Manufacturing opportunities at the XLZD dark matter search - Introduction
This large-scale and long-term scientific endeavour provides myriad opportunities for UK engineering and manufacturing companies to supply services and equipment into this and other UK Big Science Programmes. UK scientists, with their international collaborators, are embarking on a new quest for the ultimate dark matter experiment, XLZD, to be potentially located at the Boulby Mine on the northeast coast of England. The extremely challenging experiment requirements to reach the science goals provides an opportunity for the industry to get involved in one of the most ambitious science projects in the UK.
We seek industry partners with leading-edge skills and capabilities to join us in this exciting endeavour to make what seems the impossible possible. We are therefore looking for industry partners with experience in providing innovative solutions and in-situ services for the manufacturing of pressurised equipment (pressure vessels, HXs, valves, etc.).
This large-scale and long-term scientific endeavour provides myriad opportunities for engineering and manufacturing companies to supply services and equipment into this and other UK Big Science programmes.
Critical activity section: This exercise is aimed at assessing those essential manufacturing capabilities that reside within the UK’s manufacturing supply-chain in order to develop a manufacturing strategy set by the access boundary conditions of the Boulby mine. This will then help our team to develop a tendering document to manufacture the cryostat (detector) and for UK companies to bid against.
As such, those key manufacturing capabilities we need to source relate to the following:
- Supply of ultra-pure titanium GR1 titanium (see note 1).
- Bulk deformation capabilities that resides within the UK supply-chain capable of rolling pressure vessel strakes and conical transition sections, as well as forming torispherical, ellipsoidal, elliptical, hemispherical heads.
- Fabrication of vacuum vessels using those forms mentioned in point 2 above to create shells with diameters up to 3.6m diameter, lengths of up to 6m, in the thickness range of 13 to 25mm. (Please note here that we are completely open to companies suggesting modular methods to achieve these dimensions – it is after all an exercise to develop a manufacturing strategy.
- The welding of titanium – examples used by the global industry to produce titanium fabrications is given in the supporting spreadsheet attached.
- Supply of cryogenic valves.
- Supply of cryogenic transfer lines.
- Design of cryogenic heat exchangers.
- Supply of pressure relief valves.
- Suppliers who are certified to one or more of the following: PD5500, ASME BPVC-Section VIII Div-1, or EN13445-11.
Note1. The present situation is that we (STFC/RAL and the University of Sheffield) are in detailed discussions with titanium raw material suppliers (not stockists) due to the need to very accurately control of the melt chemistry so we do not require any effort in seeking support on this matter. It is simply presented for importance of clarity.
As such, those key manufacturing capabilities we need to source relate to the following:
- Supply of ultra-pure titanium GR1 titanium (see note 1).
- Bulk deformation capabilities that resides within the UK supply-chain capable of rolling pressure vessel strakes and conical transition sections, as well as forming torispherical, ellipsoidal, elliptical, hemispherical heads.
- Fabrication of vacuum vessels using those forms mentioned in point 2 above to create shells with diameters up to 3.6m diameter, lengths of up to 6m, in the thickness range of 13 to 25mm. (Please note here that we are completely open to companies suggesting modular methods to achieve these dimensions – it is after all an exercise to develop a manufacturing strategy.
- The welding of titanium – examples used by the global industry to produce titanium fabrications is given in the supporting spreadsheet attached.
- Supply of cryogenic valves.
- Supply of cryogenic transfer lines.
- Design of cryogenic heat exchangers.
- Supply of pressure relief valves.
- Suppliers who are certified to one or more of the following: PD5500, ASME BPVC-Section VIII Div-1, or EN13445-11.
Finally, to aid in this activity, if you are interested in this assessment, please download and complete the spreadsheet (scroll to bottom of page)
Please direct all responses and completed spreadsheets to Steve Jones - steven.jones@sheffield.ac.uk
Steve Jones
Dr Steve Jones PhD, CEng, FWeldI
Professor of Joining technologies: Welding, Brazing, Bonding, and Compliance.
University of Sheffield’s AMRC
Advanced Manufacturing Park
Wallis Way, Catcliffe
Rotherham, S60 5TZ
M:+44(0)7738 102073
E: steven.jones@sheffield.ac.uk
Part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult
Discipline lead for Advanced Manufacturing - Nuclear Waste Services Research Support Office
Chair of the HVMC’s Joining Technology Special Processing Group
