{"id":20662,"date":"2024-10-15T10:27:28","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T08:27:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/?p=20662"},"modified":"2024-10-15T10:30:18","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T08:30:18","slug":"fangrid-radipac-extremely-large-telescope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/industries\/refrigeration-ventilation\/fangrid-radipac-extremely-large-telescope_20662\/","title":{"rendered":"FanGrid for the Extremely Large Tele\u00adscope: Cool view into outer space"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With more than 300 cloud\u00adless nights each year under a clear, star-filled sky, cold, dry air, and no light pollu\u00adtion from sources such as cities for more than 100 kilo\u00adme\u00adters, the Cerro Arma\u00adzones moun\u00adtain, at an alti\u00adtude of just under 3,000 meters, is the perfect loca\u00adtion for the Extremely Large Tele\u00adscope (ELT). Despite these advan\u00adtages, the Atacama Desert also harbors major chal\u00adlenges. The fine desert sand and dust is dangerous for the telescope\u2019s tech\u00adnology. Temper\u00ada\u00adtures can vary wildly between day and night. More\u00adover, Chile is one of the most seis\u00admi\u00adcally active regions in the world, which means that the ELT must stand firm on the some\u00adtimes unstable terrain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protec\u00adtion is there\u00adfore the key issue when it comes to the world\u2019s largest tele\u00adscope. Around the clock, count\u00adless compo\u00adnents and systems will ensure the optimum oper\u00ada\u00adtion of the obser\u00adva\u00adtory, which is esti\u00admated to cost \u20ac\u20051.45 billion. In order to look so far into space and receive clear images, the optical instru\u00adments are extremely sensi\u00adtive. Even the slightest air turbu\u00adlence in the dome of the tele\u00adscope could distort measure\u00adments. There\u00adfore, one of the safety measures involves adjusting the temper\u00ada\u00adture inside the dome to match the outside temper\u00ada\u00adture over several hours before opening the large dome doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Extremely Large Tele\u00adscope is currently being built on the Cerro Arma\u00adzones moun\u00adtain. It will be oper\u00adated by the Euro\u00adpean Space Obser\u00adva\u00adtory ESO and comple\u00adtion is expected in 2028.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The ELT has the largest optical mirror in the world, consisting of 789 indi\u00advidual mirrors. The guide star laser systems ensure sharp images.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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AHUs for the guide star laser systems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When the dome is open, a spec\u00adtac\u00adular show begins. The laser systems direct their beams into the night sky to create as many as eight arti\u00adfi\u00adcial guide stars that will be used by the adap\u00adtive optics system to measure atmos\u00adpheric turbu\u00adlence and make the neces\u00adsary correc\u00adtions. The images produced by the ELT will be 16 times sharper than those from the Hubble Space Tele\u00adscope\u200a\u2013\u200aeven though the Hubble explores space from space itself. \u201cEvery\u00adthing is different. And there is no leeway for error,\u201d is how Marco Lopes, CEO of Ocram, summa\u00adrizes the project. For 25 years, the Portuguese company has special\u00adized in customized air handling units (AHUs) for customers\u2019 demanding appli\u00adca\u00adtions\u200a\u2013\u200alike the ELT in Chile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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46<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

AHUs are cooling the laser systems<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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28<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

FanGrid units from ebm-papst are built in<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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168<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

RadiPac EC fans in total<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Behind the scenes, a total of 46 AHUs designed by \u00adOcram will supply a constant stream of pure air condi\u00adtioned to the perfect temper\u00ada\u00adture to cool the laser systems\u200a\u2013\u200ainvis\u00adible but crit\u00adical, because even a small fluc\u00adtu\u00ada\u00adtion in temper\u00ada\u00adture or minus\u00adcule cont\u00ada\u00adm\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion (such as a dust particle) could jeop\u00adar\u00addize the work of the ELT researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, the demands placed on the venti\u00adlation systems and their compo\u00adnents\u200a\u2013\u200asuch as the fans\u200a\u2013 are very complex and exacting. First, there is the loca\u00adtion. Even at an alti\u00adtude of 3,000 meters, the units have to operate reli\u00adably to ensure the right output and neces\u00adsary pres\u00adsure. Their func\u00adtion must not be impaired by earth\u00adquakes or \u00addesert sand blocking the filters. \u201cLogis\u00adtics is also a crit\u00adical aspect because the construc\u00adtion site is hundreds of kilo\u00adme\u00adters into the desert. We are plan\u00adning to ship 70 containers to Chile,\u201d says Marco Lopes. Second, there is the ELT itself. The systems will operate in an extreme envi\u00adron\u00adment and consist of incred\u00adibly sensi\u00adtive elec\u00adtronics and sensors. Under no circum\u00adstances may they cause any inter\u00adfer\u00adence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A total of 28 FanGrid are installed in the highly special\u00adized air handling units supplied by OCRAM to the ELT. (Photo | ebm-papst)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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All RadiPac come with active PFC and auto\u00admatic reso\u00adnance detec\u00adtion as stan\u00addard. (Photo | ebm-papst)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A highly special\u00adized plug-&-play solu\u00adtion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vali\u00adda\u00adtions, simu\u00adla\u00adtions, pages of tables with calcu\u00adla\u00adtions, stake\u00adholders in different coun\u00adtries: Designing high-end AHUs for such an unusual project is extremely complex, as was creating the initial fan solu\u00adtion. \u201cThe fans had a few addi\u00adtional compo\u00adnents. For example, the capac\u00adi\u00adtors were to be located exter\u00adnally, which would have caused us more work with the cabling. And every addi\u00adtional compo\u00adnent in the system means more risk and another chal\u00adlenge for us,\u201d explains Marco Lopes. \u201cWe wanted a solu\u00adtion that would make our job easier, so we contacted ebm-papst in Portugal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building the ELT at an alti\u00adtude of 3,000 meters and in the desert poses a number of chal\u00adlenges. <\/mark><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

(Photo | G. H\u00fcde\u00adpohl (atacamaphoto.com)\/ESO)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ocram outlined the condi\u00adtions of the order. First, there were the afore\u00admen\u00adtioned tech\u00adnical spec\u00adi\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtions\u200a\u2013\u200aearth\u00adquake-proof, high-alti\u00adtude func\u00adtion\u00adality, absolute reli\u00ada\u00adbility\u200a\u2013\u200acoupled with fixed delivery times and maximum economy. \u201cNot a project you get offered every day,\u201d says Nuno Pires, Managing Director of ebm-papst Portugal. \u201cHowever, it\u2019s one where we can deploy our entire engi\u00adneering capa\u00adbility. That\u2019s why we took on the chal\u00adlenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, a small and flex\u00adible ebm-\u00adpapst team was estab\u00adlished with support from Mulfingen. The engi\u00adneers, tech\u00adni\u00adcians and produc\u00adtion employees had the task of resolving the complexity of the Ocram system. \u201cInstead of giving our customer a set of building blocks to assemble them\u00adselves, they will receive a finished plug-and-play product. \u201cA solu\u00adtion equipped with all the neces\u00adsary compo\u00adnents and requiring no addi\u00adtional instal\u00adla\u00adtion effort,\u201d says Nuno Pires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Together with ebm-papst, we are working on a project that goes far beyond planet Earth.<\/p>\nMarco Lopes, CEO OCRAM CLMA<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Active PFC und auto\u00admatic reso\u00adnance detec\u00adtion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The solu\u00adtion included, for example, inte\u00adgrating the afore\u00admen\u00adtioned capac\u00adi\u00adtors into the fan. And to protect the ELT\u2019s tech\u00adnical instru\u00adments, all the fans are equipped with active PFC as stan\u00addard. \u201cThe limit values for current harmonics were strict\u200a\u2013\u200aa maximum of ten percent. Our simu\u00adla\u00adtions show we are signif\u00adi\u00adcantly below this at a maximum of five.\u201d To ensure the system\u2019s perfor\u00admance and oper\u00ada\u00adtional reli\u00ada\u00adbility, the team proposed a FanGrid consisting of six EC fans. If one fan fails, the remaining five can still deliver the neces\u00adsary output. \u201cWe have also equipped them with other devices to protect against possible reso\u00adnance or seismic activity,\u201d says Nuno Pires. There will be a total of 28 such FanGrid units. \u201cebm-papst has done an excel\u00adlent job. Because the solu\u00adtion was so impres\u00adsive, we switched from the orig\u00adinal large AC fans to several small EC fans,\u201d says Marco Lopes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Inte\u00adgrated active power-factor correc\u00adtion (PFC)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Due to their circuitry, EC fans have a pulsed current draw as opposed to sinu\u00adsoidal. This devi\u00ada\u00adtion causes current harmonics, which lead to a so-called distor\u00adtion reac\u00adtive power that puts strain on the supply network. If even the slightest distor\u00adtion is prob\u00adlem\u00adatic due to the appli\u00adca\u00adtion, the harmonic content in the current must be reduced to a minimum. ebm-papst is the first fan manu\u00adfac\u00adturer to inte\u00adgrate a three-phase, active PFC stage in the form of an active recti\u00adfier in its EC fans. The pulsed input current of the EC motors is converted into a sinu\u00adsoidal input current without addi\u00adtional effort for the user and mini\u00admizes circuit feed\u00adback<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With more than 300 cloud\u00adless nights each year under a clear, star-filled sky, cold, dry air, and no light pollu\u00adtion from sources such as cities for more than 100 kilo\u00adme\u00adters, the Cerro Arma\u00adzones moun\u00adtain, at an alti\u00adtude of just under 3,000 meters, is the perfect loca\u00adtion for the Extremely Large Tele\u00adscope (ELT). Despite these advan\u00adtages, [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fans","category-refrigeration-ventilation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20662"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20662\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20744,"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20662\/revisions\/20744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}