Present status and test result of 1MW proton beam injection of liquid hydrogen circulation system of J-PARC high intensity neutron source

Aso, Tomokazu ; Teshigawara, Makoto   ; Muto, Hideki*; Aoyagi, Katsuhiro*; Takada, Hiroshi   

Liquid hydrogen (20 K, 1.4 MPaG) is employed as a cold neutron moderator material at the 1 MW spallation neutron source of Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). The cryogenic hydrogen system, combined with a helium refrigerator, was adopted to generate a liquid hydrogen circulation flow (185 g/s). Since January 2015, a pressure drop gradually increased between heat exchangers HXs) and an adsorber (ADS) in the helium refrigerator for each operation, causing the refrigerator performance degradation. The performance of helium refrigerator could be recovered as a result of countermeasures focused on accumulated oil removal, such as cleaning the inside HXs and exchanging the ADS at 2016 summer shutdown, however the detailed cause is still in doubt. On the other hand, a long run stable operation could be secured over 175 days in 2018. Just end of long run operation, a first high-intensity-beam injection with 1MW beam power was also carried out for one hour aiming to confirm the refrigerator performance according to design requirement.