CERN documents physical parameters during transportation with MSR175 and MSR175plus data loggers
CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, located near Geneva, is one of the largest and most renowned centers for fundamental physics research in the world. Both the MSR175plus and MSR175 loggers were used for test transports of highly sensitive detector modules from Europe to the USA, recording shocks in the ±200 g measuring range as well as changes in air pressure and humidity.
At CERN, well over 15,000 researchers and employees from a wide range of disciplines are working on various tasks in modern particle physics to investigate the structure of matter and the fundamental interactions between elementary particles. This organization has recently become known for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which has a circumference of 27 km and uses 9300 magnets to direct the particle beams around the accelerator ring. One of the research tasks carried out in the LHC is ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment). This is a current experiment in particle physics, which is intended to recreate the state of matter immediately after the Big Bang, called Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP), and which alone employs around 1000 people.
ALICE collaborates closely with the sPHENIX experiment at BNL (Brookaven National Lab) in the USA. For this experiment, which is concerned with the investigation of QGP, ALICE is supplying a total of 84 detector modules based on active monolithic pixel sensors. These will be used to observe the charged particles produced by the collision of ions at high energy.
The detector modules are very sensitive to vibrations, shocks or unusual changes in environmental conditions in terms of temperature, pressure or humidity. For this reason, the detector modules are transported from Geneva to the Laurence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, which is also involved in the sPHENIX project, in special suitcase-like containers by hand via several intermediate stations by air.
However, the current restrictions imposed by COVID-19 entry regulations in the USA make transportation by humans impossible, forcing a transport company specially certified for the transportation of highly sensitive goods to be commissioned with the transfer of the modules.
However: trust is good, control is better. And so those responsible for the sPHENIX project turned to the measurement technology company MSR Electronics GmbH, based in Seuzach, to initially place its MSR175 transport data logger and the MSR175plus equipped with GPS tracking in special transport cases for test transfers. However, no real modules were used as test objects for these test transports, only simpler sample specimens. The MSR loggers had the task of monitoring the ambient conditions during transportation and recording the associated measured values as a function of time.
Comprehensive measurement recordings possible
he tamper-proof data loggers in the MSR175 series act as a kind of "black box", recording and storing critical transport events that exceed the preset tolerance limit. Both the MSR175 and the MSR175plus are equipped with ±15 g and ±200 g 3-axis acceleration sensors as well as one temperature, humidity, air pressure and light sensor each. The MSR175plus also has a GPS/GNSS receiver, which can be used to localize transport events. The two logger types also differ in their shock measurement modes: while the MSR175 can measure either ±200 g at 6400 Hz, or ±200 g at 3200 Hz, or ±15 g at 1600 Hz, the newly launched MSR175plus measures simultaneously (±200 g at 6400 Hz and ±15 g at 1600 Hz). This is a decisive advantage for transport monitoring where it is not clear from the outset which of the two acceleration sensors should be selected. This eliminates the risk of not selecting the correct sensor when setting up.
The memory of both logger types is sufficient to record data for days or months. The transport data can be read out via USB. Using evaluation software, conspicuous events can be quickly analyzed and documented as evidence. The recorded measurement data is not only indispensable for clarifying liability and insurance issues in the event of transport damage, it also helps to optimize packaging.
In the specific case of the CERN transport of the highly sensitive detector modules from Europe to the USA, both the MSR175plus and MSR175 loggers were used and the shocks in the ±200 g measuring range, changes in air pressure and humidity were recorded. The data obtained can be used to improve transportation conditions and overall handling, which increases overall transportation safety.
Conclusion
The MSR175 and MSR175plus data loggers are suitable for universal monitoring of all types of transportation. For example, in electronics, medical, automotive, automation or general equipment technology. Their compact design, calibrated sensors, large memory capacity and long battery life make them ideal for long-term monitoring of important physical transport parameters. This is particularly important when the cause of damage, the time of damage or the location of damage needs to be determined, for example to clarify liability issues.