Electrical heat tracing for optimum vacuum conditions
Heating mats and heating sleeves in the world’s largest physics laboratory
CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire – European Organisation for Nuclear Research) is currently the largest research centre in the field of particle physics. At the European nuclear research centre near Geneva in Switzerland, fundamental physics research is carried out and the structure of matter is investigated using large particle accelerators. CERN currently has 23 member states. Over 14,000 visiting scientists from 85 nations are working on CERN experiments.
At CERN, proton beams are accelerated to near the speed of light using large particle accelerators in a high-purity vacuum and brought into collision. A wide variety of different detectors then reconstruct the trajectories of the particles produced in the collisions. From this, conclusions are drawn about the properties of both the colliding particles and the newly created ones.
The most significant particle accelerator at present is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The 27-kilometre-long ring, which cost 1.9 billion euros, was commissioned in 2008.
Heating along the vacuum pumps and pipework systems
To ensure that the experiments at CERN in Switzerland run smoothly, a vacuum is created in the particle accelerator. An electric trace heating system is used to create and maintain this vacuum. The heating prevents condensation from forming and protects pumps, pipes and valves from freezing.
eltherm’s electric heating system consists of handcrafted, bespoke and precisely fitted heating mats and sleeves. They are used at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to heat the vacuum pumps and vacuum chambers, the pipework systems and all the pumps. They ensure the optimal conditions for a high-purity vacuum by heating the vacuum system to 300 °C.
eltherm has so far supplied approximately 3,500 heating mats and sleeves to CERN. In the company’s own sewing workshop, the heating cables – which are manufactured in-house – are sewn onto the backing fabric of the mats and sleeves, together with the appropriate insulation. They offer many advantages: heating mats and sleeves are easy to fit, have a long service life and, thanks to their precise fit, ensure effective, uniform heating. They can also be removed for maintenance work, just like a tailor-made suit.
This small detail in the world’s largest particle physics laboratory is of great importance to experimental physicists, as they require a perfect and precise working environment to ensure their experiments function correctly.
Key facts
- made to measure
- easy to fit
- removable and reusable
- long service life
- optimal heat distribution
- Operating temperatures from 0° to 450 °C
- Suitable for use in potentially explosive atmospheres
FAQ
A vacuum is defined as a space that is largely devoid of air or, in technical terms, a space in which matter is largely absent.
A technical vacuum is created when a pump removes molecules from an enclosed space. Pumping creates a negative pressure, i.e. a pressure lower than the ambient pressure. The process of creating a vacuum is also known as ‘evacuation’.
In the Large Hadron Collider (LHC for short), an ultra-high vacuum must be maintained in the beam pipes. Vacuum pumps are used to evacuate the beam pipes. To protect all the pumps and pipework and prevent condensation from forming, electric trace heating from eltherm is used, which heats the system to 300 °C.
