The Maier-Leibnitz Laboratory (MLL), located on the Garching university campus near Munich, was an internationally renowned research institute. Through its experimental and theoretical research, the MLL has contributed to many major discoveries in the fields of nuclear, particle and accelerator physics, not only for fundamental research but also for other major institutions such as CERN in Geneva, as well as for technical and medical applications. Following the closure of the MLL, the Tandem-van de Graaff® accelerator, which ran on SF6 a greenhouse gas with the highest GWP (22,800), was decommissioned at the beginning of 2020.
The Tandem-van de Graaff® accelerator was the centre-piece of the MLL. It was installed in a pressure vessel 25 m long and 5.5 m in diameter. Around 14 tonnes of SF6 insulating gas at 7 bars were used.
“The shutdown of the accelerator presented us with special challenges, as the SF6, which was harmful to the climate, was stored in two tanks that had to be emptied and recycled,” explains Dr Ludwig Beck, MLL’s Technical Operations Manager. “To empty the tanks, we needed a specialist who would not only take care of the practical aspects of on-site decanting and gas treatment but would also be responsible for planning and document management.”
With these requirements in mind, Mr Beck approached Volker Kleiner, Sales Manager at Climalife, with whom he had a long-standing relationship. This was a perfect fit for Climalife’s Engineering and Services team.
With two branches in Saint Priest in France and Sint Niklaas in Belgium, the engineering department has 8 qualified engineers who manage projects throughout Europe. In addition to their expertise, the technicians have at their disposal the in-house-designed equipment needed for gas transfer, as well as analysis equipment for measuring the relevant parameters. Climalife also offers reprocessing of SF6 in its own patented recycling plant, the only one of its kind in Europe.
Implementation of a customised plan following on-site visit
The emptying and decanting of the two SF6 tanks with a capacity of 130 m3 and the pipes was to be carried out in several stages. In all, around 14 tonnes of SF6 was to be transferred to the gas phase. For this purpose, pressure drums and the necessary transfer equipment (High Recovery Unit) were delivered.
The used SF6 was recovered in 600-litre pressure drums. Volker Kleiner and the team of technicians coordinated the various stages during which 9 PAFs were filled, evacuated and the SF6 transported to the reprocessing plant in France.
When emptying was complete, the tanks were purged with nitrogen. A certificate confirming that the tank has been properly emptied was then issued.
Thanks to the collaboration with Climalife, MLL benefited from a qualified solution from a single supplier, in compliance with all technical and regulatory constraints.
On site oil change service in brief:
- Two SF6 tanks, and pipes, completely emptied.
- Transfer of SF6 into recovery FAPs
- Used SF6 is sent to France to be reprocessed in patented recycling plant so that it can be reused.
- Customer obtains a tank emptying certificate
The benefits of Climalife’s Engineering and Services department
