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Required controls and monitoring
The gas handling systems for both Focal Plane gas-filled detectors – the Ion Chamber and the CRDCs – are remotely controlled via a single LabView application running on the computer S800FP-PC in the S3 vault. This computer can be accessed remotely via the devop1 computer in Data-U6.
Note that since the same roughing pump drives the gas handling systems for both gas-filled detectors, extra precautions must be taken to protect one detector from the pressure of the other detector. The fact that the same pump drives both systems is not indicated on the graphics for the LabView control application
To start the gas handling system control application, click on the LabView icon FPGHS_TCPIP_Corrected_V01 on the S800FP-PC desktop.
Filling Ion Chamber with Gas
Follow instructions under PREPARATION FOR FILLING DETECTORS WITH GAS above Monitor the pressure of the focal plane vacuum chamber (as read out via the I264IG ion gauge) while detectors are being filled with gas; the pressure normally stays below 5E-5 Torr. Confirm that the detector pressure as indicated by the display labeled P.T. #1 reads below a couple of Torr To zero this display: Click on the Slot 3 (PT1) tab to access the details page for PT #1 Click the Zero Sensor button Click the Valves tab at the top of the LabView window to return to the overview display of the gas handling system Close valve 6 Open valve 2; the flow reading at MFC #1 should jump momentarily Fill Ion chamber Enter the desired fill pressure and start the automatic filling process Click on the tab labeled Slot 8 (M-card) IC to access the page with the pressure set point control Enter the desired pressure (typically 300 Torr) in the field under the knob labeled Set Point Click button labeled Return to AUTO Mode on left to start filling/regulation Click the Valves tab at the top of the LabView window to return to the overview display of the gas handling system to monitor filling The flow readings for MFC #1 will increase and eventually disappear as the readout value overflows the display field (this is normal behavior) If necessary, the filling process can be stopped at any time by pressing the valve button labeled Close MFC #1 Open valve 9 The filling process will take several minutes When the detector is filled, close valve 5
Filling CRDC1 and CRDC2 with Gas
Follow instructions under PREPARATIONS FOR FILLING DETECTORS WITH GAS above Monitor the pressure of the focal plane vacuum chamber (as read out via the I264IG ion gauge) while detectors are being filled with gas; the pressure normally stays below 5E-5 Torr. Confirm that the detector pressure as indicated by the display labeled P.T. #2 reads below a couple of Torr To zero this display: Click on the Slot 4 (PT2) tab to access the details page for PT #2 Click the Zero Sensor button Click the Valves tab at the top of the LabView window to return to the overview display of the gas handling system Close valve 22 Open valves 10 and 15 Open valve 12; the flow reading at MFC #2 should jump momentarily Open valve 17; the flow reading at MFC #3 should jump momentarily Fill CRDCs Enter the desired fill pressure and start the automatic filling process Click on the tab labeled Virtual Ch. 0 (CRDC) to access the page with the pressure set point control Enter the desired pressure (typically 40 Torr) in the field under the knob labeled Set Point Click button labeled Return to AUTO Mode on left to start filling/regulation Click the “Valves” tab at the top of the LabView window to return to the overview display of the gas handling system to monitor filling The flow readings for MFC #2 and MFC #3 will increase The LabView application controls the gas mixing ratio based on the flow ratio (scaled with a calibration constant) If necessary, the filling process can be stopped at any time by pressing the valve button labeled Close MFCs #2 & #3 Open valve 25 The filling process will take several minutes When the detector is filled, close valve 21
Removing Gas from Focal Plane Detectors
Monitor the pressure of the focal plane vacuum chamber (as read out via the I264IG ion gauge) while gas is being removed from detectors; the pressure normally stays below 5E-5 Torr Ensure that the system is in the normal state for flowing gas through the detectors Confirm that the focal plane chamber is under vacuum Confirm that the only open gas handling system valves are 2, 4, and 9 for the Ion Chamber and 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, and 25 for the CRDCs Confirm that the detector pressures as indicated by the displays labeled P.T. #1 for the Ion Chamber and P.T. #2 for the CRDCs show the correct fill values (typically 300 Torr and 40 Torr, respectively) Ensure that I265GV is closed to isolate focal plane vacuum chamber from spectrograph Stop the gas flow into both detectors by clicking valve buttons labeled Close MFC #1 and Close MFCs #2 & #3 Isolate the gas supply by closing valves 2, 12, 17, 10, and 15 Open valves 5 and 21 IMPORTANT: CLOSE VALVE 25 to protect CRDCs from Ion Chamber pressure Empty Ion Chamber to a pressure at or below the pressure of the CRDCs Open valve 8 Wait for the Ion Chamber pressure to reach or drop below the pressure in the CRDCs; this process will take several minutes Finish emptying both detectors Open valve 25 Open valve 24 Wait for the pressure in both detectors as indicated by the displays labeled P.T. #1 and P.T. #2 to reach 0.5 Torr or less; this process will take at least an hour Close valves 9 and 25 Close valves 8 and 24 Open valves 6 and 22 Enter vault and close main valves on gas bottles: P-10 for Ion Chamber isobutane (C4H10) and CF4 (tetrafluoromethane) for CRDCs