Component Prototyping for the China Spallation Neutron Source Project

The China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) complex consists of an H(-) linear accelerator, a rapid cycling synchrotron accelerating the beam to 1.6 GeV, a solid tungsten target station and instruments for spallation neutron applications. The facility operates at a 25-Hz repetition rate with an initial design beam power of 120 kW and is upgradeable to 500 kW. The primary challenge is to build a robust and reliable user-friendly facility with upgrade potential at a fraction of the "world standard" cost. Success of the project relies on the results of prototyping research & development (R&D) of key technical systems and components. This paper discusses the prototyping experiences of the past two and a half years.