US turns gold mine into giant fridge to hold 15,000 tons of liquid argon at -303°F
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Two GTT cryostats, supported by red steel outer frames, contain DUNE prototype detectors at CERN.Jim Shultz, Fermilab Scientists in the United States are making efforts to tackle a colossal engineering challenge. They are building massive, super-cooled containers to hold liquid argon for a flagship physics experiment. The challenge is to contain over 15,000 tons of liquid argon that must be kept at minus 303 degrees Fahrenheit for a science experiment. Significant experiment The effort is part of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, a nonfictional experiment with detectors that will be immersed in huge baths of cryogenic liquid argon, which is going the opposite direction — down. “By going underground, the DUNE detectors in South Dakota will significantly reduce cosmic backgrounds,” said Vincent Basque, Fermilab researcher. “This allows us to study neutrinos sent from the Fermilab beam in Illinois with high precision, detect neutrinos from astrophysical sources like the sun or a nearby supernova, and search for other extremely rare processes.” The team also pointed out that DUNE is the most sensitive experiment ever conceived for learning about the origins of the universe from the properties of neutrinos, the first particles emitted by the Big Bang. Experiment needs to shield its particle detectors from the cosmic rays The experiment needs to shield its particle detectors from the cosmic rays constantly streaming through space and bombarding the Earth, lest they overwhelm and mask the relatively faint signals the experiment aims to capture. So DUNE researchers will build and run these detectors at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, underneath a mile of earth that will absorb most of the cosmic traffic, according to a press release.
The team is currently preparing to install two of these multi-kiloton detector modules using variants of liquid-argon time-projection chamber (LArTPC) technology. International collaborators hope to contribute an additional two modules in the coming years. Each module will be housed in an insulating container called a cryostat that is nearly 500,000 cubic feet in size — roughly the same volume as five Olympic-size swimming pools. Far from being available at your local hardware store, CERN has contracted with GTT, a company that designs cryostats for shipping liquefied natural gas, to design the cryostats. GTT has been designing smaller cryostats for CERN experiments since 2007. CERN, the largest European center for nuclear research that is collaborating on DUNE, is contributing the cryostats for the experiment, as per the release. “It’s the first time we will do something this big,” said Lluís Miralles Verge, the leader for the experiment’s cryostat project at CERN. “The DUNE LArTPCs will be installed in caverns that can only be reached via a deep shaft. Making this possible has required detailed and precise design and logistics planning.” The team revealed that to achieve leakproof liquid and vapor containment, in addition to adequate insulation and support, the DUNE cryostats are composed of several layers. GTT’s tried-and-true design is of a style known as a membrane cryostat, because of the innermost layer that forms a membrane to contain the liquid cryogen. This layer, and all the others, come down the shaft in pieces and are assembled in the detector cavern, starting with the outer structure. Completion of the inner portions of a DUNE cryostat requires more than 5,000 individual pieces. “The DUNE prototypes at CERN have been invaluable,” said David Montanari, cryogenics project manager for DUNE. “They have demonstrated that the detector elements, cryostats, and cryogenics work together properly, giving us confidence that the DUNE far detector cryostats will perform flawlessly.” Recommended ArticlesGet the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Sign up for freeBy subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and PoliciesYou may unsubscribe at any time.0COMMENTByPrabhat Ranjan MishraPrabhat, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, is a tech and defense journalist. While he enjoys writing on modern weapons and emerging tech, he has also reported on global politics and business. 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