Work performed and main achievements
Our project has achieved significant technological progress across multiple Work Packages.
In WP1, technologies and solutions with higher energy saving potential have been identified by means of a world-wide survey among accelerator operators and subsequently validated using measured data.
WP2 has designed and is currently implementing permanent magnet-based solutions for dipoles and quadrupoles, enabling a constant magnetic field without continuous energy input. A variable magnetic field is then achieved by hybridizing the magnet with electro-mechanical solutions, allowing precise beam control. Additionally, two Solid-State Amplifier solutions are currently under design to replace klystrons as radiofrequency sources, aiming to improve substantially the system efficiency.
WP3 focuses on developing strategies for optimizing accelerator and data centre operations. The proposed artificial intelligence-based approaches enable online beam realignment during operations, decreasing energy waste caused by misalignment. Energy management strategies have also been proposed, including the integration of energy storage systems coupled with renewable sources, and the control of computation power in high-performance computing centres. The goal is to vary the power demand of accelerators and data centres accordingly with the renewable power production.
In WP4, we are developing Digital Twins for accelerators and their connected high-performance computing centres, to integrate them in the energy management strategies of WP3 and the energy analysis of WP5. Furthermore, 24 Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) have been designed and installed at CERN, enabling time-synchronized reading of the electrical grid variables. This allows the detection of fast grid disturbances that conventional measurement approaches cannot capture.
Results beyond the state of the art
The consortium successfully distributed a survey on the components and systems with high energy-saving potential in facilities across the world, providing clear indications of where energy-saving measures are needed. To evaluate these measures, energy sustainability indexes have been proposed. These metrics will be used in our project to assess the achievements in terms of efficiency and sustainability of the developed solutions. The survey and the metrics have not previously been proposed for research infrastructures, and in particular for research accelerators, and they can serve as a reference point for current and future energy-saving measures in accelerators.
Furthermore, the integration of Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) at CERN allows the detection of fast and severe events in the public grid. Since their initial installation, the PMUs have successfully identified a fast voltage drop caused by a fault near CERN´s connection to the public grid, as well as voltage and frequency swing during the Spanish blackout in April 2025. These measurements could not have been captured using conventional measurement systems.