Design progress of ITER blanket remote handling system towards manufacturing

Noguchi, Yuto; Saito, M.; Maruyama, T.; Takeda, Nobukazu

doi:10.1016/j.fusengdes.2018.03.068

Cited by 17 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Since V/Li blanket can be very simple as just coolant channels of V alloy for flowing Li [6], it would not require any separation of breeder materials and neutron multipliers after a drain out of Li. In addition, advanced robot technology is being developed for the maintenance of blanket modules in the ITER experimental reactor [30]. This technology is expected to provide handling capability of heavy and bulky, typically several tons and ~1 m 3 , blanket modules.…”

Section: Impact Of Ten-year Materials Recycling On Operation Of Fusio...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ten-Year Recycling of Vanadium Alloy in Fusion Reactors

Nagasaka,

Tanaka,

Kobayashi

et al. 2023

MSF

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Low-activation characteristics and dominant radioactive isotopes limiting materials recycling were analyzed for a fusion-reactor-grade vanadium alloy, NIFS-HEAT-2. In order to reduce contact dose rate after use in fusion reactors, purification of the base metal vanadium was examined by chemical aqueous separation, electron-beam vacuum melting and zone refining, focusing on the removal of the dominant high-activation impurities, such as Co, Cu, Fe, Nb, Ni and Mo. Based on the measured impurity levels, remote recycling of vanadium alloy is possible within ten years after use in fusion reactors under operation condition with 100 dpa irradiation. Early quasi-hands-on recycling requires further purification and re-design of alloy composition especially with low Ti and high Cr content. The present paper discusses status of material R&Ds for the ten-year recycling and impact on operation of fusion reactors.

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Section: Impact Of Ten-year Materials Recycling On Operation Of Fusio...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ten-Year Recycling of Vanadium Alloy in Fusion Reactors

Nagasaka,

Tanaka,

Kobayashi

et al. 2023

MSF

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“…These robotic solutions, though, are not designed to be adapted to an existing environment, but the facility itself is being developed to be robot-friendly. Between the robotic systems of ITER [26] can be found a blanket remote handling system [27], a divertor remote handling system [28], a cask and plug remote handling system [29], an in vessel viewing system [30], a neutral beam remote handling system [31] and a remote handling for hot cell [5]. This systems have to work in areas with high radioactivity, as the blanket remote handling system which it will be operated in a high radiation environment (250 Gy/h max.)…”

Section: B Existing Robotic Systems For Radioactive Environmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multimodal Human-Robot Interface for Accessible Remote Robotic Interventions in Hazardous Environments

et al. 2019

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Human-Robot Interfaces have a key role in the design of secure and efficient robotic systems. Great effort has been put during the past decades on the design of advanced interfaces for domestic and industrial robots. However, robots for intervention in unplanned and hazardous scenarios still need further research, especially when the mission requires the use of multiple robotic systems, to obtain an acceptable level of usability and safety. This paper describes the design and the software engineering process behind the development of a modular and multimodal Human-Robot Interface for intervention with a cooperative team of robots, as well as its validation and commissioning, as it is being used in real operations at CERN's accelerators complex. The proposed Human-Robot Interface allows the control of a heterogeneous set of robots homogeneously, providing the operator, among other features, with live scripting functionalities which can be programmed and adapted in run-time, for example, to increase operator's multi-tasking in a multi-agent scenario. The operator is given the capability to enter in the control loop between the HRI and the robot and customize the control commands according to the operation. To provide such functionalities, well-defined software development approaches have been adopted, for guaranteeing the modularity and the safety of the system during its continuous development. The paper describes the modules offered by the HRI, such as the multimodality, multi-robot control, safety, operators training, and communications architecture, among others. The HRI and the CERN Robotic Framework where it belongs are designed in a modular manner, in order to be able to adapt both, software and hardware architecture in a short time, to the next planned mission. Results present the experience gained with the system, demonstrating a high level of usability, learnability and safety when operated by both, non-experts and qualified robotic operators. The multimodal user interface has demonstrated to be very accurate and secure, providing a unique system to control, in a teleoperated or supervised manner, both single and multiple heterogeneous mobile manipulators. At the moment of writing, the user interface has been successfully used in 100 real interventions in radioactive industrial environments. The presented HRI is a novel research contribution in terms of multimodality, adaptability and modularity for mobile manipulator robotic teams in radioactive environments, especially for its software architecture, as part of the CERN Robotic Framework.

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“…The ITER blanket remote handling system (BRHS), shown in Fig. 1, will exchange the blanket modules (composed of first wall panels and shield blocks) in the vacuum vessel after plasma shutdown [1]. These blanket modules can weigh up to 4.5 tonne and must be handled stably and with a high degree of positioning accuracy in a high radiation environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Irradiation Tests of the Sleeve for the Telescopic Arm of the ITER Blanket Remote Handling System

SAITO,

KAWAI,

TAKEDA

2024

Plasma and Fusion Research

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The ITER blanket remote handling system (BRHS) must operate with high precision within the confines of the ITER vacuum vessel, which will become a gamma-ray environment filled with radioactive dust. The main structural component of the BRHS, a telescopic arm, will be covered with a sleeve that must prevent not only the radioactive dust from infiltrating into the system but also lubricant from leaking out into the vacuum vessel. Verifying the radiation resistance of this sleeve is crucial and will ultimately affect the operation scenarios and timing of preventive maintenance for the BRHS. Thermoplastic polyurethane was selected as a candidate material for the sleeve. This paper presents the results of gamma-ray irradiation tests up to either 1 MGy or 2 MGy for polyurethane sheets and the results of subsequent bending, tensile, and hardness tests. Based on the results of these tests, mock-ups of the sleeve were manufactured and were also irradiated up to either 1 MGy or 2 MGy, after which the mock-ups underwent expansion and contraction tests to simulate actual operations in ITER. We have concluded from conservative estimates that, although these polyurethane sleeve mock-ups have over 1 MGy of radiation resistance, the sleeves of the BRHS should be replaced at 1 MGy. c

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Design progress of ITER blanket remote handling system towards manufacturing

Cited by 17 publications

References 16 publications

Ten-Year Recycling of Vanadium Alloy in Fusion Reactors

Ten-Year Recycling of Vanadium Alloy in Fusion Reactors

Multimodal Human-Robot Interface for Accessible Remote Robotic Interventions in Hazardous Environments

Irradiation Tests of the Sleeve for the Telescopic Arm of the ITER Blanket Remote Handling System

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