Engineering & Configuration Management (EC)

Activities:                   

The BE-EA-EC section is responsible for providing essential Engineering support, Configuration Management and conducting various activities to ensure the smooth operation and maintenance of vacuum, gas, and cabling systems across across CERN complex and Experimental Areas.

The following are the key activities carried out by the section:

  • Engineering Support: The section provides expert engineering support to various projects, studies and work packages within the organization and to the equipment under EA responsibility. This includes offering technical guidance, conducting feasibility, safety validation and post-mortem studies, and providing solutions for engineering challenges related to Beam Intercepting Devices (BID’s) in the Secondary Beam Areas (SBA), Target absorbers (TAS, TAN, TAXS, TAXN) in LHC and vacuum, gas, and cabling systems.
  • Vacuum System Activities: The section is responsible for maintaining and optimizing the vacuum systems used in the Secondary Beam Areas. This involves changing lay-out, conducting regular inspections, troubleshooting issues, performing leak detection tests, and ensuring the overall efficiency and performance of the vacuum systems and BID’s.
  • Gas Activities: The section oversees the gas systems utilized in different processes and is especially oriented on fixed gas supply systems for the experimental areas (including LHC) and user support in the fixed target and test beam areas; This includes monitoring gas supply, regulating pressure levels, ensuring proper distribution, and maintaining the safety protocols associated with gas handling.
  • Cabling Activities: The section manages cabling systems, including power cables, data cables, and signal cables, throughout the organization. This involves studies to define best choices following user needs, installation, inspection, testing, and maintenance of cables and associated mechanical installations, supports, crates/racks and containments to ensure proper connectivity and reliable transmission of signals and data.
  • Thermal and Mechanical Validations: The section conducts thermal and mechanical validations of various systems and components. This includes performing FEM simulations, analysis, and testing to assess the thermal and mechanical behaviour of critical components, ensuring their reliability and safety under operating conditions.
  • Configuration Management: The section establishes and maintains work methodology to insure proper configuration management for the Secondary Beam Areas. This involves documentation, tracking, and controlling changes to system configurations, ensuring that all components are properly identified, recorded, and managed throughout their lifecycle.

By carrying out these activities, the section plays a crucial role in ensuring the efficiency, reliability, and safety of the SBA vacuum, gas, and cabling systems, ultimately contributing to the successful operation of various projects and experiments.