5-9 September 2016
Prague Congress Centre
Europe/Prague timezone

O3C.1 ITER Neutral Beam Remote Cutting & Welding Development

6 Sep 2016, 16:40
20m
Meeting Hall V 2nd floor (Prague Congress Centre)

Meeting Hall V 2nd floor

Prague Congress Centre

5. května 65, Prague, Czech Republic
Board: 1
Oral G. Vessel/In-Vessel Engineering and Remote Handling O3C

Speaker

Luke Thomson (RACE)

Description

It is recognized that ITER will be the first nuclear installation where welding and cutting of pipes are performed routinely under Remote Handling conditions. Remote pipe maintenance tooling has been developed for JET, but conditions were such that manual deployment was permitted. Ultra-high vacuum class welding and cutting are highly skilled tasks and demand the precise control of parameters such as component geometry, joint fit-up and tool placement to give just some examples. Remote deployment of tools, necessary due to the hazardous radioactive environment, implies limited dexterity, limited vision and reduced manoeuvrability compared to manual deployment by a skilled human operator. Special considerations in the design of remote handling cutting/welding tooling must therefore be made together with rigorous testing in order to ensure the consistent creation of the optimum joint. Maintenance of the pipes is critical for ensuring availability of the Heating Neutral Beam and the Diagnostic Neutral Beam, and so in turn the availability of one of the principal heating systems supporting the ITER machine operation. The implications of a failure in either the tooling or the finished joint are serious; this together with the first of a kind deployment of such tooling by remote handling merits a significant R&D activity. This paper details the R&D activities undertaken to prove the principle of pipe maintenance by Remote Handling means in the Neutral Beam Cell. The two main objectives of this R&D activity were to: Develop prototype proof of principle pipe maintenance tools. Evaluate the tools and welded samples produced through parametric testing. This paper describes the process and outcomes through which the requirements for such prototypes and tests have been identified, the description and justification for design choices that were made, and the outcomes of the tests and recommendations for future development.

Co-authors

Alex Muir (RACE, UKAEA, Culham, United Kingdom) Cameron Kennedy (RACE, UKAEA, Culham, United Kingdom) Chang-Hwan Choi (Remote Handling & Hot Cell Complex Section, ITER Organisation, St Paul Lez Durance Cedex, France) Jerome Woodward (RACE, UKAEA, Culham, United Kingdom) Luke Thomson (RACE, UKAEA, Culham, United Kingdom) Marco Van Uffelen (Remote Handling Project Team, Fusion For Energy, Barcelona, Spain) Robin Shuff (Remote Handling Project Team, Fusion For Energy, Barcelona, Spain)

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