IMEG is providing mechanical, electrical, and technology design and engineering services for a new 122,000-sf particle accelerator facility on the Fermilab campus in Batavia, IL. The project includes a linear accelerator, cryogenics building, and central plant and will be multi-phased with several bid packages. Equipment will need to be rated for electromagnetic radiation from the linear accelerator.

The PIP-II particle accelerator will be the new heart of Fermilab, featuring a brand-new, 800-MeV, leading-edge superconducting linear accelerator. Its high intensity proton beam will power a broad range of particle physics experiments for decades to come, and maintain Fermilab’s leadership as one of the world’s premier particle physics laboratories. PIP-II will enable the most intense high-energy eutrino beam for the laboratory’s flagship project—the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (LBNF/DUNE). The Fermilab-hosted LBNF/DUNE is an international project to study neutrinos—tiny particles that could revolutionize our understanding of the universe.

The gallery and high bay have large electrical loads, and, therefore, large cooling loads. These cooling loads are accommodated with both air-systems and water-systems. The air system consists of large, floor-mounted, 20-ton Liebert units with glycol water. The glycol water setpoint is maintained by a new 2,550 ton water-cooled condenser loop is being provided to serve conventional cooling requirements via a 450-ton water-cooled chiller, space for a future 450-ton water cooled chiller, experimental heat rejection needs via a process chiller system and water-side economizer use. The water system consist of a low-conductivity water (Type 2) loop (~11.2 MW). The condenser loop is served by five, open-source 510-ton cooling towers in an N+1 arrangement to provide complete equipment redundancy for the plant. The cold box is served by a central AHU with integral heat pump to control space temperature. A water-to-air heat pump is serviced via the industrial cooling water, which is an open loop system from ponds and streams on the site.

IMEG engineers are providing design for:

  • Utility corridor for 25MW of medium voltage power (13.8 kV)
  • LINAC gallery (consumes 16 MW of the medium voltage power) has 480V and 208V busway distribution to serve injectors
  • Six separate electrical services
  • Dry type transformers used throughout the project
  • Some of the electrical equipment on the project needed to be rated for the radiation generated by the LINAC

Energy savings are 31.9% better than ASHRAE 90.1-13, Appendix G. Water use is in compliance with HPSB criteria.

Sustainable features include:

  • Water-to-air heat pump served off the industrial cooling water loop from ponds and streams on site
  • New low-conductivity water loop that is used to serve user equipment
  • The loop is operated purely off water-side economizer
  • Full metering of electrical system
  • Daylight harvesting
  • Energy recovery wheel on the dedicated outdoor air system