Consolidation of Fire Detection System for LHC, including Sniffer

The LHC automatic fire detection system covers mainly shafts, caverns and underground services areas. LHC experiments are also equipped with a dedicated combined air-sampling fire and gas detection system (SNIFFER). Today, after 15 years of operation, these systems are reaching their end-of-life. Replacement of some aged critical components is necessary. Moreover, some constituents are no longer available on the market and the lack of spare parts could lead to important systems unavailability. In addition, new cabling is necessary in some cases since degradation from radiation may be present and to comply to the standards in force. This paper describes the design choices and proposed solutions to address the above safety concerns and to extend the life of the LHC underground and SNIFFER fire detection systems. Modern control systems and equipment will enhance systems reliability, availability, and technical data transmission, leading to optimized maintenance programs and costs. Moreover, Fire Brigade diagnostics will be eased by new displays on the LHC surface showing new parameters, such as, the level of smoke opacity

Versatile service for the protection of experimental areas at CERN

CERN hosts a number of other experimental areas with a rich research program ranging from fundamental physics to medical applications. The risk assessments have shown a large palette of potential hazards (radiological, electrical, chemical, laser, etc.) that need to be properly mitigated in order to ensure the safety of personnel working inside these areas. A Personnel Protection System, typically, accomplishes this goal by implementing a certain number of heterogeneous functionalities as interlocks of critical elements, management of a local HMI, data monitoring and interfacing with RFID badge readers. Given those requirements, reducing system complexity and costs are key parameters to be optimized in the solution. This paper is aimed at summarizing the findings, in terms of costs, complexity and maintenance reduction, offered by a technology from National Instruments® based on cRIO controllers and a new series of SIL-3 certified safety I/O modules. A use case based on a service for the protection of Class 4 laser laboratories will be described in detail.In addition to the large LHC experiments, CERN hosts a number of other experimental areas with a rich research program ranging from fundamental physics to medical applications. The risk assessments have shown a large palette of potential hazards (radiological, electrical, chemical, laser, etc.) that need to be properly mitigated in order to ensure the safety of personnel working inside these areas. A Personnel Protection System, typically, accomplishes this goal by implementing a certain number of heterogeneous functionalities as interlocks of critical elements, management of a local HMI, data monitoring and interfacing with RFID badge readers. Given those requirements, reducing system complexity and costs are key parameters to be optimized in the solution. This paper is aimed at summarizing the findings, in terms of costs, complexity and maintenance reduction, offered by a technology from National Instruments® based on cRIO controllers and a new series of SIL-2 certified safety I/O modules. A use case based on a service for the protection of Class 4 laser laboratories will be described in detail

CERN SPS Sprinkler System: A Customized Industrial Solution for a Non-Conventional Site

Until 2018, the limited firefighting means in the SPS complex largely exposed it to the consequences of self-ignition or accidental fire. In 2015 the SPS Fire Safety project was launched with the objective of improving life safety and property protection by deploying a whole set of automatic actions to protect SPS in case of fire outbreak. If nothing was done, an unmanaged fire could be a threat to lives of those working underground and could mean losing a vast majority of the SPS machine and its equipment. In 2020, CERN has completed the consolidation of its SPS fire safety systems. Among these, a water based sprinkler system, following principles of standard industrial design but customized and tailor-made for SPS and its irradiated areas, is ready to operate. The system must take into account limitations related to the presence of fragile accelerator equipment, radioactive zones, integration constraints and comply with European norms, in particular EN12845. This paper presents the risk assessment, our experience from the planning and installation phase while discussing the custom-chosen and radiation tested equipment to end up with the lessons learned and outlook for the future

Consolidation of Gas and ODH Detection Systems for LHC Machine and Experiments

The Automatic Gas and Oxygen Deficiency (ODH) De-tection Systems for the LHC machine, the LHC Experi-ments underground, and the LHC and Experiments sur-face Buildings are essential to personnel safety and asset protection. They were installed between 2005 and 2008, with several upgrades done over the period 2009-2011. At the horizon of LS3 (2026-2028), almost all these sys-tems will reach their end-of-life. In addition, safety non-conformities and safety concerns will need to be ad-dressed. This paper will present the consolidation of Gas and ODH systems to be carried out during LS3

SPS Personnel Protection System: From Design to Commissioning

During the second long shutdown (LS2) of the accelerator complex at CERN, the access system of the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) was completely renovated. This complex project was motivated by the technical obsolescence and lack of sufficient redundancy in the existing system, as well as by the need for homogenisation of technologies and practices across the different machines at CERN. The new Personnel Protection System includes 16 state-of-the-art access points making sure that only fully identified, trained and authorised personnel can enter the facility and an interlock system with a rationalized number of safety chains designed to meet the current safety standards. The control part is based on Siemens 1500 series of programmable logic controllers, complemented by a technologically diverse relay logic loop for the critical safety functions. This paper presents the new system and the design choices made to permit fast installation in a period where the access system itself was heavily used to allow vast upgrades of the SPS accelerator and its infrastructure. It also covers the verification and validation methodology and lessons learned during the commissioning phase