Search found 3 matches

by publius
Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:35 pm
Forum: The Accelerator
Topic: What sort of noise does the worlds largest machine make?
Replies: 11
Views: 16058

Re: What sort of noise does the worlds largest machine make?

Clearly, for a machine that consumes 120MW of power, all you will hear is the cooling system! It's like millions of window air conditioners all running at once.
by publius
Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:29 pm
Forum: The Accelerator
Topic: 12/2/09 power loss and many systems down
Replies: 25
Views: 38409

Re: *** MAJOR power loss and many systems down

A couple of things: Backup power is relatively straight forward. Critical control systems will be powered through many uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) running on batteries. The UPS batteries have to last just long enough for the diesel generators to spin up and stabilize, about 30 seconds in mo...
by publius
Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:26 pm
Forum: End Of The World
Topic: Creating "Sparks"
Replies: 164
Views: 301218

Re: Creating "Sparks"

Although cosmic rays are described as incredibly energetic, an individual particle (most likely a proton) has only about 50 joules of energy ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_ray ). A stick of dynamite has about 2 million joules of energy ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamite ). The trick in i...