Technical Support Division
Introduction
The mandate of the ST Division is to provide technical support for existing accelerators and related experimental areas, for LHC and other projects, in the fields of civil engineering, cooling with air and demineralized water, electrical installations, transport and handling, access control, gas and fire detection and monitoring of the technical infrastructure. In addition, ST Division is responsible for the management of facilities related to buildings, such as heating, air-conditioning, low-voltage electrical systems, cleaning and landscape maintenance.
The mandate covers investment made over 45 years, amounting in value to some 3500 MCHF. Such a patrimony needs maintenance and consolidation; it is the basis for CERN’s ongoing developments in accelerators and experimental areas.
Proper operation and maintenance of these facilities and adaptation to changing requirements implies the need for sound resources management in terms of staff and budget allocations.
The maintenance work, together with part of the operation duties, is carried out by industrial support contractors and, though some of the contracts have been recently retendered, a significant number of tasks will soon be regrouped in a smaller number of larger contracts.
The expected reduction in staff numbers over the next years is a major managerial challenge, giving the opportunity to adapt the staff’s technical profile, to continue and rationalize the outsourcing programme.
The following table summarizes the general parameters and the investment cost of equipment under the responsibility of ST Division.
General parameters and investment cost
Activities
The ST Division’s activities are in three domains.
Support for Existing Accelerators and Areas
The following systems are operated and maintained: cooling, air-conditioning and ventilation systems, electrical supply and distribution, heavy handling cranes and lifts, access control systems of the SPS and PS machines and related experimental areas. In the operation field, the Technical Control Room (TCR), plays an important co-ordination role.
The detailed study for a simplified and modernized cooling and drinking water distribution system over the CERN sites was concluded and the related work started in 1999 and concluded in 2001, except for some improvements for the PS and some work for LHC cooling systems.
The Cooling group is also involved together with the Services Industriels de Genève (SIG) in the overhaul and modernization of the water pumping and treatment plant at Vengeron and Tuileries on the lakeside. This will lead to a complete renewal of the primary cooling systems for the machines and drinking water distribution. This in turn has motivated a critical examination of CERN’s water consumption which has led to the proposal to close all water cooling circuits in loops equipped with cooling towers. This project allows two essential improvements following substantial technical and financial investment.
General Parameters Investment
MCHF Surface buildings
Tunnels Roads
570 54 km 23 km
1300 1200 50 Vehicles
Lifts
2500 310
100
Access control 65
Fluids distribution piping Heating plants
CV equipment
300 km 70 MW
550
Main substations and reactive power compensation High-voltage network
Low-voltage distribution Control
84 120 75 6
First, the total CERN water consumption will be halved and the Peney water sources can be ‘moth-balled’
as a tacit reserve and thus a considerable renovation programme of these installations can be avoided. Second, the water distribution and supply systems will be completely modernized.
LHC Machine and Experimental Areas
A significant budget will be committed to the LHC project, mainly in civil engineering, cooling and ventilating, and electrical equipment, with a high peak of work in 1999/2003 for the three ‘lots’ of civil engineering work. All the work must be carried out, in accordance with the LHC machine and caverns construction schedule, by the end of 2004/2005.
In 2001 the work for the LHC Project comprised the principal task of the Civil Engineering group and a major one for the Cooling and Ventilation group which are in charge of accommodating the requirements of the LHC equipment programme of two underground caverns for ATLAS and CMS experiments and the numerous and complex buildings at the surface necessary for both the experiments and the accelerator. There was a great deal of interaction between the Civil Engineering group, CV, HM, EL and AA groups, the accelerator specialists and the experimentalists to determine the optimum lay-out of caverns, tunnels and surface buildings within the constraints of stringent budget limitations.
A major contribution to LHC is the ST participation in the French Installations Nucléaires de Base (INB) preparatory work.
General Services to the CERN Community
The Technical Facilities Management group (TFM) is the centre of all the general services to divisions. It calls upon the services, provided through its contracts, for the execution of the work and avails itself of the advice and guidance of other specialized ST groups. This group has carried out the reorganization of the CE works and maintenance contract and the study for outsourcing the entire activity.
Reorganization Actions
To ensure a coherent and homogeneous technical approach to the work, the following initiatives have been studied and implemented:
– A study aimed at rationalization and regrouping of the civil engineering contracts, at opening the possibility of competing to various Member States, was carried out and the Market Survey was sent out in early 2001. The call for tenders was sent out in late 2001 and the adjudication took place in December 2001.
– A study aimed at rationalizing and regrouping facilities management activities in a unique contract was carried out in 2001 and the corresponding Market Survey sent out in late 2001.
– The Monitoring and Operation (MO) and Alarms and Access (AA) groups have been merged to realise major synergies in their work.
– The technical profile of ST staff has been adapted with appropriate recruitment.
– Initiatives have been taken to improve the ST Division’s external and internal communication and collaboration and to increase staff motivation:
– An annual ST Workshop has been organized each February since 1998 and a new one is scheduled in 2002.
– The principal partners of ST are invited to participate in order to start, improve, or establish the necessary technical and human dialogue at various levels.
– The expected return in terms of communication, motivation, elimination of taboos is significant for a reasonable cost.
– The work of two technical committees created in 1997, one dedicated to machine operation and maintenance and the LHC project, the ST Technical Committee, the second to general services problems, General Services Technical Committee, has been very satisfactory.
Management and Organization
Safety
Safety problems in general have been addressed in collaboration with groups. A comprehensive edition of the divisional safety plan and a guide to establish the prevention plan for category 2 contracts have been prepared and made available on the Web. The group has verified and advised ST groups that prevention plans have been established with contractors.
Administration
General administrative support has been given concerning personnel matters.
The group ensures that the Finance Committee receives the correct and most up-to-date information concerning the forthcoming calls for tenders, and that contractors are followed up through the process of tendering, from the market survey to the signing of the contract.
DI group administers the division and carries out all the necessary work related to personnel files, travel and school reimbursements, overtime payments, and ST inventory co-ordination.
Training and Quality
The group followed up the individual training plans through the Training Officer. Supervisors and individuals are currently advised.
The group has been heavily involved in INB work for LEP dismantling.
Concerning quality, the group sees its role as supporting the other groups and functioning as a ‘catalyst’ for the implementation of the procedures in the quality manual.
Alarms and Access
General
The present mandate of the group comprises:
– Definition, procurement, installation, testing and maintenance of fire and gas leak detection and of evacuation systems for all CERN premises, accelerators, and experiments.
– Transmission of safety alarms (level-3 alarms) to the Fire Brigade.
– Definition, procurement, installation, testing and maintenance of controlled access systems for the site and building surveillance (SUSI) as well as for CERN’s radiation areas (ZORA).
– Documentation and implementation of recommendations of the French authorities concerning the Installations Nucléaires de Base (INB).
– Intensive collaboration with CERN safety officers (TIS, GLIMOS, DSO, TSO, etc.) and with the Fire Brigade.
These activities are carried out by two sections:
– Safety Alarm section (AS): Fire/Gas detection, oxygen deficiency detection, safety alarm transmission.
– Access Control section (AC): Safety systems for accelerators and experimental areas (access control and beam interlock). Site access control.
Safety Alarm
The scheduled long-term equipment renewal programme continues. During the year, several fire detection installations were replaced on the Meyrin site. Renewal of safety systems in Meyrin and Prévessin was started but will slow down in 2002 due to budgetary restrictions.
Interventions by the Fire Brigade on alarm systems due to spurious alarms were more numerous, mostly due to the LEP dismantling.
Safety requirements for the LHC underground areas were determined. The requirements for alarm and evacuation systems for the LHC machine and experiments are still under analysis in several working groups.
The first alarm systems have been installed on the LHC surface buildings (points 5 and 18)
A contract for the maintenance of all fire and gas detection systems was signed and successfully put into operation.
A Market Survey (MS-2891/ST) was sent out in order to select firms capable of supplying the alarm systems for the LHC experiments (SNIFFER project). Three companies were selected and have provided a prototype currently under evaluation. The call for tender is in preparation.
Access Control
Site and Building Access Control and Surveillance
During the year 2001, the surveillance of the site was undertaken by two contracts: a base contract for all CERN sites and one for the LEP/LHC with a special assistance to the LEP dismantling project (traceability).
The base contract that covers surveillance, lock-smithing, reception, and record keeping produced 24 000 access cards, and 12 000 car stickers, satisfied 2800 requests for keys, and labelled 14 000 doors.
The new contract for the supply and maintenance of the access control systems was put in operation in early 2001. Several projects were launched to equip Bldgs. 513, 613, 31 and the ISOLDE area with new access systems. The access control systems of SMA18 and the LEP sites were adapted to cope with the construction phase of the LHC. A feasibility study was made to provide CERN with new electronic locks compatible with the CERN access cards.
The necessary maintenance data started to be identified in collaboration with the contractor GTD.
Safety Systems for Accelerators and Experimental Areas PS
In addition to the usual consolidation and maintenance of the PS safety systems, the removal of all the access control racks from the MCR was completed.
SPS
The SPS access system was extended to the ECX4, TT40, TI2. The functional safety study of the SPS safety systems was started.
LHC
The LHC Access Control project was launched. The functional safety study and specification of the future system was started in collaboration with the Access Interlock Working Group (AIWG). In parallel a Market Survey has been launched.
Civil Engineering
The LHC Project
For the LHC project, the CE group has set up four large contracts for construction works and three contracts for the main consultancy services. The construction contracts have a total value of about 270 MCHF.
The consultancy contracts, which were signed in 1996 and will run until completion of the civil engineering works, have a total value of some 35 MCHF. For each main works package, the CE group has a Project Engineer managing the contracts, assisted by a technical engineer and backed up by various services within the group.
In addition to the main contracts, the group also has numerous smaller contracts and orders with a multitude of contractors and consultants such as architects, geotechnical experts, adjudicators, etc.
Outside the LHC project, the CE group carries out in-house designs as well as managing design studies carried out by an external design office. Construction works are also supervised by a small team within the group, backed up by external assistance where necessary.
Package 1
No work was carried out on the surface. Work will resume early in 2002 with the construction of the last two buildings SH1 and SDX1.
The USA15 cavern was completed and handed over to CERN in July 2001. The installation of the concrete lift modules in shaft PX15 was completed at the end of 2001. In the UX cavern, the reinforced concrete vault was completed and suspended from 32 cable anchors. Excavation then began down to the level of the LEP tunnel which was demolished in September 2001. Excavation continued a further three metres at which point the works switched to the new UJ and RR caverns which are situated outside the main cavern area. The contractor is currently on schedule to complete and hand over the cavern in March 2003.
Package 2
In 2001 the SUX5 building required to house ventilation and the SGX5 building equipment for gas supplies were completed and handed over to CERN. No more surface works are scheduled until completion of the underground works in 2003.
In the underground, the contractor completed the concrete pillar between the two main caverns in July 2001. Work has since progressed on both the UXC and USC caverns with the vault of the UXC completed and 70% of the USC vault completed by the end of 2001. In 2002, excavation work will continue in the two large caverns as in well as the smaller caverns, tunnels, and galleries.
Package 3a
In 2001 the SHM8 building was completed and the SHM6 building was largely completed. Work also started on the SD8 building which should be completed in 2002 along with the SMI2 and SDI2 buildings at the western end of the Meyrin site.
In the underground, the TI2 tunnel excavation was completed as was the concrete lining for the section between the SPS and the PMI2 shaft. In 2001 work was largely complete on the UJ22 and the RH23 caverns which are scheduled for completion in February 2002. Work also started on the UP25 at point 2, the UX85 repair work, the point 7 caverns and the underground works at point 6 for the beam dump tunnels where about 40% of excavation were completed on the 68 (Swiss) side. By the end of 2002 it is anticipated that the TI2 will be complete as well as the UP25, the works at point 7 and the works at point 8, leaving only the beam dump construction to be completed in 2003. At point 1.8 landscaping and plantations were completed, an area for a car park and a 400 m2 prefabricated office building prepared, and the erection of the SUI2 (ventilation facilities for TI2) is well under way.
Package 3b
In 2001, the TI8 tunnel excavation was completed and the floor of the tunnel installed. The UJ88 and RH87 caverns were being excavated. It is anticipated that all the TI8 works will be complete by September 2002.
Other Projects
CERN Neutrino Beam to Gran Sasso
The underground works have progressed well despite some delay in the starting up of the tunnel boring machine. By the end of 2001, the access gallery will have been fully excavated as well as the proton beam tunnel up to the target chamber. The TBM will continue the excavation of the decay tube tunnel in 2002 and the remaining underground works will be excavated by roadheader.
CLIC
In 2001 efforts were concentrated on determining the optimum location for the project, the layout of the central area, and co-ordination of the ST services for the project. Layouts and cost estimates were prepared.
Neutrino Factory (NuFact)
The CE group played an important role in the development of the NuFact project during 2001. Different alternatives for the project were studied and various technical solutions proposed. Cost estimates were prepared.
SPL Project
Front-end layouts and cost estimates were prepared and transmitted to the PS division.
CTF3 Project
Further design work was carried out and preparation for a second phase done.
Other Works
– Building 954: Construction completed
– Compensator, Prévessin site: Construction completed – BA7 modifications: Construction completed – UX45 headwall repair: Works under way
In addition to the above-mentioned projects, the CE group has carried out numerous minor works and design studies throughout the CERN sites.
Cooling and Ventilation
General
The activities related to cooling and ventilation were very intensive during the year 2001 with a heavy work-load for all members of the group. A main structural change was the transfer into the group of a team of three staff members with their whole activity related to the cooling of electronics and detectors. This team was previously in the EST division. The transfer was one of a number of actions increasing the group’s involvement in the detector area. The generation shift continued with the departure of six senior group members. During the year we appointed two new engineers, one technical engineer, and a group secretary.
A high mobility between the sections was also necessary to optimize the contribution of everybody.
Design
During 2001, the design office was at its maximum work capacity, with the continued production of design studies. Many of these have resulted in calls for tender sent to a wide range of companies in Member States.
The main activity was the contribution to the LHC project, in the preparation of the calls for tender and the advanced design studies performed by all the teams in the section. Although the main role of the section is the design studies, members from the section have frequently been asked to intervene in all phases of a project, in their role as project leaders in the group’s project-oriented approach in construction projects. This has been the case, in particular, for the ventilation plants of the surface buildings (Contract F300), experimental areas (F405), and for all the work related to the Water 2000 Project (see specific paragraph below).
The paragraphs below show that the overall outcome has been positive, as the high quality of these studies has brought in competent installation partners to CERN with very competitive prices. This can only be done with precise drawings and well-written specification in combination with a good knowledge of the market.
Ventilation and Air-Conditioning
Among many design studies performed during 2001 we mention below the most important ones:
– air-conditioning plant for Bldg. 513,
– air-conditioning plant for a clean room in SXL2 (LHC point 2), – air-conditioning plant for SR1 assembly area,
– air-conditioning plant for two assembly halls in Bldg. 180, – air-conditioning plant for the Silicon Facility area in Bldg. 186,
– air-conditioning system in the H4 Calibration Hut for the CMS Supermodules, – refurbishment of the chilled water piping in the PS tunnel,
– air treatment stations for ATLAS and CMS experimental caverns.
The latter has been adjudicated and the work started in 2001.
A trend during 2001 was the design studies for the installation of clean rooms, sometimes with several iterations to match the changing needs of the requesters; the consequent tenders were sent out and the work phase for some of them will take place in 2002.
Fluids
Important calls for tender were carried out in 2001 in the frame of the LHC project and related experiments. The main ones are:
– Installation of stainless pipes in the LHC tunnel; the tender was completed and the contract was adjudicated in December 2001; an important collaboration with LHC-ACR (Cryogenic) was established to unify the work related to stainless-steel pipes in the LHC tunnel under one single contract.
– Modification of the recovered LEP cooling plants (to be adjudicated in 2002).
– Underground cooling station for the ATLAS experiment.
– Installation of the stainless-steel pipes in the TT40 and SPS tunnel.
Moreover, the Market Survey for the supply and installation of the stainless-steel pipes in TI2 and TI8 was sent out.
An important effort was required for participation at all the integration meetings, ICL and MIWG, PSWG, etc. in order to prepare the installation of the cooling equipment.
In parallel to the activities for the LHC project, other studies and tenders were performed for the PS area (South cooling station) and for the North Area (electrical and control modification for the cooling towers in Prévessin). The first stage of the cooling plant for the septum magnet in BA4 of the SPS has also been designed and installed in 2001; the completion of the circuit is foreseen in the 2002/2003 shutdown.
Preliminary studies for the CNGS project were made during 2001. These studies concern chilled- and demineralized-water systems for the various components of the facility.
Very preliminary studies were also provided during 2001 for future accelerators, e.g. CLIC, Neutrino Factory and SPL.
Thermal Analysis
The CFD team continued the collaboration with the LHC experiments pursuing the work on the simulations that had been started in the previous year and which have now been brought to completion. The most important of them were:
– ALICE: Study of the TPC thermal screen. Thermal analysis of the air inside the dipole.
– ATLAS: 2D simulation of the air flow around the muon chamber; flow behaviour in the experimental cavern and its access shafts; study of the air-free convection in the USA15 cavern in case of the magnet quench.
– CMS: Thermal analysis of the preshower feedthrough.
– CNGS: Study of the thermal loads on the decay-tube.
In parallel, other studies were carried out that are foreseen to be completed next year, in particular the 3D study of the muon end-cap (ATLAS), 2D simulation of the thermal behaviour of the muon chambers (ATLAS), global thermal model of the ALICE detector, study of the thermal stability of the TPC drift gas (ALICE), simulation of the thermal behaviour of the ITS subdetector (ALICE), study of the thermal behaviour of the ECAL end-cap (CMS), and lastly a hazard analysis in case of window breakdown in the CNGS decay tunnel.
The CFD team was composed of two staff members and supported by one fellow and two technical students.
For the CMS experiment a French ‘coopérant’ performed the design of the cooling system for the ECAL supermodules.
The installation of the cooling system for the test of the CMS experiment on the surface building was started by a member of the team and will continue in 2002.
Cooling Systems for Detectors and Electronics
As mentioned above, the group became increasingly involved in the field of cooling of particle detectors.
One action was the transfer of a specialized team from the EST division into the group. Another was the appointment of an engineer from the EP division into this support function for their experiments.
In this context, there should be mentioned a joint initiative by EP and ST divisions, namely the creation of a common project for the four LHC experiments in the area of cooling and ventilation: A Joint Cooling and Ventilation Project for the LHC experiments (JCOV). The ST-CV group provides the project leader, the scientific secretary in the JCOV, and many other group members participate very actively.
Sub-detector projects in which the group made important contributions are:
– ATLAS Inner Tracker Evaporative System (STC and pixels)
The innovative nature of this system has led to the setting up of a prototype facility around the services mock-up in Bldg. 175 reproducing 1/8th of the final system.
– ATLAS Calorimeter Cooling System
The outstanding dimensions of this installation have no precedent at CERN, so a real-size test facility is being set up at Bldg. 185 to test components, rehearse operations (purging, liquid draining etc).
– CMS ECAL detector
The required temperature stability has led to several test set-ups. The final tests are planned for a full- sized supermodule in 2002.
Other detector projects where the group has helped with design, tests, or advice to the physics groups are:
– ATLAS TRT tracker
– CMS pre-shower and tracker cooling system – Process control of the detector-cooling systems – Compatibility of materials with fluorocarbons – ALICE pixels and TPC.
Control and Process Automation
The control and electricity team was deeply involved in the modification of the control system for the SPS demineralized water circuits in the first half of the year, managing the installation, test and commissioning phase for all the circuits. In addition, they made the supervision and test check for the control part of the other equipment (cooling towers, chilled water, ventilation units) in the frame of the Water 2000 project.
Similar support was provided for the current installation contracts for LHC equipment, such as the ventilation of surface buildings, of the experimental caverns, and of cooling towers in ATLAS and CMS.
The Market Survey for the control system of the PC complex has been launched and the tender phase is foreseen to take place in 2002.
Additional moves were made in a divisional effort for a software support contract in the control domain (the contract C168). A part of this contract is, from this year, attributed for the maintenance of the control architecture for some installations under CV responsibility.
Works
The LEP machine is now completely dismantled and the Cooling and Ventilation group has moved into an intensive period of LHC construction. For the present plan, this period will last from 2001 until 2004. The Works section was restructured to accommodate this important increase of activity during the LHC construction phase, and several important LHC-related contracts were signed during the year.
Heating and Ventilation and Air-Conditioning of LHC Buildings and Experimental Areas
The ventilation work at present concerns the ventilation plants for the new surface building and the experimental areas. Two contracts are in progress for this, one (F405) was established during spring 2001.
This contract concerns mainly the ventilation systems for the new underground caverns in point 1 and point 5.
After some difficulties with an inexperienced contractor, the work is now progressing correctly (after 6 months). The first challenge was the installation of ducts in the shaft PX15. The installation for the experimental area in the surface buildings SUX 1 and SUX5 started in November, where some 15% of the support framework has now been erected.
The other contract (F300), related to heating and ventilation of surface buildings, is progressing more routinely, where about half of the installations are finished. During the year 2001, point 4 (building SHM4 and SDH4) was equipped, and all buildings at point 5 and point 8 were finalized. One air-handling unit was installed at point 1 (SF1) and work is now progressing at point 6.
LHC Fluids (Distribution Systems)
Concerning the LHC areas, the installation phase continued during 2001 with tests of the cooling towers and the associated pumping stations at point 1 and point 5. One of the major difficulties was the late delivery of the civil engineering structure at point 1 (3 months late). The installation schedule had to be accelerated so that the delivery date of the cooling towers at point 1 could be respected.
The works related to the cooling towers are split in three installation contracts:
– Equipment of the internal part of the cooling cells.
– Pumping stations.
– Buried pipes between the pumping stations and the users’ buildings.
This entire work is now finalized, except the commissioning of the cooling towers at point 5.
The installation phase of the chilled-water production plan was started in June 2001 for point 1 (SUX1) and in September 2001 in point 5 (SUX5) following the delivery of the civil engineering structures. Today, 90% of the pipes have been installed at point 1 and 10% at point 5. The commissioning is scheduled for August 2002 for point 1 and October 2002 for point 5. After some initial engineering problems, the contractor is now delivering according to CERN’s requirements.
Several contracts for various pipe works in the different LHC points have been established, where the most important one is the installation of pipes in galleries and shafts of points 1 and 5. For the pipes in shaft PX15 the construction started in September and lasted for 12 weeks. Following the completion of the civil engineering structure, work will follow for the technical gallery SL14 which will be completed in January 2002.
All the work has respected the schedule and no major problem has occurred so far.
Other Works
During the PS shutdown a part of the existing chilled-water circuit was replaced. At the initial phase of the work it was found that the old lagging contained a small amount of asbestos. The work methods had therefore to be revised, which delayed the project. The time lost will be recovered in the 2002 shutdown. This project is scheduled to be finished in 2003. Work scheduled in the Water 2000 project is explained separately below.
The Water 2000 Project
All the work related to the SPS cooling system that was started in November 2000, was completed by May 2001 according to schedule. The only activity that was delayed with respect to the original planning was the installation of air handling units for the SPS tunnel. This delay was due to a fire on one unit at the beginning of 2001; the work was completed in August 2001, without any incidence on the running of the accelerator.
The main work has been the following:
– replacement of the air handling units for the SPS tunnel in BA2, BA4 and BA6, – installation of chilled water production plants in all the BAs,
– dismantling and renovation of the SPS primary cooling circuits, – replacement of the plate heat exchangers in all the BAs,
– upgrade of the West Area, Prévessin, and SPS cooling towers and elimination of all the asbestos components,
– installation of air handling units for the conditioning of the control rooms in all BAs, – installation of the new control system for the demineralized-water circuit in all BAs.
In the same period the completion of the refurbishment of the SPS and LHC pumping stations was realized within tight deadlines; this work was performed by the SIG under the supervision of the CV Design section leader as project leader. Other works of minor complexity were carried out by SIG in the same area, in collaboration with CERN.
Operation
The operation unit is today in charge of about 4000 equipment, after the dismantling of the LEP demineralized-water circuits. Now, with the new LHC equipment recently commissioned, the asset value still exceeds 400 MCHF. CERN staff provide the management and follow-up of the preventive–corrective maintenance as well as all minor repair and maintenance construction works. Moreover, the personnel is involved in all new projects, as work supervisors, giving support to the design or project managers.
PS Complex
The operation activities directly related to the cooling and ventilation of the PS complex showed good results this year, with a very low rate of down-time due to problems with the cooling of the machines, a reduction of up to 10% when compared with 2000.
The PS complex is characterized by the longest run period among all the accelerators at CERN. During the normal shutdown period there are every year several experimental areas that constantly require water cooling for their appliances. For this reason, the time allocated for maintenance works in PS cooling stations is limited to very short periods. Apart from the normal maintenance and operation duties, the team was involved in the following projects in 2001:
– replacement of the chilled-water pipelines in the PS tunnel, the work to be continued over the next few years;
– replacement of the South Hall cooling stations, the project will be finalized in 2002;
– renewal of the electric and control cabinet for the Thyristors cooling station;
– consolidation of the air-conditioning system for Bldg. 513 (Computer Centre);
– construction of the closed cooling circuit for the complex of buildings 13, 14, 163, 165, 201, 242 and 253;
– installation of two air-conditioning systems for the clean rooms in Bldg. 180;
– installation of new chilled water pipeline in Bldgs. 192 and 180;
– replacement of the ‘puisards’ DP11 for the waste water;
– miscellaneous.
SPS
In 2001 the operation of the CV equipment of the SPS accelerator was stable and the equipment performed well in general. There were 16.8 hours down-time attributed to the SPS cooling team.
Major modifications in 2001
Installation and commissioning of the following equipment:
– the Air Handling Units (AHU), – the North Area chilled-water plants, – the chilled-water distribution pipes, – the raw-water distribution pipes, – the mixed-water distribution pipes, – the APV heat exchangers in each BA, – the cooling towers (SPS, North, West Area),
– an oil filter system for the waste water of the SPS tunnel, – the air-conditioning for the BAs,
– the supervision software.
These major modifications of the SPS machine cooling functions carried out in the year 2000/2001, explain the increase of the down-time by 10%.
The problems detected during the physics run 2001 will be solved during the 2001/2002 shutdown:
– updating/adaptation of the supervision software,
– updating/adaptation of the AHU’s cleaning of the heat exchangers in BA6.
LEP
2001 was the year of the dismantling of the LEP machine. This project also concerned all general services related to the accelerator, including the cooling circuits. The main part of the work of the team consisted of the dismantling of more than 100 km of demineralized water stainless-steel pipes. Schedule and logistics were particularly critical aspects, due to the mass of material to be evacuated in a very short time from the tunnel to the surface, in the absolute respect of safety rules, and with a complete traceability of all activities. Results were fully satisfactory and the dismantling of the CV equipment was achieved, respecting the budget estimate and two months before the date foreseen.
Utilities
The activity carried out by the utilities team, heating plant, pumping stations and co-generation plant, had a favourable year with good results from the point of view of availability and operational flexibility. It is worth noting that there were no major breakdowns in either the pumping stations, compressed-air production plants, or the heating plants. The co-generation plant was entirely available during its stand-by period, however, its use has changed drastically with the new tariffs of natural gas and electricity that apply to CERN.
The most important change in the operation of the pumping stations was linked to the Water 2000 project, following which their maintenance and operation was entirely outsourced to the SIG (Services Industriels de Genève). Also the drinking water networks at CERN are under SIG responsibility from the beginning of 2001.
The migration works required a very remarkable effort from the operation section. It is important to mention that in parallel to these works, the Prévessin compressed-air production plant was consolidated and three new compressors were installed under the supervision of the utilities team.
Electrical Engineering
The LHC Project
The electrical installations for several surface buildings at LHC point 1 were started. The studies concerning the installation requirements underground are advancing. As the users become acquainted with the site and set out their requirements, the detailed studies of the underground have progressed.
LHC point 5 saw the extension of its 18 kV substation terminated during 2001. This is one of the major electrical infrastructure upgrades for the LHC. The 3.3 kV substation, dedicated to experimental cryogenics was installed at the same time, together with the 18 kV equipment. Buildings SGX, SUX and SH are now equipped with electrical installations.
The SHM building in point 4 was terminated and the one in point 8 is very well advanced in the field of power distribution.
The powering and cabling studies by ST-EL for TI2 and TI8 can now proceed on a solid basis; the changes were finally frozen.
An important aspect of the study work for the LHC is the integration of all equipment on three- dimensional layouts. ST-EL has played, and will continue to play, an important role in the field of equipment and rack implementation, within the framework of the LHC working groups under the LHC Technical Co- ordination Committee (TCC).
Consolidation Projects
The main project for ST-EL, outside the LHC project, was the renovation of the 400/18 kV BE substation, combined with the installation of a third reactive power compensator.
The work on the BE substation was terminated at the end of the 2000/2001 shutdown. The substation was entirely renovated, both on the 400 kV level and at the 18 kV level. It is conceived to give a maximum of flexibility of operation, and will allow for outage of one of the major elements, whilst allowing the SPS to continue operation.
The third compensator advanced well through 2001 and is now ready for commissioning. The commissioning is planned for the end of the 2001/2002 shutdown.
CNGS
The ST-EL contribution to the CNGS during 2001 was concentrated around the continuation of the installation studies of the tunnel complex.
Operation
A new contract, covering operation and maintenance, was put into effect from 1 July 2001. The contract covers operation work, interventions for corrective maintenance, and the part of preventive maintenance not performed by equipment suppliers. The start of the contract encountered certain difficulties, but thanks to the investment of the remaining CERN operations staff, four persons, and the contract personnel, the contract is now performing according to expectations. Before the contractor is fully apt to run the CERN network in quasi autonomy, there is still some work to be done.
The diesel maintenance contract was adjudicated during 2001. It will start during spring of 2002, and will help the transition of the diesel service from a fully CERN-staffed activity to another out-sourced, CERN- managed activity.
Network Monitoring
The electrical SCADA system was installed in several substations: SE18, SE1, BE9 and BE, and the 3rd compensator. The transfer of the data from the MICENE system to the SCADA is progressing.
Computing Support
The database systems of the group were modernized during the year. The new version of the ‘cablotheque’
and a new module for managing the group’s buffer stores of cables and connectors were put into service during 2001. The day-to-day running of the stores is entrusted to one of the group’s two installation contractors. The stores management system allows a close follow-up and assures a correct quantitative control of the contractor.
In general the computing support section gave valuable help to the start of the new service contracts.
LEP Dismantling
During the LEP dismantling, the ST-EL group was involved from the de-commissioning and safe-making of the electrical installations, all the way to the end of the ensuing dismantling work. The feedback received from the project was very positive.
New Contracts
Several supply contracts were prepared and started during 2001. The new generation of service contracts, Electrical Installation and Maintenance as well as the Control Cabling contract, were started as from 1 July 2001. The fact that these areas are now covered by two contracts rather than one, required additional efforts from the group’s users of these contracts, as well as from the experts. The contracts seem to be functioning relatively well. An uncomplicated shutdown helped us to an easy start.
Optical Fibre Installation
From 1 January 2001 the optical fibre installation activity, hitherto part of SL-CO, joined the group. The transfer was quite successful. The team is well installed at Meyrin, and has completed major work during the year.
Documentation Office
The documentation office continued to participate very actively in the CAO 3D integration of the LHC installations. Following the integration, a study support team took over and performed general-service studies, preparing the documentation for work execution, comprising all technical details.
During the year 2001 the documentation office was instrumental in the selection of a new software for production of electrical diagrams. This special tool allows automation of a big part of the diagram drawing process.
Works Section
The works section was set up towards the end of 2001. It is a relatively new idea in ST-EL. The section was created to improve the use of resources and to obtain a good co-ordination of ST-EL work sites in the LHC and in other projects.
Control Cabling Section
The main activities of this section in 2001 were the SPS Big Bang and the Clic Technical Facility 3 (CTF 3). In addition, the new cabling contract was started up, and an important contribution was made to
several LHC integration working groups. Towards the end of the year the first estimation of the control cable needs for the LHC was prepared, both in terms of quantity and finance.
Finally, it should be mentioned that the section did the complete cabling of the String 2 test rig.
Heavy Handling and Transport
General
The year 2001 was mainly characterized by the dismantling of the LEP accelerator and its experiments.
The dismantling was difficult to organize due to the short notice, the required rapid increase of manpower, and the unreliability of some transport and handling equipment. Nevertheless, the dismantling was almost finished by the end of 2001 and activity is now focused on the installation of the LHC and its experiments.
Operation Unit
The Operation Unit carries out the following activities on all CERN sites:
– Heavy and exceptional transports.
– Handling with cranes.
– Handling with forklifts and overhead travelling cranes.
– Handling in galleries with special equipment.
– Transport by monorail in the LHC tunnel.
– Snow clearance on the CERN sites during the winter.
This unit manages contracts for the rental of cranes, lorries, trailers etc. for transport and handling activities that cannot be performed by the HM vehicle park.
The most important operations executed in 2001 were as follows:
– 30 000 tons of LEP accelerator equipment was dismantled, evacuated from the tunnel, and transported to various storage and or recycling places.
– Total or partial dismantling of the four LEP experiments. Altogether about 5000 tons of equipment, amongst them some individual parts weighing 80 tons.
– Installations of various pieces of equipment for the LHC infrastructure: cold boxes, 250 cm3 helium reservoirs, helium compressors, etc.
– Assembly of CMS at point 5.
– Assembly of the ATLAS detector, in the West Area.
– Assembly of the TOF experiment (TT2A).
– Handling of 350 SPS magnets in the SPS accelerator.
– Transport and handling of radioactive equipment required for the modification in TCC2.
– Installation of COMPASS in Bldg. 888.
– Handling of ATLAS and CMS detector elements in the beam test area in Bldg. 887.
Logistics Unit
There was a constant increase of activity for the Logistics Unit due to LEP dismantling and the LHC project.
– Passenger transport by a regular shuttle service to and from CERN premises and on-demand for the visitor service, conferences, seminars, workshops, etc.
– Organization and co-ordination of the office removal service and guards distribution on the CERN sites.
– Procurement, organization, and management of CERN’s car fleet, consisting of about 640 vehicles, for the transport of people and light equipment. CERN’s car fleet is renewed and maintained according to a given programme decided and monitored by the Car Pool Committee. An invitation to tender was launched in 2001 for the renewal of the light vehicle fleet of category A and B within the next two years. Contracts for supply, maintenance, and renewal of cars were adjudicated.
– Procurement, organization, and maintenance of the group’s utility vehicle fleet including 69 utility vehicles, 50 lorries, tractors and road trailers, 108 electromechanical vehicles and machines, 173 ground maintenance vehicles and machines, and even mopeds.
Four firms are in charge of the maintenance and repairs of the utility vehicle fleet. New invitations to tender were prepared and will be sent out at the beginning of 2002. With the objectives to reduce the number of contracts and regroup them wherever possible, a tendering procedure was launched.
The EDH version of the Transport-Handling Job Request was developed together with AS division and will be operational as from February 2002. The electronic version of this document will make things easier for users and will permit the contractor to optimize transport and handling activities. In addition, the document defines the responsibilities in terms of insurance coverage. The insurance of the contractor for industrial transport and handling activities has been set to cover damage up to 100 000 CHF. If the value of the equipment exceeds this amount, the user can choose, via the EDH document, to subscribe to an additional insurance or to take the risk not to subscribe.
Design Unit
The Design Unit is responsible for the technical specifications for the procurement of new transport and handling equipment and for major modifications on already existing equipment.
In 2001 the following contracts were signed:
– Overhead-travelling cranes for lot 3 of LHC. They will be the most highly used at CERN, in terms of capacity, up to 280 tons, and precision, 1 mm.
– Supply of one mobile crane of 160 tons for the handling of LHC magnets. Its performance copes with the stringent parameters for handling of cryomagnets.
– Two contracts to upgrade the handling infrastructure of Bldg. 180 in order to meet the requirements for the ATLAS detector assembly. In particular, one overhead travelling crane and three gantry-cranes for the End-Cap clean rooms, which are currently under construction.
– Supply of a telescopic hoist that will transfer loads from the lift arrival platform to the experimental cavern and vice versa.
– Replacement of five surface lifts, which will end the conformity programme according to standard EN 81.1.
– Supply, installation, and maintenance of two tall lifts of 3 tons equipping shafts in points 1 and 5.
In addition to the above, the following studies in view of the ensuing call for tenders was carried out:
– Hoists for the LHC project.
– Transport and handling equipment for the installation of general services of the LHC.
– Overhead travelling crane for CNGS which will operate in a radioactive zone.
– Electrical power feed rail for the electrical supply of the new tunnel transport vehicles, replacing the monorail trains.
– Lot 2 of LHC lifts. Two for the surface buildings SCX1 and 5, and two for the ATLAS cavern.
Works Unit
The section is responsible for the installation and commissioning of new equipment and for major modifications on already existing equipment. This work is carried out in close collaboration with the Design Unit. In 2001, the following equipment was installed or underwent major modifications:
– Four overhead travelling cranes, the largest being the 40-ton crane with a 29 metres span for the intermediate storage of radioactive equipment in Bldg. 954:
– PR582, Bldg. BSRP; 40 tons – 702, Bldg. SXL2; 2 tons – PR227, Bldg. 180; 6.3 tons – 765, Bldg. SUX5; 8 tons
– Fourteen lifts were overhauled to meet safety rules of standard EN 81.
– Five new doors were installed in Bldgs. 112, 170, 573, 574 and 954 (BSRP, shielded doors).
Monitoring and Operation
General
In 2001, the ST-MO group started to operate with its four-section structure namely the Technical Control Room, industrial computing, system engineering, and administrative support sections. The group concentrated its efforts on rationalizing its various monitoring systems, operation procedures, LHC-related projects and on the new software support for the industrial controls contract.
Several recruitment actions were required to provide the number of operators necessary for the TCR rota, and to reinforce group competencies in the database field. The recruitment process for operators was drastically improved in close collaboration with the HR Division and an operator’s career plan has been drawn up.
Technical Control Room (TCR)
The number of actions recorded by the TCR operation crews increased from 12 000 to 14 000. The direct on-site interventions made by the operators outside normal working hours increased from 1500 to 1800. This increase was mainly due to the LEP dismantling and an improved traceability of the interventions made.
During 2001, replacements for three operators had to be found. The new operators were trained and incorporated into the team during the summer of 2001. In 2001 a particular effort was focused on improving the quality of the information monitored by the operators.
A new rota planning was put in place; it will optimize the time allocated for the operator’s second job. A position of shift leader was defined and two posts were filled.
A procedure to inform all the stakeholders after any major incidents was defined in collaboration with the other groups of the ST Division. A report is now issued by the TCR after any major incident.
The project to improve the restart of the general infrastructure equipment of accelerators after major incidents was conducted in collaboration with the PCR. A methodology to document this process was defined.
All the systems involved have been identified and the restart process has been documented. A software tool to visualize all the related data and to operate the SPS restart process is under design.
This approach has improved the documentation, procedures, and training material used by the TCR. It can be used as a new operation method to analyse the LHC monitoring.
In collaboration with the Industrial Computing section, several new systems were integrated for remote supervision by the TCR. Major efforts were made to integrate the new SPS cooling system (Water 2000 Project).
The service that the TCR should provide to the Safety Alarms section has been defined and documented.
Industrial Computing
The Industrial Computing section worked to rationalize and improve the availability and reliability of the TCR monitoring system. The new service managing the requests for equipment supervision has been successfully operated.
The TIM project co-operated with the LHC Control Project to define the LHC monitoring needs. In this context, the use of the CERN recommended SCADA has been prototyped in collaboration with the EP, SL and IT Divisions.
The Technical Data Server has been extended to supervise the new SPS cooling system, the LHC ventilation and cooling systems, as well as the Electrical Network Supervisor.
Major efforts have been made to migrate all the ST Division maintenance management activities to the new MP5 tool in replacement of RAPIER, shut down at the end of 2001.
In order to liberate resources for the deployment of the LHC-related systems, several software maintenance activities were transferred to the new Software Support for Industrial Control contract. The Authorization Management System has been transferred to the HR Division.
The Technical Reference Database that is used to configure all the TCR monitoring system has been successfully migrated to a new Sun server.
System Engineering
The CERN Safety Alarm Monitoring project team worked on the tendering of the system that led to the successful signature of a contract with the SPIE-Melotte Consortium. They will be in charge of the design, installation, and maintenance of the CSAM system. The detailed specification and preliminary risk analysis of the system were also completed in 2001.
The reliability of the hardwired network that transports the level-3 alarms has been improved, the work focused on the mitigation of the electromagnetic perturbations.
In collaboration with TIS, the Radiation Monitoring System for Environment and Safety project (RAMSES) has been launched; the section will be in charge of the project management activities, of the functional safety study, and of the software aspects.
The section also contributed to the definition of the future Detector Safety System (DSS) by providing project management and functional safety consulting.
Administrative Support
A Software Support for Industrial Controls contract was signed in February 2001. The aim of this contract is to provide assistance to the Division in its software maintenance activities, as well as a professional framework for the development of its future control systems. In 2001, the efforts focused on the contract organization, contractor’s staff training, procedure definition, and quality framework elaboration. After six months, the contract was considered to be operating successfully and also provided support to systems of the SL Division. Several small- and medium-sized software projects such as the new PS cooling supervision system were outsourced to the contract and will be completed in 2002. The contract will also provide support to all the safety control systems previously supported by the C143 contract.
The administrative support section is also in charge of the desktop support. In 2001, efforts were concentrated on the Windows 2000 migration. A feasibility study and pilot migration were conducted during the first half of the year. The migration started in November 2001.
Technical Facilities Management
The group is responsible for maintenance and works on the technical infrastructure of buildings over the CERN sites (civil engineering, electricity, heating and air-conditioning, etc.). TFM maintains databases concerning patrimony and is responsible for grounds maintenance and the cleaning of buildings and halls.
Project Management Support Section
The Project Management Support section is the interface between divisions and the TFM Group.
In 2001 the section carried out 16 projects, whose average cost was around 400 kCHF.
Works Section
The Works section is responsible for executing works requested by users in the fields of electricity, civil engineering, air-conditioning and heating.
The Electricity unit carried out 410 jobs, 70% of which were minor works requested and paid for by the users, essentially related to lighting and low-voltage power circuits. The unit is also involved in renovation works in electrical equipment.
The Civil Engineering unit carries out adaptation of structures which consist of projects (space reorganization, making existing infrastructures safe, new computing rooms, clean rooms etc.). The Civil Engineering unit managed 205 work requests.
The Heating and Air-Conditioning unit carried out 61 work requests in 2001.
The major projects carried out by TFM in 2001 were:
– Replacement of obsolete electrical switchboards.
– Asbestos diagnostic checks in the technical galleries of the CERN sites.
– Construction of a 1600 m2 metal/fabric structure to be used for storage of ATLAS equipment (Bldg. 609).
– Transformer pits BA4.
– Conversion of the dishwashing tunnel in Restaurant No. 3.
– Asbestos disposal Bldg. 863 (BA6).
– Re-fitting of the two floors of the Medical Service (Bldg. 57).
– Re-fitting of the hall for ATLAS experiments (Bldg. 191).
– Renovation of Bldg. 182.
– Construction of building for data storage ‘robots’ (IT division).
– Construction of a car washing station in Bldg. 130.
– Cryogenic equipment pits in Bldg. 892.
Current and future design studies and projects (depending on financial contribution):
– Construction of a 600 m2 structure to be used for supermodules CMS (Hall 947).
– Extension of Bldg. 573 for new offices.
– Extension of Bldg. 115 for offices and workshops.
– Construction of a modular building (Bldg. 971) for EST division.
– Refitting of Bldg. 112 for implementation of ‘heat treatment ovens’.
– Creation of new ‘test areas’ in SR1 (Bldg. 2175).
– Refitting of the Computer Centre’s basement (Bldg. 513).
– Re-water-proofing of roofs: Bldgs. 861 and 355 – Refitting and extension of Microcosm.
Site Maintenance Section
The Site Maintenance section performs maintenance, operation, and repairs on all CERN property and technical facilities of the surface infrastructures.
For the Civil Engineering unit, such works essentially relate to remedial work on the sewers and drains, road surfaces and car-parks, clear and waste-water networks, indoor public areas, façades, etc. The number of interventions of repair work carried out amounted to 2700. The unit undertook a number of ‘consolidation
The Heating and Air-Conditioning unit carried out 1500 jobs in 2001.
The Electricity unit is responsible for the maintenance of electrical equipment (heating plant: Bldgs. 30 and 112) and repair operations (some 2800) undertaken by an electrical services contract.
The fifth phase (2001) of the project to replace the obsolete electrical distribution switchboards was also carried out.
Patrimony Data and Drawings Section
The Patrimony Data and Drawings section provides information and documentation related to CERN’s buildings and general facilities (65 000 drawings).
Scanning of archived plans and drawings is nearly finished. Almost 40 000 drawings have been scanned in the TIF format. They are accessible from the Web via CDD (Computerised Drawings Directory)/EDMS. The updating of the drawings for the ‘waste water’ and ‘trickling water’ pipes is continuing.
The GEOSIP database on Oracle is permanently updated. The data contained in these tables are used by the divisions and by CERN’s property insurance. About 650 office drawings have been updated, and 216 safety evacuations plans have been prepared according to TIS requirements.
Environment Section
The section is in charge of the cleaning of CERN premises, roads and car-parks, collection of waste, and landscaping. It operates result-oriented industrial services contracts.
The grounds maintenance contract covers work and maintenance on the 120 hectares of the CERN site, with scheduled maintenance performed on 70 hectares.
Concerning waste disposal, more than 2400 tons of all types of ordinary and special waste are despatched annually to outside processing plants. Other, organic wastes are directly treated on site.
The service also provides technical support to the three CERN restaurants.
Contracts
Work was performed through 19 industrial service contracts. A call for tenders for a new single contract grouping nine of the civil engineering activities was launched in 2001 (masonry, painting, steel structures, floor coverings, etc.). This contract has been implemented since the beginning of 2002.
