1. 1 MICE absorbers work package MPB – 27/10/15 Mike Courthold Mark Tucker Phil Warburton Steve Watson

2. Contents Absorber-FC integration progress Absorber preparation Testing Installation into FC and beamline Liquid hydrogen infrastructure progress System modifications Testing Lithium hydride absorber Schedule and resourcing 2

3. Absorber preparation Absorber delivered from KEK Re-wrapped superinsulation to original specification Best two windows (002 & 003) assembled onto absorber vessel 3

4. Testing Safety window burst test Window 012 pressurised with air until failure Reached 7.66 bar – this validates interpretation of FEA results Absorber window pressure test Absorber pressurised to 2.2 bar gauge, looking for evidence of permanent deformation with a laser tracker Some hysteresis in measurement but within error bars of instrument Leak test of indium seals Used helium leak detector in “sniff” mode – no measureable leak 4

5. Installation into FC 5 Tested assembly inserted into bore using custom-made jig Pipes fitted – some minor ‘modifications’ required to avoid touches End cap did not fit (not really understood) so stand-off made to give more internal clearance Safety windows fitted (009 & 014)

6. LH2 system mods 6 Two major modifications recommended by Jan 2015 review Hydrogen to be stored in bottles external to Hall, not hydride bed Vacuum pumping line to be used as relief line in event of absorber window rupture

7. System testing 7 Pumping for several weeks – only reached 3 x10 -4 mbar, suggestive of water in MLI Purge successfully completed on 21/10/15, similar progression to R&D tests Helium cooldown commenced on 21/10/15 Cryocooler is operating well, although the first stage looks to be under no load Absorber body is cooling very slowly – next step is to try LN2 pre-cool KEK hydrogen cooldown

8. Lithium hydride absorber 8 Still in delivery barrel with argon blanket replenished regularly Support structure in design phase at Oxford and RAL Manufacture can be accelerated rapidly when schedule for installation is clear

9. Schedule 9 Prove cryogenic operation-13 th Nov Safety sign-off-11 th Dec WG revived and walkthrough-6 th Nov (WGM) Draft paperwork submission-20 th Nov (WGM) System commissioning (leak/pressure test etc)-20 th Nov Address snagging items & WG sign-off-4 th Dec (WGM) Director sign-off-11 th Dec Hydrogen operation (estimated) Cooldown time-7 days Liquefaction time-3 days WGM = working group meeting