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The Large Hadron Collider will ... heat the houses

The Large Hadron Collider (BAC) is veryan important facility for conducting experiments in the field of the study of elementary particles. But recently, researchers have figured out how to extract the maximum benefit from the LHC. And with the search for dark matter, or with other experiments, it is in no way connected. Scope of installation much more mundane. With its help, they want to heat nearby houses.

What will heat the Large Hadron Collider?

BAK will use heat to heat houses innew area called Zone d’aménagement Concerte (ZAC). It is being built near the collider in the region of Ferney-Voltaire (France) and according to the project, the area will have a separate geothermal energy system. Recently, the leaders of CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) and the LHC signed an agreement with the French authorities, according to which part of the warm water from the cooling system of the Large Hadron Collider will be allocated and provided to the commune of ZAC.

How will the Large Hadron Collider heat homes?

As the leaders of CERN, the colliderThere are many systems and installations that are cooled with water. These are cryogenic plants, various electronics, a ventilation system, and so on. The principle of their operation is very simple: cold water is injected into the cooling circuit, and the resulting water is then collected and cooled before being introduced into the circuit again. Warm water coming out of the circuit can reach temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius, which is very useful in the context of energy use.

See also: How many data obtained at the LHC, scientists were able to decipher?

Therefore, it was decided to use part of the heatedwater and redirect it to a parallel circuit, which will supply the heating system of the new area. Of course, 30 degrees for full heating is not enough, but the presence of warm water will significantly reduce the cost of its heating. Thanks to the collider it will heat up to 8,000 houses. Work on connecting the additional circuit of the LHC to the heating system of the settlement has already begun.

CERN tightly engaged in the construction of the contourcollecting and delivering warm water outside the LHC, says Serge Claude, head of the CERN energy division. We plan to finish construction as soon as possible. Initial network testing will be conducted in 2021. A commissioning is scheduled for 2022.

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