FRIB Project Overview
Big Ten & Friends Conference
Chris Thronson
FRIB Conventional Facilities and Infrastructure
Deputy Director and Project Engineer
Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
 FRIB will be a $730 million national user facility funded by the Department of
Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC), Michigan State University, and the State of
Michigan
 FRIB Project completion date is June 2022, managing to an early completion in
December 2020
 FRIB will serve as a DOE-SC national user facility for world-class rare isotope
research supporting the mission of the Office of Nuclear Physics in DOE-SC
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 2
FRIB Enables Scientists to Make Discoveries
Properties of atomic nuclei
• Develop a predictive model of nuclei and their interactions
• Many-body quantum problem: intellectual overlap to mesoscopic
science, quantum dots, atomic clusters, etc.
Astrophysics: What happens inside stars?
• Origin of the elements in the cosmos
• Explosive environments: novae,
supernovae, X-ray bursts …
• Properties of neutron stars
Tests of laws of nature
• Effects of symmetry violations are
amplified in certain nuclei
Societal applications and benefits
• Medicine, energy, material
sciences, national security
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 3
Nuclear Science Research and Innovation
 Innovation boosts the national economy and provides an improved
quality of life for society.
 Examples of innovations made possible by nuclear science research
• Radiocarbon dating
• Medical CT scanners and MRI imaging
• Modern oil and gas exploration
• Disease-resistant crops and food preservation
• Radiation detectors at airports
• Modern computer processors
 FRIB will allow our nation to maintain leadership in rare isotope
science.
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 4
Basic Research in Rare Isotopes Leads
to Applications for Society
 Medical applications
• Isotopes for medical research
• Medical imaging and treatment of cancer and tumors
 Energy
• Reliable calculation of fission and energy generation
• Allow mechanisms of radiation damage to be studied in detail
• Sensitive probes for the development of new materials, e.g. lithium-film
batteries
 Homeland security and defense
• Detectors at borders and throughout the country to detect nuclear material
and components
• Nuclear scanning techniques to screen cargo and luggage
• Nuclear forensic methods to track and trace nuclear material
 Workforce
• Development of talent for technical, medical, security, and industrial fields
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 5
Optimized for Science with Fast, Stopped
and Reaccelerated Rare Isotope Beams
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 6
Benefits for Michigan
 Current economic impact in Michigan (2009-2014)
• $132.7M in procurements
• $152M in employee salaries
 Within the next 10 years (Anderson Economic Group)
• More than 5,000 one-year construction jobs
• Estimated $600 million in design, engineering and construction costs
• 400 knowledge-economy jobs; 180 at FRIB, 220 in related industries
• $187 million in state tax revenues
• $1 billion in total economic activity
 Transition to knowledge economy
• Destination for top scientists to conduct research and educate next generation
of technology workers
» More than 1,300 members of FRIB User Group ready to conduct science
• From 92 U.S. colleges and universities, 10 national labs, 51 countries
» Programs and tours to actively engage undergraduates and high school students
• No. 1 ranked nuclear science graduate program, U.S. News & World Report
• MSU educates 10% of nation’s nuclear science PhDs annually
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 7
Potential for Economic Development
 Technology spinoff and manufacturing
• Case study: Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab), Newport News, Virginia
» $679.1M in economic output and 4,422 jobs annually
» $271.1M output and 2,200 jobs in the state
» $217.6M and 1,968 jobs remain in metro region
• From 2010 Economic Impact Analysis
 University Research Corridor (URC)
• Generated $15.5 billion in economic impact statewide, exceeded $2 billion in
annual research expenditures and awarded more than 31,600 degrees in
2012 (urcmich.org)
 Lansing Area Economic Partnership (LEAP) identifying and developing
opportunities in mid-Michigan
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 8
Procurement in Michigan
 FRIB uses best-value procurement approach and desires to establish
long-term relationships with qualified suppliers
 Michigan has proven to be great resource
 $423.0M spent and obligated since 2009, $285.1M (67%) in Michigan
FRIB and NSCL Spending since 2009
Michigan
$285.1M (67%)
Other States
$106.8M (26%)
Other Countries
$31.1M (7%)
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 9
Working with Michigan People
and Businesses
 FRIB uses best-value procurement approach and desires to establish
long-term relationships with qualified suppliers
 Working with many businesses around the state, giving them a chance
to bid on key parts of the project
• “Doing Business with FRIB” link on frib.msu.edu
• Vendor meetings
 Construction
• Michigan-based Architect/Engineer – SmithGroup
• Michigan-based Construction Manager – Barton Malow
 Opportunities
• Technology spinoff and manufacturing
• Working with MSU Technology on commercialization
• Strong relationships with MEDC, Chamber of Commerce
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 10
Strong Regional Base of Skilled Workforce
Supports Civil Construction
Map points represent locations of
companies that have supported
civil construction to date
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 11
Domestic Manufacturing Key to FRIB Success
Transferring Technology to Industry Enhances Project Success
Master slave manipulator (Redwing, MN)
Cryomodule (Merrill, MI)
SRF cavity (Brownsburg, IN
and Medford, NY)
Non-conventional utilities tanks (Tomahawk, WI)
Bottom loading port
Embeds (Tonawanda, NY and South Holland, IL) (Merrill, MI)
4.5 K cold box (Tulsa, OK)

Shield glass window
(Kent, WA)

ASD source wire
(Waterbury, CT
and Shrewsbury, MA)
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 12
MSU is Ready to Deliver FRIB
 MSU has a 50-year history in accelerator-based science
 MSU has the leading rare isotope research group in the country
 MSU won FRIB in an
open competition in 2008
 FRIB project is wellmanaged and receives
very good reviews from
DOE
 FRIB civil construction
began in March 2014
 FRIB technical
construction started
in October 2014
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 13
MSU Adds Value to FRIB
 Michigan State University is one of the top research universities in the
nation. With 15 concentrations of colleges on the MSU campus, East
Lansing can offer a vast array of interdisciplinary interactions among
scientists, professors, and scholars.
 East Lansing has a history of attracting scientists from around the world
to come work and use the National Superconducting Laboratory
(NSCL) and it will carry on the tradition with FRIB
 NSCL to FRIB transition: World-leading science on day one of FRIB
operation
 The community is welcoming and supportive of FRIB, as it was with
NSCL. Citizens celebrate the benefits of having a nuclear research
facility on the MSU campus.
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 15
Final Civil Design
New Construction
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 16
Civil Construction Moving Forward
 Civil construction began in March 2014
FRIB construction site – March 2015
Web cams at frib.msu.edu
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 20
Construction Progress
Structural steel on east end
Pouring the final foundation slab
Concrete formwork in target area
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 21
Construction Fun Facts
Concrete
Reinforcing Steel
Structural Steel
(cubic yards)
(tons)
(tons)
40,350
2,800
2,800
Excavated Soil for
Tunnel/Target
Backfill at
Tunnel/Target
(cubic yards)
(truckloads)
147,803
85,815
(3,625 truckloads)
(2,145 truckloads)
Anticipated labor hours during construction – 899,800
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 22
Putting it in Perspective
This is how high the
pile of soil would be
if placed in one
location
Earthwork
Cubic yards = 147,803
Top of pile = 175 feet
Truckloads = 3,625
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 23
Final Technical Design Underway
 R&D and preliminary technical design are complete
 Final technical design underway
 Technical construction started in October 2014
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 24
FRIB Project is on Schedule and Budget
 Project started in June 2009
• Michigan State University selected to design and establish FRIB after rigorous merit-review
process
• Cooperative Agreement signed by DOE and MSU in June 2009
 Conceptual design completed; CD-1 approved in September 2010
 Preliminary technical design, final civil design, and R&D complete
 CD-2/3a approved in August 2013
• Project baseline and start of civil construction upon further notice from the DOE-SC
 Civil construction began March 3, 2014
 Final technical design underway
 CD-3b review in June 2014
 Managing to early completion in 2020
• CD-4 (project completion) is 2022
 Cost to DOE - $635.5 million
• Total project cost of $730M includes $94.5M cost share from State of Michigan and MSU
• Value of MSU contributions above cost share exceeds $265M
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 25
1300 Users Engaged and Ready for Science
www.fribusers.org
 Users are organized as part of the independent
FRIB Users Organization (FRIBUO)
• Chartered organization with an elected executive committee
• 1386 members (92 U.S. colleges and universities, 10 national laboratories, 51
countries) as of August 2014
• 19 working groups on instruments
 Science Advisory Committee
• Review of equipment initiatives
(February 2011)
• Review of FRIB integrated design
(March 2012)
• Review of equipment working group
progress (October 2013)
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 26
Working with the Best in the U.S. and World
13 Active Work-for-Others Agreements and 14 Active MOUs
 Argonne National Laboratory (3+1*)
• Liquid lithium charge stripper;
Stopping of ions in gas; fragment
separator design; beam dynamics; SRF
 Brookhaven National
Laboratory (3)
• Radiation resistant magnets; plasma charge
stripper*
 Fermilab (1)
• Diagnostics
 Jefferson Laboratory (4)
• Cryogenics; SRF
 Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory (2*)
• ECR ion source; beam dynamics*
 Oak Ridge National Laboratory (2)
• Target facility; beam dump R&D
 Budker Inst. of Nuclear Physics (Russia)
• Production target
 GANIL (France)
• Production target
 GSI (Germany)
• Production target
 Legnaro (Italy)
• SRF
 RIKEN (Japan)
• Charge strippers
 Sandia
• Production target*
 Soreq (Israel)
• Production target*
 TRIUMF (Canada)
• SRF
 Stanford National Accelerator Lab. (2*)
• SRF multipacting*
* complete
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 27
Summary
 FRIB is a game changer for nuclear science
• World’s most powerful rare isotope research facility
• Users are engaged and ready for science
 FRIB will benefit the nation, Michigan, and MSU
• Job creation
» Construction jobs now
» Knowledge economy jobs and talent in the future
• Enhance national and international image
 FRIB is managed well and transparently
• FRIB gets excellent reviews
• Very good relations with MSU, DOE-SC, State of Michigan, and region
 Civil construction started in March 2014
 Final technical design is underway
 Technical construction started in October 2014
C. Thronson, FRIB Project Overview, 11-12 May 2015, Slide 28