19 February 2024
First grant from Einstein Telescope R&D scheme for high-tech companies
A consortium comprising Demcon kryoz from Enschede, Cooll from Hengelo and the University of Twente has been awarded a grant to develop an advanced cooling system for the Einstein Telescope. This enormous observatory for gravitational waves will be built 250 to 300 metres below the earth's surface in the Dutch-Belgian-German border region to enable undisturbed measurements. Vibration-free cooling to very low temperatures is necessary to detect the extremely weak signals from the universe. The three parties are using their fundamental knowledge and industrial expertise in vibration-free cooling to make gravitational wave measurements much more accurate. To this end, they will receive 2.6 million euros over a period of three years from the R&D scheme for the Einstein Telescope, financed by the National Growth Fund.
Gravitational waves resulting from extreme events in the universe, such as the merging of two black holes, were predicted by the great physicist Albert Einstein. A century later, in 2015, they were observed for the first time by two American observatories. In Europe, work is now underway on a new, extremely sensitive detector, the Einstein Telescope. This will enable researchers to make many more observations of ‘ripples in the fabric of space-time’. In this way, they hope to gain a better understanding of the birth process of black holes and gain more insight into the nature of the universe immediately after the Big Bang. The new underground ‘telescope’ will also enable them to test Einstein's theory of relativity even more accurately. To stimulate innovation and accelerate the development of new technologies for the Einstein Telescope, the ET valorisation programme was launched in the autumn of 2023. Part of this programme is an R&D scheme for high-tech companies.
Minister Dijkgraaf of Education, Culture, and Science: "It's fantastic to see this consortium getting started on developing the technology for the Einstein Telescope. This collaboration between knowledge institutions and companies shows how joining forces can lead to groundbreaking research and innovation. The Einstein Telescope promises not only new scientific discoveries, but also economic growth and employment. Although we are not yet sure where the telescope will be located, this collaboration is an important investment in our country and in international science."
Three-stage cooling system
The three parties joined forces last year for the Einstein Telescope when the first call for proposals for the R&D scheme was opened. It was recently announced that their proposal has been accepted. The Twente consortium will receive €2.6 million over a period of three years to make the technology suitable for the Einstein Telescope. To this end, they will develop a three-stage cooling system. This system uses three different coolants, neon, hydrogen, and helium, to take the final and most difficult step from -195 °C (78K) (the temperature reached with liquid nitrogen, which starts the cooling process) to -263 °C (10K). Ultimately, they will build three copies, one for research at the University of Twente in Enschede and two for the ETpathfinder, the R&D lab for gravitational wave detectors, in Maastricht.
Scaling up
Pieter Lerou, managing director of Demcon kryoz, was ultimately responsible for the proposal: “The principle of vibration-free cooling is well known, and we have made it work on an industrial scale. But that was with a microcooler, whereas the coolers for the Einstein Telescope work with an immense compressor and much higher power. A great deal of fundamental research is still needed for this upscaling. We are using our knowledge of cryogenic technology and our experience in designing, modelling and building high-tech cooling systems for this purpose. In addition, we are contributing our expertise in systems engineering. We ensure that all knowledge and expertise and all necessary components come together and that the end result is a reliably functioning system that is delivered on schedule and within budget. This is certainly necessary, because the outcome of our project will contribute to the bid book for the Dutch-Belgian-German location of the Einstein Telescope."
Milestone
Programme Manager Jorg van der Meij (LIOF, on behalf of the Dutch Regional Development Companies): "Today we are celebrating a milestone in the Einstein Telescope valorisation programme, where a consortium of visionary companies and a leading knowledge institution has received its first R&D grant. Their innovative plans for vibration-free cooling not only strengthen the candidacy for the Einstein Telescope, but also show great promise for other sectors and applications. Think, for example, of aviation technology or the semiconductor industry. Vibration-free cooling will also become important in electric flight.”
Dutch-Belgian-German initiative
The Einstein Telescope is to become part of the major European research infrastructure. There are currently two competing initiatives for an underground location. In addition to Sardinia, there is the border region between the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. This is suitable for an underground observatory because the soft topsoil blocks vibrations caused by human activity on the surface, ensuring that measurements are not disrupted. A decision on the location of the Einstein Telescope will be made in 2025/2026, and construction is scheduled to start around 2030. A large number of universities and scientific institutions from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany are currently working on a joint bid.
About Demcon kryoz
Demcon kryoz, part of the Demcon group in Enschede, develops advanced solutions for the efficient cooling or heating of high-tech systems. Applications are in the fields of scientific instrumentation, materials research, telecommunications, and medical diagnostics. The expertise ranges from cryogenic to extremely high temperatures. Demcon kryoz has specific physical knowledge, extensive experience with modeling, test setups, and its own products, such as cryogenic microcoolers.
About Cooll
Cooll in Hengelo (Ov) develops sustainable heating and cooling based on adsorption technology. The heart of the technology is activated carbon. Cooll has developed the production technology for this in collaboration with an American partner and set up a factory for it in the Netherlands. For residential heating, the company now builds heat pumps that work with activated carbon in the heat-driven adsorption compressor.
About the University of Twente
The University of Twente in Enschede (12,500 students, 3,900 employees) is a ‘smart living lab’ where students and staff conduct groundbreaking research, develop surprising innovations, and provide inspiring education. The Energy, Materials & Systems (EMS) group of the Faculty of Science conducts research into superconductivity and cryogenic technology. Applications lie in the field of sustainable energy (including nuclear fusion and high-power electricity transmission) and scientific research. EMS contributes to CERN (elementary particles), ESA (space travel), and the Einstein Telescope (gravitational waves), among others.
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