The British Petroleum Naperville Campus, located in Naperville Illinois, accomodates for 1,400 employees and contractors within 178 acres of land dedicated to Laboratory and pilot scale research. Spread out between six main building complexes, this research facility focuses on chemicals, ploymers, fuels, catalysts, and improvement of refining processes.

Vitatech was contacted by the BP Naperville Center to ascess the environmental conditions of a laboratory suite for a future FEI TEM within close proximity to a wall mounted electrical panel in the hallway and ceiling conduits within the future TEM room. Recorded wideband 12 Hz to 50 kHz data indicated levels of 170 nT (1.7 mG) peak-to-peak in the vertical Bz axis at the future column. Vitatech designed and installed a 102 sq. meter (1,110 sq. ft.) six-sided AC ELF magnetic shield that attenuated the three-axes levels to under 10 nT (0.1 mG) p-p (actually down to 5 nT(0.05 mG) p-p) providing more than -30 dB in shielding attenuation.

Executive Summary

BP Naperville – Microscopy Room 163A Final Shield Test

Project Overview

Vitatech Electromagnetics conducted before-and-after testing of the electromagnetic shielding system in a Microscopy Room at BP’s Naperville Center. The goal was to ensure that sensitive microscopy and microanalysis instrumentation could operate in an environment free from disruptive electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Key Results

• Significant Shielding Improvement:
  Magnetic flux density at the column location was reduced from 0.245–1.629 mG p-p before shielding to 0.047–0.051 mG p-p after shielding.

  • Attenuation levels achieved: –14.3 dB (Bx), –18.5 dB (By), and –30 dB (Bz).

• Room-Wide Performance:
  Perimeter and elevation surveys confirmed 0.00 mG RMS across the room, with only minor readings (0.1–0.2 mG RMS) near the shielded door — a normal result consistent with field behavior.

• Compliance with Stringent Criteria:
  Final performance fully satisfied the 0.1 mG p-p criteria across all axes (Bx, By, Bz), under both average and peak building loads.

Implications for Researchers

• Microscopy Reliability: The shielding ensures a stable, interference-free environment, critical for high-resolution microscopy, electron imaging, and other ultra-sensitive research tools.

• Future Research Confidence: Scientists can operate advanced instruments with assurance that electromagnetic noise will not compromise experimental accuracy.

Implications for Architects & Planners

• Validated Shielding Design: The success of this project demonstrates that architectural integration of electromagnetic shielding can achieve precise performance criteria in a laboratory setting.

• Design Considerations: Architects should note how shielding systems interact with doors, penetrations, and building services to maintain consistent field attenuation across the entire room.

Conclusion

The shielding system installed in a Microscopy Room at BP’s Naperville Center has been verified as highly effective, ensuring that BP’s microscopy and microanalysis facilities meet the stringent electromagnetic requirements necessary for cutting-edge research. The project serves as a model for integrating EMI shielding into advanced laboratory design.