FAST Project Annual Report 2009
I. Summary of FAST project development in 2009
1. Conceptual design optimization
Leaded by the project manager department, the FAST project has undertaken a series of
optimization works of the conceptual design based on experimental studies during 2009 in
order to provide technical support for the construction of large scale engineering systems,
including the later phase of detailed measurement of the telescope site, survey and
construction; manufacture of the reflector elements and actuator prototypes; design
optimization of the feed support towers and primary cable support system; photography
measurement; early science studies, Sino-England-Australia tripartite international
cooperation on receivers design, etc. These optimization works will reduce the cost of the
FAST project and improve the operability of the technology.
2. Completion of detailed site survey
May 14 of 2009 marked the official launch of the tender process for the FAST site survey.
Following the procedure of tender award, opening and evaluation, the Institute for
Construction Engineering Exploration of Guizhou (GZCEI) was finally selected as the tender
for the detailed survey of the FAST construction site. From August 6 to November 24, 2009,
a total of 111 days, GZCEI completed 204 borehole drilling and the total drilling footage
reached 6426 meters. On December 30, 2009, a final report of the detailed land survey was
formally submitted to the FAST project.
3. The land use procedures
In December 2009, FAST’s application for the usage of forest land was approved by the State
Forestry Administration, and a related application was also approved by the National Land
Agency of Guizhou. In December 2009, an application for construction land use was
submitted to the Ministry of Land and Resources.
4. Construction of the local access road
In August 2009, drawing design for the FAST site local access road was contracted to the
Qiannan Transportation Design Institute. In October 2009, the road survey and measurement
were completed; On December 18, construction drawing design and budget plan were
completed and successfully passed the design review chaired by the Department of
Transportation of Qiannan; In December 2009, the Department of Transportation of Qiannan
was appointed as the construction owner’s agent to start the early phase of construction
preparation.
5. Logistic construction
Under the guidance of the Project Coordination Office, the Institute of Science of Guizhou
University was contracted to build an office building for FAST project in Guizhou in August
2009. By December 2009 the main building was completed and can now provide office space
and accommodation to FAST staff.
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Concerning the poor working and living environment at the telescope site Daiwodang, the
project management is actively preparing the construction of an on-site office building for the
FAST project. By the end of 2009, site preparation for the construction was roughly
completed. In January and February 2010, the ground cement layout and fencing wall had
been completed. As a plan, all the construction work is expected be finished by early April
2010.
II. Major research works
1. NSFC key project “Giant radio telescope (FAST) design and key technology study" (Grant
number: 10433020) passed the acceptance review on March 13.
2. Key directional project of CAS intellectual innovation program“Experimental study of
FAST key technology” (Grant number: 10433020) has been successfully completed and is
now waiting for acceptance review.
3. Statistics of scientific publications
Number of SCI
papers
8
Number of EI
papers
1
Citations
Papers published
domestically
Number
of
patents
9
4
14
III. Major development of individual sub-system
FAST project consists of seven technological sub-systems, namely: 1. site survey and
construction; 2. site civil engineering; 3. mechanical and electrical system; 4. structure system;
5. feed support system; 6. measurement and control system; 7. receiver and back-end system.
1. Site survey and construction system
Major developments include: successful completion of detailed survey work for FAST project;
optimization of the construction center, test and remap of the 1:1000 topographic map;
ground penetrating radar exploration of the foundation of the feed support towers (started on
30 November 2009, completed on 20 December 2009).
Figure 1 Photos of the detailed survey at the site
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2. Site civil engineering system
2.1 Application for construction land use: measurement and mapping of the boundary,
multi-term evaluation and demonstration, and completing the reports.
2.2 Design of the local access road: geological mapping, construction drawing design and
budget planning, initiating the construction and tender for supervision.
3. Mechanical and electrical system
3.1 Theoretical and technological study
Major works include: optimization of the design of the reflector element, optimization of the
structure of the reflector cable network and the force in the cables, numerical simulation of
the wind environment of FAST, analysis of the “solar oven effect” of FAST, design of the
actuator prototypes, design of the test platform for testing the cable tension, calculation of the
position of the ground anchor points at the site.
3.2 Prototype testing and manufacturing
Major works include: manufacture and test of aluminium reflector element prototypes,
manufacture and test of actuators and test platform, manufacture of the support frame of the
reflector element, manufacture of the ground anchor for the site, manufacture of various nodes
and sample steel structures.
Figure 2 The prototype of the aluminium reflector
4. Structure system
Major works include: study of the scheme for large zenith angle position switching, ground
anchor testing, study of the back frame, study of the seismic resistance of the cable network
structure, study of fatigue behaviour of the cable network, numerical simulation of the wind
environment, sensitivity analysis of inhomogeneous temperature field, etc.
5. Feed support system
5.1 The development of the integrated feed support system on the Miyun demonstrator was
completed.
5.2 Design work for the real scale 500-meter telescope, which includes: mountain spot survey
and optimization of the tower base, design of the support towers, design of the cable driving
system, design of the cabin and fine-tune platform.
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Figure 3 Integrated 6-tower model of the Miyun Feed support demonstrator
6．Measurement and control system
6.1 Technological study
This mainly includes: design of the fiducial network and global positioning system (GPS)
experiment; experiment of the orientation measurement of the feed support unit; experiment
of the cabin cable damping; API (automated precision incorporation) experiments; global
network control of the Miyun demonstrator; measurement of the reflector element shape;
dynamic measurement of the reflector.
6.2 Domestic and International Cooperation
October 22.2009, cooperation framework agreement between NAOC and Automated
Precision Incorporation (API) was signed.
July 22, 2009, collaboration agreement with USTC (university of science and technology of
China) was successfully completed.
7. Receiver and back-end system
7.1 Study of the L-band multi-beam receiver front-end
The Sino-England-Australia cooperation continues in 2009—a tripartite tele-conference was
held in April 2009. A plan for studying the wide band feed array was initiated, and a related
research contract was being prepared. This contract was finally signed in October 2009.
7.2 Manufacture of low frequency feed
7.3 Vacuum cryogenic system
7.4 Low frequency digital transmission by optical fibers
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7.5 Time and frequency system
7.6 Design of the digital back-end
IV. Research team and personnel training
The total
number
of staffs
The
number
of senior
staff
The number
of
intermediate
staff
The
number
of junior
staff
Others
Graduated
Masters
postgraduate
student
Postdoc
68
36
10
12
10
5
15
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V．International cooperation
1. Actively seeking the support from the government. Working hard to attract foreign
talents.
In year 2009, FAST project invited a total of 9 foreign experts for research visits through the
talent recruitment project of CAS. Six seminars were given by foreign guests. On July 1st,
2009, a three-members delegation from South Africa visited NAOC and discussed the key
technologies of large radio telescopes with related FAST staff. On November 24-26, 2009,
“FAST structural design and experiment discussion and advisory conference” was held at
NAOC. The Experts made many valuable suggestions, which provide good reference for the
follow-up optimization study of FAST.
2. Using the strategy of “going out and invite in”, extensive contacts have been
established, and substantial exchange and cooperation have been promoted.
There were two international joint research programs in 2009: (1) the cooperative framework
arrangement between FAST and the US company API on measurement solution and related
instrument development. The two sides will cooperate in the design of real time dynamic
measurement solutions as well as in the development of corresponding instruments for the
FAST telescope; (2) In October, 2009, cooperation agreement between FAST and Australia’s
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) on the design of
feed array/polarizer was signed, in which the two sides will cooperate in the design of low
frequency feeds. Both of these two agreements are now on –going.
3. Actively participating in international cooperation and promoting publicity
The chief engineer of FAST project Nan Ren-Dong chaired the radio astronomy division of
international astronomical union (IAU) in 2006-2009. This is the first time for a Chinese
astronomer to take position at this level. Dr. Peng Bo worked as a member of the executive
committee of square kilometer array (SKA) for the term 1999-2011. In 2009, FAST staff
visited abroad for a total of 13 person-times, in which 2 person-times were for cooperative
researches, 7 person-times were for international conferences, and 4 person-times were for
study visits. Through these cooperation activities in various channels, the influence of FAST
project was promoted. On July 19, 2009, the American Journal “Science” once again reported
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the progress of NAOC’s FAST project.
VI. Events
2009.3.13 Acceptance review meeting of the national natural science foundation key project;
2009.8.19 First work meeting of the Office of FAST Project Management;
2009.10.22 Cooperation framework agreement between NAOC and automated precision
incorporation (API) was signed;
2009.11.24 Discussion and advisory meeting on FAST structure design;
2009.12.8 On-site acceptance review meeting of the detailed survey of FAST telescope site.
VII. Contact
National astronomical observatories, Chinese academy of sciences
500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope (FAST)
Mailing address: Da Tun road A 20, Chao Yang district, Beijing
Zip code: 100012
Homepage: http://www.bao.ac.cn/bao/LT/
Contact: Liu Na, nliu@bao.ac.cn
VIII. Editorial board and editors in charge
Editors in charge: Liu Na, Zhang Haiyan, Zhu Ming
Editorial Board: Zhang Shuxin
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