DEVELOPMENT OF AN ITER RELEVANT INSPECTION ROBOT

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DEVELOPMENT OF AN ITER RELEVANT INSPECTION ROBOT
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Objectives of the Articulated Inspection Arm (AIA
project)

• In-vessel remote close inspection demonstration
  under high vacuum and temperature conditions
• Integration and exploitation on Tore Supra
• Development of new processes for inspection,
  maintenance and safety of tokamak's vessel
• AIA robot becomes a multipurpose carrier

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AIA capabilities for ITER

• Remote operations, a major challenges for ITER
• First wall inspection and treatment will be
  needed for exploitation and safety
• Several poly-articulated carriers should be
  required for close operations of the Plasma
  Facing Components (PFCs)

ITER Divertor scale 1 mock-up
Preliminary CAD views of an AIA robot inspecting
the Divertor and blanket modules of ITER
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The Articulated Arm characteristics

• Length 8 meters, payload 10 Kg,
• 5 modules with 8 degrees of freedom, Ø160 mm
  titanium tube, total weight 150 kg,
• Articulations capabilities elevation /- 45
  horizontal rotation /- 90,
• All electro-technical components are embedded in
  modules and inserted in airtight boxes with
  stainless steel umbilicus for electric cables
  course
• Operation conditions ultra high vacuum (10-6
  Pa) and 120C,
• Baking phase 200 C for outgasing.

The complete AIA robot is assembled and tested at
the CEA/LIST laboratory, June 2007
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The viewing process

• 1st process plugged
• CCD color sensor with zoom and LEDs light
  embedded in a airtight box
• nitrogen gas cooled system (internal temperature
  below 60)
• gas and electric cables drive by 2 external SS
  umbilicus
• 3 degrees of freedom (1 body rotation 2 camera
  rotations)
• developed in 2006 and operated in June 2007

glass dome (Pyrex)
joint (rotation of /-90)
LEDs light
Lens (tilt articulation of /-90 and panoramic
articulation of 360)
gold coating for minimize thermal radiation
The viewing process developed by the ECA/Hytec
(France-PACA)
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The first deployment
First complete deployment of the robot inside the
plasma vessel of Tore Supra in atmospheric
conditions, 2007-09-12
small hole for robot introduction (Ø250)
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Viewing in the dark
First inspections of Plasma Facing Components of
Tore Supra in relevant darkness conditions,
2007-09-13
External vision of viewing inspection
Video acquisition from viewing process
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Developing processes

• Leak detection process, scheduled for 2008
• Laser applications for safety, scheduled for
  2008
• Ablation
• Chemical analysis of deposited layers (LIBS),
• Measurements of thickness layers (T response
  after laser pulses)
• Lock In laser thermography (ageing of PFC
  assembly, adhesion of layers)

1st drawing of laser ablation tool
Deposited carbon on bottom Limiter of Tore Supra
accumulated after several hours of plasma
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Developing processes

• Leak detection process, scheduled for 2008
• Laser applications for safety, scheduled for 2008
• All good ideas welcomed (flash lamp, metrology,
  )