FAST Project Annual Report 2010

FAST Project Annual Report 2010

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) is a Chinese mega-science project, which aims to build a 500 diameter active reflector radio telescope on a karst depression in Guizhou province of southwest China (Fig. 1), in order to provide large sky-coverage and achieve high sensitivity for astronomical observations.

Figure 1 FAST model

The Project is currently in the construction preparation phase. On site construction and earthwork are expected to start in February, 2011. Major progresses of the project in 2010 are summarized below.

1. Overview

1.1 Project progress

The construction of the local access road was commenced in March 2010, and will be completed in January 2011.

Site exploration and earthwork design have been completed. The contractor for the earthwork was chosen in December 2010, and the construction will start in February 2011.

During 2010, the FAST project has undertaken a series of optimization works based on experimental studies in order to provide technical support to the construction of large scale engineering systems, including manufacture of the aluminum reflector elements and experiment of anchor block; construction of the new 40m scale experimental model with complete mechanisms for the feed cabin suspension system at Miyun station and optimization of the feed support towers; photography measurement; Sino-England-Australia tripartite international cooperation on receivers design, etc.

1.2 Cooperation with Guizhou province

In May 2010, requisition of the land for FAST use has been approved by the Ministry of Land and Resources of China. The project management maintains a constant communication with the Guizhou government, and planning for regional development in Guizhou to support FAST has been initiated.

1.3 Improvement of project management

Several management documents, including “Operational and Management Plan for the FAST Project”, “Report on Starting FAST Construction”, and the associated documents, have been compiled. In September 2010, Project FAST passed the quality audit by the New Age Certification Center.

1.4 Personnel

In 2010, ten new employees joined the FAST team via an open recruitment process. The latest total number of FAST employees is 87.

1.5 Attention from the government officials

In April, Ms. Liu Yandong, the member of Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, inspected the FAST demonstrator at Miyun Station of National Astronomical of Observatories of CAS. In October, Mr. Shi Xiushi, the chairman of Finance and Economics Committee of National People's Congress of China, and Mr. Cao Jianlin，Vice Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology of China, inspected the FAST site at Guizhou province respectively. In December, Mr. Zhan Wenlong, Vice President of Chinese Academy of Sciences, attended a hearing of the report on FAST progress.

2. Research progress and results

2.1 Research progresses

Project FAST consists of six technological systems, namely: site survey and construction; site civil engineering; active reflector system; feed cabin suspension system; measurement and control system; receiver and back-end system.

2.1.1 Site survey and construction

In March, detailed exploration of the depression area was completed. In June, a 1:1000 topographic map of the FAST site was completed. In November, design of site earthwork passed the quality assurance review. The contractor for the site earthwork was determined via a public tender process in December.

2.1.2 Site civil engineering

FAST’s request for construction land use has been approved by the Ministry of Land and Resources of China. Construction of the local access road started in March 2010, and is expected to be finished in January 2011.

2.1.3 Active reflector system

For the reflector cable-net, major progresses include the optimization of the reflector cable-net structure, fatigue test of the main cable, optimization of the cable and cable node structure, etc.

For the reflector element, the design of inequilater reflector element prototype has been finished, and the manufacture of the model is on-going. Back frame of this model has been installed at the FAST site (Fig. 2). After the panel is installed, further tests of this prototype on various wind loads and environment resistances will be carried out.

For the actuator, major works include the manufacture and test of the ground anchor at the site, the actuators and test platform etc（Fig.3）.

Figure 2 Back frame of the prototype of inequilater reflector element at the FAST site

(a) Test of the ground anchor (b) Prototype Test of the actuator

Figure 3 Manufacture and test of the ground anchor and actuator

2.1.4 Feed cabin suspension system

A new 40m scale experimental model with complete mechanisms has been built at Miyun station, and passed the acceptance review in April 2010. Moreover, the two sets of curtain-like hang-up mechanisms connecting power/signal cables have been installed in the Miyun demonstrator, which are functioning well. Test of the optical fiber cable under simulated working condition has been planed.

Figure 6 New 40m scale experimental model with complete mechanisms at Miyun station

The optimization of the support tower base has been accomplished. Moreover, the optimization designs of the cable suspension mechanism and the support tower have passed the final review respectively. In September 2010, the detailed design of feed cabin is contracted to Tshinghua University, which is expected to be finished in the mid-2011.

2.1.5 Measurement and control system

In August, the model machine of the real-time dynamic measurement system of active reflector had passed the final review. The feasibility of the detailed design of such model cooperating with API Company has been confirmed. The manufacture of the model proceeds smoothly.

In December, the study on the total cable-net control of Miyun model based on Ethernet was started. A total of 150 sets of network controller have been tested in lab, including the functional completeness of the control elements, simulation of astronomical observations, and reliability test of network.

In addition, the construction of the base pier for the master control network of FAST measuring basis has been completed, including the site survey, the construction of the base pier, and design of the stability monitor method.

2.1.6 Receiver and back-end system.

The Sino-England-Australia cooperation on the design of the L-band multi-beam receiver continues in 2010. Major progresses include the reliability study on the multi-beam receiver and OMT.

A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) was assigned between NAOC and Sweden to cooperate on the manufacture of the low frequency feed.

There are several on-going works, including the vacuum cryogenic system, low frequency digital transmission via optical fibers, time and frequency system, and design of the digital back-ends.

2.2 Scientific Achievements

2.2.1 Knowledge Innovation Key Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

The project “An Experimental Study of FAST Key Techniques”, a Knowledge Innovation Key Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, passed the final appraisal review in June.

2.2.2 Scientific publications and patents

3. Scientific & technical staff and students

4. International cooperation and exchange programs

4.1 Actively seeking support from the government and working hard to attract talents from overseas

In 2010, a total of 4 foreign experts come to visit FAST for research cooperation, which were funded by the talent recruitment program of CAS. Six seminars were presented by foreign visitors.

In November 2010, two meetings were held at National Astronomical Observatories of CAS, one is the “Workshop on the real-time measurement of the FAST active reflector”, and the other is the “Advisory meeting on processing techniques for FAST reflector”. The oversea experts made many valuable suggestions, which provide good inputs to the subsequent optimization study of FAST.

4.2 Using the strategy of “going out and invite in”, extensive contacts have been established, and substantial exchange and cooperation have been promoted.

In July 2010, a FAST delegation visited NRAO, GBT, Arecibo Observatory and API company. A MOU was signed by NAOC and NRAO to establish a long-term cooperation on science and technology. In August, a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) was signed by NAOC and Sweden to carry out a joint research on the low frequency feed of FAST. Since October, the FAST team has had several video conferences with NRAO engineers to identify mutual interests in eight areas, including receiver, data reduction, EMC, measurement software, etc. Staff visit and student exchange plan have also been discussed.

4.3 Actively participating in international cooperation and promoting
publicity for FAST

In 2010, FAST staff visited overseas for a total of 20 person-times, in which one person-time was for cooperative researches, ten person-times were for international conferences, and nine person-times were for study visits. Through these cooperation activities in various channels, the influence of the FAST project has been promoted.

5. Events

2010.3 Detailed exploration in the depression field was completed.

2010.5 Requisition of the land for FAST use has been approved by the Ministry of Land and Resources of China

2010.6 The experimental study of FAST key techniques, a Knowledge Innovation Key Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, passed the final appraisal.

2010.11 Workshop on the real-time measurement of FAST active reflector was held.

2010.11 Advisory meeting on processing technique of FAST reflector was held.

2010.11 Design of the FAST site earthwork passed the quality assurance review.

2010.12 The contractor of the site earthwork was determined via a public tender process.

6. Contact

National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences

500-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST)

Mailing address: 20A Datun road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Zip code: 100012

Website:

Contact: Yuan Hui,

7. Editorial member and duty editors

Duty Editors: Yuan Hui, Zhang Haiyan, Zhu Ming

Editorial member: Zheng Xiaonian，Zhang Shuxin

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