An Integrated Support and Alignment System for Large ILC Lattice Elements

The manipulators used to support and position lattice elements are critical components of all particle accelerators. The increased use of large superconducting magnets and accelerator modules places ever greater demands on these manipulators. Unfortunately, the performance of these support systems has not kept pace with the advances made in other areas of accelerator technology, resulting in accelerators that are difficult to align and that may not be capable of achieving target luminosities. This project will develop a new positioning mechanism, the Tri-Sphere System, which will be tailored to the requirements of the International Linear Collider and will provide secure support for large lattice elements and precision adjustment in six degrees of freedom. The system¿s kinematic design will passively guide lattice elements into their correct location during installation, and a complimentary Portable Actuation Unit will provide the advantages of automated adjustment. During Phase I, a full-scale Tri-Sphere mechanism and Portable Actuation Unit will be built and tested; laser target compatibility will be verified; and a control architecture, allowing positional offsets to be entered automatically, will be developed. The manipulator design will be optimized for manufacturability, ensuring a cost-effective solution consistent with ILC budget constraints. Commercial Applications And Other Benefits as described by the Applicant: The Tri-Sphere should be applicable to the new International Linear Collider, which will require over 6,000 support systems. Other proposed DOE projects, such as the Rare Isotope Accelerator, represent additional markets for this technology. In the private sector, the Tri-Sphere System would be a candidate for any application requiring high-precision position control of very large objects: an example of such an application would be the active fixturing of multi-ton jet engines during aircraft manufacturing.