The ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility (NBTF), called PRIMA (Padova Research on ITER Megavolt Accelerator), is hosted in Padova, Italy and includes two experiments: MITICA, the full-scale prototype of the ITER heating neutral beam injector, and SPIDER, the full-size radio frequency negative-ions source. The NBTF realization and the exploitation of SPIDER and MITICA have been recognized as necessary to make the future operation of the ITER heating neutral beam injectors efficient and reliable, fundamental to the achievement of thermonuclear-relevant plasma parameters in ITER. This paper reports on design and R&D carried out to construct PRIMA, SPIDER and MITICA, and highlights the huge progress made in just a few years, from the signature of the agreement for the NBTF realization in 2011, up to now-when the buildings and relevant infrastructures have been completed, SPIDER is entering the integrated commissioning phase and the procurements of several MITICA components are at a well advanced stage.

The ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility (PRIMA) is presently under construction at Consorzio RFX (Padova, Italy). PRIMA includes two experimental devices: an ITER-size ion source with low voltage extraction, called SPIDER, and the full prototype of the whole ITER Heating Neutral Beams (HNBs), called MITICA. The purpose of MITICA is to demonstrate that all operational parameters of the ITER HNB accelerator can be experimentally achieved, thus establishing a large step forward in the performances of neutral beam injectors in comparison with the present experimental devices. The design of the MITICA extractor and accelerator grids, here described in detail, was developed using an integrated approach, taking into consideration at the same time all the relevant physics and engineering aspects. Particular care was taken also to support and validate the design on the basis of the expertise and experimental data made available by the collaborating neutral beam laboratories of CEA, IPP, CCFE, NIFS and JAEA. Considering the operational requirements and the other physics constraints of the ITER HNBs, the whole design has been thoroughly optimized and improved. Furthermore, specific innovative concepts have been introduced.

The ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility (PRIMA) is planned to be built at Consorzio RFX (Padova, Italy). PRIMA includes two experimental devices: a full size ion source with low voltage extraction called SPIDER and a full size neutral beam injector at full beam power called MITICA. SPIDER is the first experimental device to be built and operated, aiming at testing the extraction of a negative ion beam (made of H⁻ and in a later stage D⁻ ions) from an ITER size ion source. The main requirements of this experiment are a H⁻/D⁻ extracted current density larger than 355/285 A m⁻², an energy of 100 keV and a pulse duration of up to 3600 s. Several analytical and numerical codes have been used for the design optimization process, some of which are commercial codes, while some others were developed ad hoc. The codes are used to simulate the electrical fields (SLACCAD, BYPO, OPERA), the magnetic fields (OPERA, ANSYS, COMSOL, PERMAG), the beam aiming (OPERA, IRES), the pressure inside the accelerator (CONDUCT, STRIP), the stripping reactions and transmitted/dumped power (EAMCC), the operating temperature, stress and deformations (ALIGN, ANSYS) and the heat loads on the electron dump (ED) (EDAC, BACKSCAT). An integrated approach, taking into consideration at the same time physics and engineering aspects, has been adopted all along the design process. Particular care has been taken in investigating the many interactions between physics and engineering aspects of the experiment. According to the ‘robust design’ philosophy, a comprehensive set of sensitivity analyses was performed, in order to investigate the influence of the design choices on the most relevant operating parameters. The design of the SPIDER accelerator, here described, has been developed in order to satisfy with reasonable margin all the requirements given by ITER, from the physics and engineering points of view. In particular, a new approach to the compensation of unwanted beam deflections inside the accelerator and a new concept for the ED have been introduced.