Public Abstract

DE-SC0024564: Enhancing Domestic Production of Superconducting Undulators (GACP 20020891)

Award Status: Active

Institution: General Atomics, San Diego, CA
UEI: TVRYQ3N3B8H5
DUNS: 067638957

Most Recent Award Date: 09/27/2024
Number of Support Periods: 2
PM: Ginsburg, Camille

Current Budget Period: 09/01/2024 - 08/31/2025
Current Project Period: 09/01/2024 - 08/31/2026
PI: Norausky, Nikolai

Supplement Budget Period: N/A

Public Abstract

Project Objectives: The proposed program seeks to evolve the current state of superconducting undulator magnet (SCU) design created by ANL into an industrialized prototype design with a universal cryomodule that is optimized for fabrication. SCUs are currently produced in small quantities in a laboratory environment at ANL. SLAC is investigating the use of SCUs for future upgrades to Linac Coherent Light Source to provide users with a wider range of beam parameters and more capacity. No United States (U.S.) industrial supplier base exists to provide additional supply to meet the market demand. Under this proposed effort, the SCU design will be developed to a sufficiently mature manufacturing readiness level, whereby they would be poised for further prototype development on a path to competitive procurement for full series production by a broad pool of potential U.S. suppliers. Project Description: The key technology area addressed in this proposal is superconducting magnets, specifically SCUs. SCUs are a critical enabling technology for next-generation x-ray free electron lasers (FELs), but their manufacturing maturity requires further development to meet the market demand. Liquid helium cryogen-cooled SCU cryomodules offer significant efficiency benefits for FELs over cryogen-free cryomodules (those with cryocoolers) because a central cryoplant could cool a long line of multiple SCUs in an FEL. The key elements of this partnership involve: 1) the transfer of SCU manufacturing technologies from the national laboratories to GA, serving as an industrial partner; 2) GA’s optimization of the design of SCUs for large-quantity fabrication to reduce risk and cost in the manufacturing process; and 3) research and development at ANL and SLAC to facilitate large-quantity SCU fabrication. Among key technologies to be developed in this program are short-period SCUs using niobium-titanium (NbTi) superconductor and high temperature superconductors, and an advanced cryomodule design that allows interconnecting multiple SCUs to form a long undulator for FELs. At the end of the one-year program proposed herein, a manufacturing scale-up assessment for an industrialized high-field, short period NbTi SCU will have been performed, with a clear path for prototype design development and construction of integrated SCU modules. Project’s Potential Impact: There is a substantial demand for SCUs in the U.S. and throughout the world, and the U.S. is at risk of falling behind other countries in development and deployment of SCU technology in advanced light sources, such as among U.S. national laboratories. The team proposed herein – GA, ANL, and SLAC – is strongly motivated to address that need. Upon completion of the multi-year effort, the design and manufacturing maturity of the SCUs will have reached a point where U.S. commercial suppliers could be invited to participate in competitive procurement of these novel advanced undulators at U.S. Department of Energy light sources.

Project Objectives:
The proposed program seeks to evolve the current state of superconducting undulator magnet (SCU) design created by ANL into an industrialized prototype design with a universal cryomodule that is optimized for fabrication. SCUs are currently produced in small quantities in a laboratory environment at ANL. SLAC is investigating the use of SCUs for future upgrades to Linac Coherent Light Source to provide users with a wider range of beam parameters and more capacity.
No United States (U.S.) industrial supplier base exists to provide additional supply to meet the market demand. Under this proposed effort, the SCU design will be developed to a sufficiently mature manufacturing readiness level, whereby they would be poised for further prototype development on a path to competitive procurement for full series production by a broad pool of potential U.S. suppliers.

Project Description:
The key technology area addressed in this proposal is superconducting magnets, specifically SCUs. SCUs are a critical enabling technology for next-generation x-ray free electron lasers (FELs), but their manufacturing maturity requires further development to meet the market demand. Liquid helium cryogen-cooled SCU cryomodules offer significant efficiency benefits for FELs over cryogen-free cryomodules (those with cryocoolers) because a central cryoplant could cool a long line of multiple SCUs in an FEL.
The key elements of this partnership involve: 1) the transfer of SCU manufacturing technologies from the national laboratories to GA, serving as an industrial partner; 2) GA’s optimization of the design of SCUs for large-quantity fabrication to reduce risk and cost in the manufacturing process; and 3) research and development at ANL and SLAC to facilitate large-quantity SCU fabrication. Among key technologies to be developed in this program are short-period SCUs using niobium-titanium (NbTi) superconductor and high temperature superconductors, and an advanced cryomodule design that allows interconnecting multiple SCUs to form a long undulator for FELs. At the end of the one-year program proposed herein, a manufacturing scale-up assessment for an industrialized high-field, short period NbTi SCU will have been performed, with a clear path for prototype design development and construction of integrated SCU modules.

Project’s Potential Impact:
There is a substantial demand for SCUs in the U.S. and throughout the world, and the U.S. is at risk of falling behind other countries in development and deployment of SCU technology in advanced light sources, such as among U.S. national laboratories. The team proposed herein – GA, ANL, and SLAC – is strongly motivated to address that need. Upon completion of the multi-year effort, the design and manufacturing maturity of the SCUs will have reached a point where U.S. commercial suppliers could be invited to participate in competitive procurement of these novel advanced undulators at U.S. Department of Energy light sources.