Paper 13094-171
Paper 13094-171
Design, development, and production of the ELT M1 Segment Concentrator
On demand | Presented live 18 June 2024 
Abstract
The ELT M1 Segment Concentrator cabinet grew from the need to optimize the power consumption of the control electronics for all M1 Segment Assemblies. Since these are located below the segment assemblies the main challenges were the demanding heat dissipation requirements while keeping the electronics within reasonable working temperatures. To minimize the heat dissipation bespoke heat exchangers were design and tested. A PLC based Power Distribution and Control Unit was design to control and monitor a 24VDC power supply that distributes power to all subsystems pertaining to 7 segments subunits hosted by the M1 Segment Concentrator. It provides feedback to the M1LCS at all times, and more importantly during maintenance operations, and during the segment exchange operation. 132 M1 Segment Concentrators distributed across the M1 Cell host the control electronics of the 798 M1 Segment Subunits that shape the ELT primary mirror. This paper presents the design challenges during the design phase of the segment concentrator and how they were solved in order to finalize its design, their production and currently their integration during the ELT AIV phase.
Presenter
European Southern Observatory (Germany)
Studied Electrical engineering in Santiago, Chile. After a short time in industry, in 1998 started at the ESO VLT in Paranal. At the time it was a combination of AIV, commissioning and construction as the telescopes were all at different stages of development. In 2003 moved to Australia to work and start a PhD in physics in the field of Gravitational Waves research at the University of Western Australia. During this time worked in laser locking and development of novel suspensions systems for the test masses and laser mode cleaner as well as other technologies now in use in Advanced Gravitational Wave detectors. In 2010 moved back to ESO Garching working on the ELT M1 segment supports and M1 electronics. This included the control electronics for Edge Sensors, Position Actuators and Warping Harness. With the latter developed at ESO. All these subsystems needed to interface with M1LCS, for which an M1 Segment Concentrator was developed by ESO and now ready for integration.