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Thea Vijaya Kumar designs cooling systems for Brookhaven's electron-ion collider
Building upon her experience as a Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) intern at Brookhaven, Kumar has rapidly advanced in her career.
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Brookhaven Lab engineer Thea Vijaya Kumar in front of a cooling tower adjacent to the ring of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). / Image- Brookhaven National Laboratory
An Indian-origin mechanical engineer at Brookhaven National Laboratory is playing an instrumental role in the construction of the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a first-of-its-kind high-energy, high-luminosity polarized collider that will be one of the most challenging and exciting accelerator complexes ever built.
Thea Vijaya Kuma expertise lies in designing cooling systems essential for the operation of both the collider and its support infrastructure.
“If we don't provide cooling for the equipment, it can overheat, and it could fail,” said Vijaya Kumar, an engineer in the Mechanical Cooling Systems group of the EIC’s Infrastructure Division. “The same could be said for the people who will run the EIC.”
Kumar's focus is on water-cooling systems for the EIC’s accelerator equipment. By ensuring optimal temperatures, she prevents equipment failures and creates a conducive environment for researchers. Her work is particularly critical for the EIC’s radio frequency systems, which generate significant heat.
Building upon her experience as a Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) intern at Brookhaven, Kumar has rapidly advanced in her career. Her proficiency in using simulation software, AFT Fathom, has been instrumental in designing efficient cooling systems for the EIC.
“The models calculate [the cooling water’s] pressure, velocity, flow rate, temperature, and more, depending on what parameters we want to see,” Kumar elaborated.
Kumar’s role extends beyond cooling equipment. She is also involved in designing Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems for EIC buildings, considering both human comfort and equipment performance. Her meticulous approach to problem-solving and attention to detail are crucial for the success of this complex project.
“The challenge is mostly with the equipment since some machines require strict temperature ranges to operate properly, whereas people can handle larger ranges of temperature,” Vijaya Kumar said.
As the EIC moves closer to realization, Kumar’s contributions will be essential in ensuring the collider operates at peak performance. Her work exemplifies the critical role of engineering in advancing scientific research.
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