26 April 2023

Big door

"This photo from 1979 shows a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory employee opening the world’s heaviest hinged door, which was eight feet thick, nearly twelve feet wide, and weighed 97,000 pounds. A special bearing in the hinge allowed a single person to open or close the concrete-filled door, which was used to shield the Rotating Target Neutron Source-II (RTNS-II) -- the world’s most intense source of continuous fusion neutrons."

11 comments:

  1. Respectfully, I think the magic might be in the wheel enclosed in the box on the leading edge of the door. There appears to be a lip or track in the concrete to align it. I imagine on grain of sand in that path would halt progress pretty fast. Nonetheless, an impressive bit of precision to balance the load so that it's even possible.

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  2. Yes, it appears there is a wheel to help with the 12 ft width but the 8 ft depth would put a tremendous strain hinge bearings mounted another half foot in front of the door face. I thought neutrons could pass through most anything.
    xoxoxoBruce

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    Replies
    1. I bet you're thinking of neutrinos rather than neutrons

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  3. There is no wheel on the door as there aren't on heavy bank vault doors or others. The load is purely on the hinges at the wall. In the enlargement you can clearly see that the line is painted or otherwise, probably to denote a safety zone near the swing arc of the door.

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  4. You're right Stan, I was thinking neutrinos.
    This door is 50 tons whereas bank vault doors are usually less the 40 tons, although the biggest in the world is over 90 tons.
    I doubt the stripe on the floor is to denote a safety zone, if it were it would be yellow, red, orange, some osha approved color. And it would never be near the swing they're always the maximum swing plus a little more.
    xoxoxoBruce

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  5. "Now that's a big door"

    It's real purpose is to keep the MCP from getting out.

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    Replies
    1. Microchannel Plate?

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microchannel_plate_detector

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    2. I'm guessing they meant SCP.
      https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/
      "We secure. We contain. We protect."
      I'm sure you've already been down that rabbit hole.

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    3. Err, or it's a Tron reference. Definitely a Tron reference.

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    4. It is definitely a Tron reference

      https://youtu.be/fbp_oBeEiJs

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