Robotic RP Surveys Successfully Completed in SPS and LHC for TS1 2025

SPS and LHC Radiation Protection surveys were successfully carried out before the Technical Stop 1 in 2025. Coordinated by RP and operated by BE-CEM from the CCC, two CERNBotSPS Measurement and Inspection Robots for Accelerators (MIRA) robots in the SPS and four Train Inspection Monorail (TIM) robots in the LHC drove around the accelerators carefully measuring the radiation levels and producing the map used later by RP to govern safe access and passages.

TIM in the LHC
TIM in the LHC with the RP Sensor on the new robotic wagon extended to the beam line.
RP Sensor
MIRA robot exiting it’s charging station in the SPS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The SPS robots started during the cooldown period, driving the 6.5km SPS ring in autopilot mode over 3.5 hours of operation.

During the survey, a water leak was identified in Sextant 6 and promptly communicated to SPS OP, enabling SCE to intervene and halt the leak. Notably, this survey represents the first time that the robot survey served as the sole source of radiation data for the ring, with no manual chariot survey performed by RP.

Robotic Radiation Survey
: Results of the robotic radiation survey in Sextant 2 during iTS1 2025 performed by MIRA1.
Water Leak
Water leak detected in Sextant 6 of the Super Proton Synchrotron.
SPS Robot in the ring
SPS robot in the ring.

In the LHC, the four TIM robots started their surveys at 6:00 AM, as soon as the beam was dumped. Operated remotely from the CCC by BE-CEM with a RP coordination, the robots completed the full 27 km LHC survey in uder two hours, and data was delivered to RP shortly after. Due to a break in the rail continuity in S81 and S12, at least three TIMs are required for full LHC coverage, and a fourth TIM has now been added to ensure a complete RP survey can be completed in under 2 hours

TIM81 in the new P1 UL parking position
TIM81 in the new P1 UL parking position
New TIM door passage above the ventilation door in Point 1 ULs
New TIM door passage above the ventilation door in Point 1 ULs

In the last EYETS, the parking positions of TIM12 and TIM81 were moved to be in the shielded area of the Point 1 Uls. This was made possible by the installation of  two new actuated small door passages in the Point 1 ventilation doors. These doors were designed and installed by BE-CEM, with support from EN-ACE. Thanks to these new parking locations, this survey marked the first instance  of full coverage by the four trains in the LHC to RP without any issues seen from radiation effects on TIM12 and TIM81, which were previously parked in the middle of the arc.

Sector coverage of the four TIM robots
Sector coverage of the four TIM robots
TIM Operator workstations in the CCC with the human-robot-interface for TIM81 and TIM12 shown on the screens
TIM Operator workstations in the CCC with the human-robot-interface for TIM81 and TIM12 shown on the screens.