Mechanical Analysis and Design of Large-Scale Cryogenic Systems and Cryostats for Noble Liquid Detectors
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As part of a globally coordinated neutrino research programme, the CERN Neutrino Platform supports the development of state-of-the-art cryogenic systems and cryostats for large-scale, liquid argon Time Projection Chamber (‘TPC’) detectors. Major experimental facilities —including the ProtoDUNE detectors NP02 and NP04 at CERN and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (‘DUNE’) at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (‘SURF’) in South Dakota, US — represent key milestones in the development of liquid argon (‘LAr’) technology for detectors and their associated cryogenic infrastructures. LAr detectors’ cryogenic systems constitute non-conventional assemblies, characterised by the coexistence of pressure and vacuum equipment, metallic and fibre-reinforced composite materials, critical mechanical support structures, and complex process layouts, load paths and load combinations. Their design therefore requires a tightly integrated approach that reconciles pressure equipment regulations with applicable civil and structural design standards. Large-scale LAr cryostats, on the other hand, typically are not categorised as pressure equipment according to the EC Directive 2014/68/EU (PED), hence their support structures must be designed according to structural codes and against specific mechanical phenomena, including seismic loads and the associated fluid-structure interaction effects. This article highlights the design philosophy adopted within the CERN Neutrino Platform for the mechanical development of LAr cryogenic systems and cryostats, outlining the analysis and design methods implemented for large-scale neutrino detector applications to ensure safety compliance, mechanical performance, integrity, and long-term reliability, as well as conformity with applicable European codes.
