The Hindu : Front Page : ECIL’s contribution to Big Bang

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Thursday, Sep 11, 2008
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ECIL’s contribution to Big Bang

HYDERABAD: While the whole world watched in awe at the largest atom smasher near Geneva on Wednesday, a few scientists at Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad, reflected upon the significance of their contribution to arguably the biggest scientific experiment of all time, the recreation of Big Bang.

The ECIL researchers had engineered and supplied nearly 4,500 ‘Quench Heater Power Suppliers’, which were fitted along the 27-km stretch of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). ECIL also supplied about 75 ‘Breaker Electronics’, which were fitted to LHC.

In fact, a team of ECIL scientists and engineers had visited the European Organisation of Nuclear Research (CERN) facility near Geneva, the ground zero of the Big Bang recreation experiment, to take up calibrations, testing and setting-up of the hi-tech equipment worth Rs. 25 crore.

The CERN had approached Department Atomic Energy (DAE), which roped in ECIL engineers to manufacture the technology needed for the LHC project. The functionality of ECIL’s equipment was to protect the power superconducting magnets of the LHC from excess heating.

“I along with a few other scientists was associated with LHC for about three months at the CERN facility. More than the experiment’s success, our experience there would help in manufacturing spin-offs in semi-conductor and space industry,” ECIL, Director (Technical) Y.S. Mayya told The Hindu.

Mr. Mayya was closely associated with other Indian scientists, drawn from a host of organisations under DAE, for the design of the ‘Detectors’, which were also fitted to the LHC. “Our staff tested all the equipment at CERN facility,” Mr. Mayya said. “Building such huge machines gave us a lot of experience and confidence in the area of high technology. We have developed enough knowledge base to help develop allied technology in semi-conductors and space industry.”

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