Robots for maintenance of fusion reactor ITER

Began the manufacturing of key components

 

Fusion reactor ITER

   Fusion reactor ITER, currently under construction on the site of the research center of Cadarache in the South of France, is the largest in the world project for the implementation of controlled nuclear fusion, which is currently considered as a promising source of clean energy. Naturally, the ITER reactor will be incredibly difficult to install, requiring constant maintenance and repair to keep it in working condition. And, due to the fact that the conditions, such as temperature, radiation level and other, in some areas of the reactor is many times higher than acceptable for the human limits, work in these areas can be accomplished only with the help of specialized robots. Recently, the European organisation for nuclear fusion energy (Fusion For Energy, F4E), which oversees the construction of ITER, has signed a contract worth € 70 million with the British firm Amec Foster Wheeler. In the framework of this contract must be an automated system capable of independently or with the help of remote control to perform all types of maintenance, repair and replacement of parts of the so-called injector neutral beam Neutral Beam injectors). 

ITER refers to fusion-type reactor "tokamak"

 

Beam Line Transporters

   Currently this contract is the largest contract in the field of robotics that has ever been awarded to any British company. Injectors neutral beams are large enough devices, their size is comparable with the size of the passenger bus. These injectors, along with other devices and nodes that are used to heat the plasma in the ring of the reactor to a temperature at which they start to occur of fusion reaction. But, the injectors, or rather some of their nodes, Beam Lines, work in those conditions that require periodic replacement and repair, which are held, naturally, at the shut down reactor. "In the area of the Beam Lines will be present very high radiation levels are so high that to protect the person will not be able no protective equipment," says John Montgomery, the company's chief engineer Amec Foster Wheeler, "And the only way out of this situation is the use of specialized robots." Instead of people nodes injectors will be served by robots of various types, which have the common name of the Beam Line Transporters. These robots will travel on rails laid on the floor or under the ceiling of the room. 

Researchers agree that the fusion is energy's future

 

Remote handling at the JET fusion experiment

   But they will have a similar design - based, with six degrees of freedom, which will be installed a pair of manipulators, able to perform mechanical operations, using a tool from a fairly extensive set. In addition to machine tools, robots Beam Line Transporters will be equipped with cutting tools and welding equipment. These tools are used for cutting pipes of the water cooling system that literally envelop the whole setup of the injector. Having cut his way to the place of work, the robot will perform the necessary work and again will restore the cooling system by performing welding in place clipped to this pipe."Near each injector will work on three robots Beam Line Transporters, each of which are able to bend at unimaginable angles, reaching arms to the place of work," says Montgomery, "One of the robots, Beam Source Remote Handling Machine, will move along the rails on the floor, his manipulators will be able to reach all technical hatches. This robot will play a major role only he will be able to replace directly the source of the beam".