SPIDER integrated commissioning

The construction of SPIDER (Source for the Production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from a Radio frequency plasma), the prototype of the full-size, radio frequency, negative ion source of the ITER Heating Neutral Beam Injectors, has been completed at the Neutral Beam Test Facility in Padova (Italy). All SPIDER components have been delivered and have successfully undergone site acceptance tests. The mechanical components (vessel, ion source, accelerator, and calorimeter), power supply systems, auxiliary systems (gas and vacuum and cooling), basic diagnostics (thermocouples, imaging, spectroscopy), control and interlock systems were prepared for operation by means of a step-by-step procedure, referred to as integrated commissioning, aiming to progressively achieve the coordinated interoperation of all SPIDER plant systems. The execution of the integrated commissioning requires a well-defined organization covering personnel safety, shift-based operation, definition of roles and their interaction. The paper, after briefly summarizing the status of the SPIDER experiment, initially focuses on the organization of the integrated commissioning. The execution of the commissioning campaigns is then presented along with the technical and scientific issues encountered and the solutions applied to solve problems. Finally, the paper discusses the transition from the SPIDER integrated commissioning to SPIDER operation.