Fans control the temperature of laser systems

Up to eight so-called guide star laser systems are used so that the ELT can take precise images from space. To ensure their operation, they must be supplied with clean, perfectly tempered air around the clock. Ocram Clima was commissioned to design these highly specialized air handling units and turned to ebm-papst Portugal in search of a highly reliable and efficient solution.

Innovative solutions for complex requirements

The conditions at the Cerro Armazones site and the telescope itself place highly complex demands on the fan solution. These include the location at an altitude of around 3,000 meters and in an area with a high risk of earthquakes, as well as the fine desert sand and dust and the changing weather conditions. As the ELT itself is full of highly sensitive technology, the systems must not cause any electronic interference.

Technology for the future

Highly efficient RadiPac EC centrifugal fans were installed in all FanGrid units. They impressed Ocram with their economical motor and significantly lower_{CO2 footprint} than the originally planned AC fans. Due to the requirements, the ebm-papst team made technical changes to the fans. To protect against potentially damaging vibrations, the RadiPac fans are equipped with automatic resonance detection as standard. Thanks to active PFC (Power Factor Correction), ebm-papst was also able to guarantee the strict ELT limit value of a maximum of 10 % for permissible current harmonics with a maximum value of 5 %.

Contribution to the exploration of the universe

In May 2024, the first units were shipped to Chile and assembled by the Ocram team. Measurements are now being carried out on site to finally validate the plug & play solution. The successful collaboration between Ocram and ebm-papst shows that they are working at the cutting edge of technology.