Ainda sem produtos na sua encomenda!
Ocram Clima, a leading company in the development and manufacture of advanced climate control solutions, is proud to announce the production of equipment for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) mega observatory project, located in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Photo credits: ESO – European Southern Observatory
The project, led by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), is valued at 1.45 billion euros and will include 46 Air Handling Units (AHUs). As a whole, the Air Treatment Units, to be installed by mid-2024, will have the task of guaranteeing thermal stability inside the ELT and providing the ideal conditions for the telescope’s operations, whose first scientific observations are expected in 2028.
The cooling capacity during hours of sun exposure is orchestrated with other unique aspects of the building, such as the thermal insulation of the floor between the pillars and the dome to prevent pockets of hot air; the aluminium coating on the dome shell that reinforces the insulation for a stable temperature or the special seals that prevent air exchange and dust from entering the enclosure.
A modern engineering milestone the size of the ELT includes an ambitious ventilation project – designed to operate efficiently in the face of major thermal variations and to protect the telescope from the elements, typical of the latitude where the structure is being built.
Environmental control inside the ELT requires control of the surrounding air to eliminate any disturbance to visibility in the optics area and prevent thermal deformation of the telescope structure. The ventilation system will provide a smooth transition between the inside temperature of the dome and the expected outside temperature, keeping it stable during night-time observations after the doors open – which occurs shortly after sunset.
“With the construction of AHUs for the ELT, Ocram Clima is once again committed to excellence in creating indoor environments where air quality, precision and thermal stability are a reality. Our long list of important references in different parts of the world is now joined by our contribution to the world’s largest telescope: crucial for probing the far reaches of the cosmos and opening up new possibilities for all of humanity. A commitment that fills us with pride,” says Marco Lopes, CEO of Vieira & Lopes, Lda, which owns the Ocram Clima brand.
Work on the ELT project, approved in 2012, was given the green light to start in 2014. The result of an international collaboration involving dozens of European companies, the optical/infrared telescope, the world’s largest eye open to the exploration of the universe, will be ready to offer unprecedented views of celestial bodies from the delicate optical structure that makes up the telescope. Integrated into a dome 80 metres high and with a diameter of 88 metres, which occupies a ground area equivalent to a football field, the upper body of the structure will rotate to allow the telescope to point in any direction from its observation slit, with minimal vibration and great precision.
Although the widespread enthusiasm is due to the vast possibilities that the ELT offers in the exploration of the cosmos – from the search for Earth-like planets to the detection of extrasolar life – the telescope in Chile is already the realisation of many scientific advances. The diversity of instruments using cutting-edge technology with the potential to revolutionise our understanding of the Universe is paralleled only by the impact of Galileo’s telescope four centuries ago.
Honoured to see its products equipping the world’s largest telescope, Ocram Clima celebrates this technological achievement as an important milestone in the development and manufacture of advanced climate control systems, renewing its commitment to innovation. The company plays a key role in creating controlled and precise environments for the most diverse applications, including other cutting-edge projects such as ELT.
