GTT, designer of LNG membrane containment systems said that it has signed a framework partnership agreement with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
The deal provides the framework for the engineering and the construction of several tanks (cryostats), to contain liquid argon for experimental purposes, the French company said on Monday.
This agreement follows the contract signed by GTT in December 2014 with the particle physics scientific consortium LBNO-DEMO, including CERN and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
At that time, GTT technologies were chosen for the erection of a prototype tank aiming at validating the tank concept developed by GTT for this application. The installation of this prototype was completed recently, GTT said.
This scientific consortium intends to study particle physics, particularly neutrinos which are light, neutral particles that hardly interact with matter. Liquid argon used in this experimental context needs to be maintained at an extremely stable temperature of -186°C.
According to GTT, it is also essential to offer an environment that secures, through perfect tightness, the purity of materials and a high level of thermal isolation.
Following initial analyses conducted which have proven to be conclusive for membrane technology, CERN’s scientific team has decided to further collaborate with GTT for larger scale implementations, the company added.