First scientific application of the membrane cryostat technology

Journal Article · Wed Jan 29 00:00:00 EST 2014 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4860907· OSTI ID:22262753

Montanari, David; Adamowski, Mark; Baller, Bruce R.; Barger, Robert K.; Chi, Edward C.; Davis, Ronald P.; Johnson, Bryan D.; Kubinski, Bob M.; Najdzion, John J.; Rucinski, Russel A.; Schmitt, Rich L.; Tope, Terry E. ^[1]; Mahoney, Ryan; Norris, Barry L.; Watkins, Daniel J. ^[2]; McCluskey, Elaine G. ^[3]; Stewart, James ^[4]

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1. Particle Physics Division, Fermilab, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States)
2. Technical Division, Fermilab, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States)
3. LBNE Project, Fermilab, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States)
4. Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, P.O. Box 5000, Uptown, NY 11973 (United States)

We report on the design, fabrication, performance and commissioning of the first membrane cryostat to be used for scientific application. The Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) has designed and fabricated a membrane cryostat prototype in collaboration with IHI Corporation (IHI). Original goals of the prototype are: to demonstrate the membrane cryostat technology in terms of thermal performance, feasibility for liquid argon, and leak tightness; to demonstrate that we can remove all the impurities from the vessel and achieve the purity requirements in a membrane cryostat without evacuation and using only a controlled gaseous argon purge; to demonstrate that we can achieve and maintain the purity requirements of the liquid argon during filling, purification, and maintenance mode using mole sieve and copper filters from the Liquid Argon Purity Demonstrator (LAPD) R and D project. The purity requirements of a large liquid argon detector such as LBNE are contaminants below 200 parts per trillion oxygen equivalent. This paper gives the requirements, design, construction, and performance of the LBNE membrane cryostat prototype, with experience and results important to the development of the LBNE detector.

• OSTI ID: 22262753
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1573, Issue 1; Conference: Cryogenic engineering conference, Anchorage, AK (United States), 17-21 Jun 2013; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
42 ENGINEERING
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ARGON
COPPER
CRYOSTATS
FABRICATION
IMPURITIES
LIQUIDS
MEMBRANES