TRACKER/SPECTROMETER CONTROL STATION
The information below attempts to detail how the tracker and spectrometer systems are operated under different
conditions with particular relevance to electrical control, interlocks and alarms. This information will form the
basis from which a Tracker/Spectrometer control station can be designed and built.
TRACKER OPERATION PROCEDURES
Key:Items in Red are manual/visual operation only
Items in Black are possible by remote operation
Items in Blue would not be controlled by the Tracker Control Rack directly.
Items in Green are modifications/changes that would enable items to be remotely operated instead of manually
operated.
Start-Up
Procedure steps when tracker system is first installed and initially operated:1) Check Cryostat equipment is properly connected and functioning. (See Operational Manual - Appendix 1)
2) Start evacuating Cryostat insulating vacuum space [MV-3 valve open. Roughing pump started].
3) *Vacuum Pressure reaches 1 Torr.*
4) Turbo molecular pump can be started.
5) *Vacuum Pressure reaches 10E-3 Torr.*
6) Cold Cathode gauge can be turned on.
7) Check Compressor equipment is properly connected and functioning. (See Operational Manual - Appendix 1)
8) Insulating Vacuum Pressure in the Cryostats must be below 5E-3 Torr prior to cooling them down
9) Repeat Cassette Space evacuation and backfill procedure 7 times. (See Operational Manual - Appendix 1)
10)
Start Cool Down.
Cool Down
Procedure steps when tracker system is cooled down from initial start up:1) Check ITC 503 Temperature Readings [Record in Log book]. Initial readings should be room temp.
2) Confirm power to Lid Temperature Control Boxes and instruments healthy.
3) Enable Cassette Space He Low Pressure Trip.
4) *Check He pressure at Cassette Space. Should be 1.2 psig. This value must be maintained while Cryostats
are under vacuum.*
5) Check pressure at Sumitomo Compressor. Should be between 1.6 to 1.7 Mpa.
6) Turn on Compressor and power feed to Cold Head Drive.
7) Compressor discharge should be about 2.5 Mpa.
8) Insulating Vacuum Pressure Typically in range of 10E-6 Torr.
9) Insulating Vacuum Pressure should be kept below 10E-3 Torr for satisfactory cryostat performance.
10) Monitor the cool down via ITC 503 sensors 1- 4. Ensure temperature trend is correct.
11) May take up to 48 hour for cryostats to reach ultimate temperature.
12) *Cryostat lid heater set point can be set to ambient temperature.*
13) Once cryostat cassette temperatures stable the Oxford ITC 503 Heater Control can be used to correct the
cassette temperature differences between Cryostats (Fine control is via the cassette itself). A set point of 7.2
Kelvin for sensor 1 and a heater power limit set to 13.2 volts (5 Watts) may be used as a good initial start
point.
Warm Up
Procedure steps when tracker system is shut down (warmed up) under normal operating conditions:1) Turn off Compressor and power to Cold Head Drive.
2) On-board temperature control for cassettes must be turned off.
3) Cassette Space Pressure will rise to 2.0 psig over the warm up period.
4) Increased warm up rate may be obtained (Only If Necessary) through the ITC 503 Heater Control. Switch
heater to automatic with a heater power limit set to a maximum of 35 Volts (35 Watts). Temperature Set
Point should be 295 Kelvin. The whole process must be monitored while heater on.
Trip/Recovery
Procedure steps for tracker system to shut down and/or recover from a trip/alarm: 1) See below
Additional information on the operation/interlocks of the tracker system is required to
detail these procedures.
ALARM & ACTION REQUIREMENTS
The following are the initial list of Alarms & Trips and not necessarily the exhaustive list.
Alarm/Trip
Action/Interlock
Control Room
Cryostat Smoke Alarm (Vesda)
Power off all electronics
(Cryostat PSU Turned off)
Alarm Indication
Cryostat Lid Temperature High
Power off all electronics
(Cryostat PSU Turned off)
Alarm Indication
Cryostat Lid Temperature Low
Interlocks?
Alarm Indication
[THIS ALARM CANNOT BE GENERATED SEPARATELY BY EQUIPMENT PROVIDED]
Cryostat Lid Moisture Detected
Interlocks?
Alarm Indication
Cassette Space Pressure Low (Helium)
Interlocks?
Alarm Indication
Cassette Space Pressure High (Helium)
Interlocks?
Alarm Indication
[THIS ALARM CANNOT BE GENERATED SEPARATELY BY EQUIPMENT PROVIDED]
Cryostat Insulating Vacuum Fault
Interlocks?
Alarm Indication
Cryostat Sumitomo Compressor Local Alarms :Fire [How Trip Generated]
Power off Compressor & Cryostat
Alarm Indication
Power Fault
Power off Compressor & Cryostat
Alarm Indication
Compressor Water Cooling Trip
Pressure Range [29-100 psig]
Flow Rate [4-10 litre/Min]
Power off Compressor & Cryostat
Alarm Indication
Please request/state any additional Alarm, Trip and Interlock requirements.
Thought should be given to what signals are available from the equipment provided (See Below) and whether
additional equipment will have to be provided if requested item is not available.
TRACKER EQUIPMENT
The following are the interface signals that can be supplied or received by the equipment that is provided at
present for the Tracker system. There are 2 cryostats per system and the signals are required for Tracker 1 and
Tracker 2 systems.
Cryostat Insulation Vacuum Control
These signals are available for both Cryostats.
Remote :Start/Stop (On/Off)
Vacuum Running
Vacuum Standby
Reset
Internal Interlock - Inhibit/Allow Vacuum Operation
Fault/External Interlock
Add Vacuum Gate Valve to preserve vacuum and protect Cryostat internals
Cryostat Lid Temperature Control Box
These signals are available for both Cryostats.
Equipment :Norgren 33D
Omega CN3271-R1
Consense CMB-1
Vesda VLF-250
- Low Pressure Trip (Cassette Space He)
- Cryostat Lid High Temperature Trip *(Reset Required)*
- Condensate Trip
- Condensate Fault?
- Cryostat Smoke Trip
- Smoke Detector Fault
Modifications needed to provide the trip signals separately.
.
Modifications to Lid Temp Control Box :–
4 Pin Burndy Replaced by 19 Pin
Internal Wiring modifications
Replace Pressure Switch 33D with 33D 4-20mA Option
Replace Temp Limit Controller with Unit CN3271-R1–R2-DI (Alternative CNI 1633-C24)
Replace Condenser Control with Unit CMB-2 (Fault option)?
New Cryostat Interface Control Box (Daresbury) :LED indication of trips
Relay for individual trips
24v PSU
Cryostat PSU Wiener PL508-LX
These signals are available for both Cryostats.
Remote :-
Communications (RS232 or Can-bus or Ethernet)
Signals via Comm.’s
Start/Stop (On/Off)
All voltage & Current Indications
All Voltage & Current Limits/Set Points
Status Faults
Modify PSU (+5v) Inhibit to be via Control Rack
Sumitomo Compressor
These signals are available for both Compressors.
Remote :Drive (On/Off)
He gas Low Pressure Alarm
Temperature Alarm (Water/He gas)
Reset
Drive Ready
External Alarm :Cooling Water Interrupted Trip
Vacuum Pump – Gast CI-1010 :Pump Failed Trip
(Used to fill Cryostat Cassette Space with Helium)
Tracker Rack
The modules within this rack have the following remote signals available.
MKS Instruments 937A :RS232 Communication – Control & Status (Same Signals as below)
And/Or
Analogue - Vacuum Pressure
Digital
- Enable/Disable HV on Cold Cathode Gauges
- Temperature Set Points
Replace Hastings DV-6 thermocouple gauge with Pirani Gauge for initial vacuum pumping. The 937A unit
has a spare slot for a dual Pirani Module (one for each cryostat). The 937A unit has the ability to prevent
the Cold Cathode gauges from operating until the readings from the Pirani gauges indicate the correct
vacuum has been reached. The Turbo molecular pump could also be remotely started from the read out on
the Pirani gauge reaching a set pressure (1 Torr). This simplifies the tracker start up procedure by removing
some of the manual steps which could be liable to human error. The whole range of the cryostat insulating
vacuum could also be viewed remotely.
Oxford ITC 503 :RS232 Communication - Control & Status
(Auto/Man + Lock/Unlock Front Panel + Temperature + Gas Flow + Heater Settings)
No External Relay Contacts available
Wiring Mod’s :Re-cable Heater and Sensor cables from Cryostats to Oxford ITC 503 modules due to cable
lengths not being long enough for equipment locations required in the Mice hall.
SPECTROMETER SOLENOID, AFC & RFCC EQUIPMENT
The items below are the interface signals, which can be supplied or received by the equipment that is provided
at present, from the Spectrometer Solenoid, AFR and RFCC Racks to the proposed Tracker/Spectrometer
Control Station.
Spectrometer 300A PSU’s
Quantity :- 7
Xantrex XPR dc PSU :Analogue - Voltage Indication
Digital
- Inhibit (Start/Stop)
AMI Model 420 Programmer:RS232 Communication – Control & Status
Spectrometer 60A PSU’s
Quantity :- 4
Lakeshore 625 PSU :RS232 Communication – Control & Status
And/Or
Analogue - Current Indication (0-10V)
- Current Set point (0-10V)
Digital
- Inhibit (Start/Stop)
- Fault
Spectrometer Solenoid Sensors
Number of Units :- TBA
Temperature Meter - Lakeshore Model 218S
Remote :RS232c Communication - Temperature Status/Control
- Relay & Analogue O/P control
And
8 x Relay Contact Set Points/Alarms
2 x Analogue Voltage O/P’s (-10v to +10v)
Level Meter (Liquid Helium) - AMI Model 135
Remote :RS232/422 Communication - Level Status/Hold/Control
- Relay Alarm Set Point control
And
Relay Contact High & Low Alarms
Power Failure Indication (Hi & Lo Alarms closed)
POWER DISTRIBUTION (415V, 230V, 208V & 110V)
List of power supplies required for the tracker systems 1 & 2 and Spectrometer Solenoid equipment.
415Vac :4 x Sumitomo Compressors
4 or 6 Cryomech Compressors
Transformer (1 off) :415/208Vac
6-7 x 300A PSU’s
230Vac :2 x Cryostat interface Control Box
2 x Tracker Rack (VME/Oxford ITC503/937A Unit/ Rack Monitor Interface Unit)
4 x Vacuum Roughing Pumps
4 x Vacuum Molecular Pumps
4 x Pump Controllers (Fan associated with controller)
4 x Cryostat PSU’s
4 x 60A PSU’s (These could be supplied from 110Vac via 208V Transformer)
TBA x Temperature Monitors
TBA x Level Monitors
4 x Vacuum Pump (Gast)
Transformer (4 off) :230/110Vac
4 x Cryostat Lid Temperature Boxes