Real-time fast ferrite ICRF tuning system on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak

A real-time ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) antenna matching system has been successfully implemented on Alcator C-Mod. This is a triple-stub tuning system working at 80 MHz, where one stub acts as a pre-matching stub and the other two stubs use fast ferrite tuners (FFTs) to accomplish fast tuning. It utilizes a digital controller for feedback control (200 μs per iteration) using real-time antenna loading measurements as inputs and the coil currents to the FFT as outputs. The system has achieved and maintained matching for a large range of plasma parameters, including L-mode, H-mode, and plasmas with edge localized modes. It has succeeded in delivering up to 1.85 MW net rf power into H-mode plasmas at maximum voltage of 37 kV on the unmatched side of the matching system.     

A remote handling rate-position controller for telemanipulating in a large workspace

This paper presents a new haptic rate-position controller, which allows manipulating a slave robot in a large workspace using a small haptic device. This control algorithm is very effective when the master device is much smaller than the slave device. Haptic information is displayed to the user so as to be informed when a change in the operation mode occurs. This controller allows performing tasks in a large remote workspace by using a haptic device with a reduced workspace such as Phantom. Experimental results have been carried out using a slave robot from Kraft Telerobotics and a commercial haptic interface as a master device. A curvature path following task has been simulated using the proposed controller which was compared with the force-position control algorithm. Results obtained show that higher accuracy is obtained when the proposed method is used, spending a similar amount of time to perform the task.     

Preliminary concept design of the divertor remote handling system for DEMO power plant

This paper is based on the remote maintenance system project (WPRM) for the demonstration fusion power reactor (DEMO). Following ITER, DEMO aims to confirm the capability of generating several hundred of MW of net electricity by 2050. The main objective of these activities is to develop an efficient and reliable remote handling (RH) system for replacing the divertor cassettes.This paper presents the preliminary results of the concept design of the divertor RH system. The proposed divertor mover is a hydraulic telescopic boom driven from the transportation cask through the maintenance tunnel of the reactor. The boom is divided in three sections of 4 m each, and it is driving an end-effector in order to perform the scheduled operations of maintenance inside the vacuum vessel.Two alternative design of the end effector to grip and manipulate the divertor cassette are also presented in this work. Both the concepts are hydraulically actuated, basing on the ITER previous studies. The divertor cassette end-effector consists of a lifting arm linked to the divertor mover, a tilting plate, a cantilever arm and a hook-plate.The main objective of this paper is to illustrate the feasibility of DEMO divertor remote maintenance operations.     

Improving concept design of divertor support system for FAST tokamak using TRIZ theory and AHP approach

The paper focuses on the application of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) to divertor Remote Handling (RH) issues in Fusion Advanced Studies Torus (FAST), a satellite tokamak acting as a test bed for the study and the development of innovative technologies oriented to ITER and DEMO programs. The objective of this study consists in generating concepts or solutions able to overcome design and technical weak points in the current maintenance procedure. Two different concepts are designed with the help of a parametric CAD software, CATIA V5, using a top-down modeling approach; kinematic simulations of the remote handling system are performed using Digital Mock-Up (DMU) capabilities of the software. The evaluation of the concepts is carried out involving a group of experts in a participative design approach using virtual reality, classifying the concepts with the help of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP).     

Simulation-based design process for the verification of ITER remote handling systems

The work behind this paper takes place in the EFDA's European Goal Oriented Training programme on Remote Handling (RH) “GOT-RH”. The programme aims to train engineers for activities supporting the ITER project and the long-term fusion programme. One of the projects of this programme focuses on the verification and validation (V&V) of ITER RH system requirements using digital mock-ups (DMU). The purpose of this project is to study and develop efficient approach of using DMUs in the V&V process of ITER RH system design utilizing a System Engineering (SE) framework. Complex engineering systems such as ITER facilities lead to substantial rise of cost while manufacturing the full-scale prototype. In the V&V process for ITER RH equipment, physical tests are a requirement to ensure the compliance of the system according to the required operation. Therefore it is essential to virtually verify the developed system before starting the prototype manufacturing phase. This paper gives an overview of the current trends in using digital mock-up within product design processes. It suggests a simulation-based process design centralized around a simulation lifecycle management system. The purpose of this paper is to describe possible improvements in the formalization of the ITER RH design process and V&V processes, in order to increase their cost efficiency and reliability.     

Laser welding and ablation cutting process for hydraulic connections by remote handling in the ITER diagnostic port plug

To assess hydraulic connections between subcomponents of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) diagnostic port plug, we investigated the laser welding and ablation cutting process, which can be applied to remote handling maintenance. In this study, laser ablation cutting, which vaporizes a small amount of solid material directly into gas by focusing a laser beam of high-density energy, is adopted in order to overcome the limitation of the normal laser cutting technology that the head should be placed as close to the work piece as possible to blow out melt metal at a distance. Complete cutting of a work piece is obtained by repetitive multi-passes of the laser beam. The welding and cutting process were tested on the sample work pieces and finally on a prototype of a hydraulic connection module for remote handling. The results showed that this process can be a promising candidate for hydraulic connections by remote handling. Furthermore the design of the hydraulic connection module has been updated to resolve some technical difficulties that were found during the test.     

Multiobjective optimization of the inspection intervals of a nuclear safety system: A clustering-based framework for reducing the Pareto Front

In this paper, a framework is developed for identifying a limited number of representative solutions of a multiobjective optimization problem concerning the inspection intervals of the components of a safety system of a nuclear power plant. Pareto Front solutions are first clustered into “families”, which are then synthetically represented by a “head of the family” solution. Three clustering methods are analyzed. Level Diagrams are then used to represent, analyse and interpret the Pareto Fronts reduced to their head-of-the-family solutions. Two decision situations are considered: without or with decision maker preferences, the latter implying the introduction of a scoring system to rank the solutions with respect to the different objectives: a fuzzy preference assignment is then employed to this purpose.     

A novel technique for the measurement of plasma displacement in IR-T1 tokamak

In this paper we present a novel technique based on poloidal magnetic flux for determination of plasma displacement in IR-T1 tokamak. This instrument consists of a two semicircle wires which installed toroidally on inner and outer sides of tokamak chamber and connected with each other. In order to receive the poloidal flux on Last Closed Flux Surface (LCFS); this instrument installed on polar coordinate so as projection of it on midplane lie on LCFS. Really, this instrument receives the difference between poloidal flux on inner and outer sides of LCFS, which we needed in calculating of the Shafranov shift. Main benefits of our proposed instrument are that it is a simple, solid, and also its output is directly related to the Shafranov shift. Based on this technique we determined the plasma position and to compare the result obtained using this method, multipole moments method is also experimented on IR-T1. Results of the two techniques are in good agreement with each other.     

Combined application of Product Lifecycle and Software Configuration Management systems for ITER remote handling

The advantages of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems are widely understood among the industry and hence a PLM system is already in use by International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Organization (IO). However, with the increasing involvement of software in the development, the role of Software Configuration Management (SCM) systems have become equally important. The SCM systems can be useful to meet the higher demands on Safety Engineering (SE), Quality Assurance (QA), Validation and Verification (V&V) and Requirements Management (RM) of the developed software tools. In an experimental environment, such as ITER, the new remote handling requirements emerge frequently. This means the development of new tools or the modification of existing tools and the development of new remote handling procedures or the modification of existing remote handling procedures. PLM and SCM systems together can be of great advantage in the development and maintenance of such remote handling system. In this paper, we discuss how PLM and SCM systems can be integrated together and play their role during the development and maintenance of ITER remote handling system. We discuss the possibility to investigate such setup at DTP2 (Divertor Test Platform 2), which is the full scale mock-up facility to verify the ITER divertor remote handling and maintenance concepts.     

The European contribution to the development and validation activities for the design of IFMIF lithium facility

The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) is an accelerator-driven intense neutron source where candidate materials for fusion reactors will be tested and validated. The high energy neutron flux is produced by means of two deuteron beams (total current of 250 mA, energy of 40 MeV) that strikes a liquid lithium target circulating in a lithium loop of IFMIF plant. The European (EU) contribution to the development of the lithium facility comprises five procurement packages, as follow: (1) participation to the experimental activities of the EVEDA lithium test loop in Oarai (Japan); (2) study aimed at evaluating the corrosion and erosion phenomena, promoted by lithium, for structural fusion reference materials like AISI 316L and Eurofer; (3) design and validation of the lithium purification method with the aim to provide input data for the design of the purification system of IFIMF lithium loop; (4) design and validation of the remote handling (RH) procedures for the refurbishment/replacement of the EU concept of IFMIF target assembly including the design of the remote handling tools; (5) the engineering design of the European target assembly for IFMIF and the safety and RAMI analyses for the entire IFMIF lithium facility.The paper gives an overview of the status of the activities and of the main outcomes achieved so far.     

Physics basis for the advanced tokamak fusion power plant, ARIES-AT

The advanced tokamak is considered as the basis for a fusion power plant. The ARIES-AT design has an aspect ratio of A≡R/a=4.0, an elongation and triangularity of κ=2.20,δ=0.90 (evaluated at the separatrix surface), a toroidal beta of β=9.1% (normalized to the vacuum toroidal field at the plasma center), which corresponds to a normalized beta of β_N≡100×β/(I_P(MA)/a(m)B(T))=5.4. These beta values are chosen to be 10% below the ideal MHD stability limit. The bootstrap-current fraction is f_BS≡I_BS/I_P=0.91. This leads to a design with total plasma current I_P=12.8  MA, and toroidal field of 11.1 T (at the coil edge) and 5.8 T (at the plasma center). The major and minor radii are 5.2 and 1.3 m. The effects of H-mode edge gradients and the stability of this configuration to non-ideal modes is analyzed. The current drive system consists of ICRF/FW for on-axis current drive and a Lower Hybrid system for off-axis. Transport projections are presented using the drift-wave based GLF23 model. The approach to power and particle exhaust using both plasma core and scrape-off-layer radiation is presented.     

Design, fabrication and testing of UHV compatible high power RF devices for lower hybrid current drive system on SST-1 tokamak

Maintaining plasma current under steady state conditions is one of the most important pre-requisites for a tokamak-based reactor. Lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) system aims to drive tokamak plasma current by means of RF power. The LHCD system on SST-1 tokamak is based on two 500 kW, CW klystrons operating at 3.7 GHz. A waveguide transmission line transmits power from source to the antenna. A phased array waveguide antenna is used to couple power to the plasma. The antenna side of the transmission line is placed inside the tokamak vacuum vessel. The design and fabrication of this In-Vessel system has to satisfy the demands of high power RF as well as ultra high vacuum (UHV) compatibility. This paper describes some of the critical UHV compatible In-Vessel RF devices, their design, fabrication, and test results.     

放射性核素寿命测量系统

介绍了一个适用于中等衰变期核素的寿命测量系统．详细地描述了其测量原理和电路及软件实现。     

基于G-Link的实验数据采集传输系统

详细介绍了一个基于G-Link高速光纤数据传输系统;分析了以HDMP-1022／HDMP-1024为核心的光纤链路的基本构成和配置、激光管驱动电路、CIMT编码等内容。并利用G-Link设计了一个应用在风洞实验中的16通道数据采集和传输系统。     

一个基于虚拟技术的幅度谱模拟与处理系统

概述了利用Visual C^ 6．0 Windows设计的一个幅度谱的模拟与处理系统。幅度谱的模拟包括：本底分布、峰分布和谱分布,而谱分析处理包括：谱平滑、寻峰、峰判别、扣本底、峰面积、能量刻度和效率刻度等。     

A multi-parameter data acquisition system for the collision research platform at Shanghai EBIT

In this work we describe a multi-parameter data acquisition system (DAQ) which has been developed for the Shanghai EBIT.This system is operated at the collision research platform which includes a recoil-ion momentum spectrometer (RIMS).We have employed DAQ based on the VME system,which is a very fast developing system within the RIMS community,and with which we can reach data transfer rates of up to 160 Mb.s-1.The software developed for DAQ based on UnisDX-XP is also described.