-life conditions, with the components and facilities provided for the future series modules.

PXFEL2_1 was placed on the first of three roller bearings which will later transport the modules on rails to their test benches. The roller bearings, installed just in time by the Budker Institute of Russia, and the test benches’ rail system are now submitted to a load test and calibrated. The next step is to test the technical features of the pilot module at the CMTB (Cryo Module Test Bench) while the assembly of the components for the accelerator modules’ serial tests in the AMTH hall is proceeding according to plan.

... and mounted on the roller bearings of the test stand.