High performance controls architecture for real-time non-Boolean interlocks using PLCs for ESS Target system

Abstract

The 600m long linear accelerator of the European Spallation Source ERIC, transporting a 5MWatt proton beam from the source to the target station, is currently under construction in Lund (Sweden) and plans to start neutron production in 2020. In order to protect the equipment from damage and to take the appropriate actions required to minimise recovery time, a dedicated set of Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) based interlock systems is being designed. The target protection system represents one part of the machine protection in the overall ESS protection architecture. Its main purpose is to provide dependable and, if possible, predictive interlocking for the target station and the associated subsystems (i.e. monolith, wheel, moderator-reflector system, beam extraction systems and cooling systems) in case of malfunctioning, by taking the appropriate actions to bring the machine into a safe state. This goal implies non-Boolean complex computations in real-time with critical constraints. To achieve this goal, an initial framework based on the last generation of PLCs and networking components (cluster solution) is presented. This framework is based on Siemens Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) portal with Step 7 programming environment, PROFINET fieldbus networking and intelligent devices (I-devices).