•We propose an overview of the work which has been done to upgrade the control system of the AIA robot (articulated inspection arm) to fulfill daily operation requirements for tokamak inspection.•The ...control system is based on the use of new position sensors, new electronics design and new supervisor software.•Final tests are ongoing in the EAST scale 1 tokamak mock-up. Routine operation of the robot at EAST will start in the beginning of 2015.
An articulated inspection arm (AIA) has been developed by CEA for visual inspection between pulses inside the Tore Supra tokamak vacuum vessel without breaking temperature and vacuum conditions. The eight meters length robot is composed of a shuttle and six articulated segments with a video camera at its end. A demonstration prototype has been achieved in 2008 at Tore Supra (Gargiulo, 2007; Houry, 2008; Perrot, 2003).
A project to upgrade the AIA into a fully operational robot has been undertaken by IRFM and ASIPP in an Associated Laboratory. It will be in operation first in the EAST machine and afterwards in Tore Supra in its WEST (W/Tungsten Environment in Steady-state Tokamak) configuration where it is of paramount importance to survey possible degradation of W component surface.
The control system of the robot has been extensively upgraded. The effort has been focused on three areas: (1) improvement of the arm position accuracy, (2) increase of the operational robustness, (3) use of a powerful graphical user interface including simulation of trajectories and robot deployment capabilities in a 3D viewer environment.
The aim of this paper is to detail the architecture of the AIA control system.
Robotic operations are one of the major maintenance challenges for ITER and future fusion reactors. CEA has developed a multipurpose carrier able to realize deployments in the plasma vessel without ...breaking the Ultra High Vacuum (UHV) and temperature conditioning. A 6 years R&D programme was jointly conducted by CEA-LIST Interactive Robotics Unit and the Institute for Magnetic Fusion Research (IRFM) in order to demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of an in-vessel inspection robot relevant to ITER requirements.
The Articulated Inspection Arm robot (AIA) is an 8-m long multilink carrier with a payload up to 10
kg operable between plasma under tokamak conditioning environment; its geometry allows a complete close inspection of Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) of the Tore Supra vessel.
Different tools are being developed by CEA to be plugged at the front head of the carrier. The diagnostic presently in operation consists in a viewing system offering accurate visual inspection of PFCs. Leak detection of first wall based on helium sniffing and laser compact system for carbon co-deposited layers characterizations or treatments are also considered for demonstration.
In April 2008, the AIA robot equipped with its vision diagnostic has realized a complete deployment into Tore Supra and the first closed inspection of the vessel under UHV conditions. During the upcoming experimental campaign, the same operation will be performed under relevant conditions (10
−6
Pa and 120
°C) after a conditioning phase at 200
°C to avoid outgassing pollution of the chamber.
This paper describes the different steps of the project development, robot capabilities with the present operations conducted on Tore Supra and future requirements for making the robot a tool for tokamak routine operation.
EAST Articulated Inspection Arm (AIA) robot is being mutually developed by ASIPP and CEA-IRFM for remote handling maintenance. It will permit remote visual inspection and to pick up small fragments ...inside the EAST tokamak vacuum vessel during experiments. Considering storage and support for EAST AIA, a sealed cask system has been designed and manufactured, which can be connected to EAST device through a ϕ250 mm connection port with two flashboard valves. The system consists of a 10 m long vacuum vessel with a linear guide rail for storage, guiding and conditioning, two mobile wagons for support and some auxiliary systems for keeping suitable work conditions and measurement. Besides, a stainless steel shuttle has been developed to support AIA robot and assemble with the linear guide. It can push the robot into tokamak vessel and back to the storage cask with a gear-rack driving mechanism. This paper mainly presents the overall description of the system design and some obtained implementation progress.
In 2008, the Articulated Inspection Arm (AIA) performed its first deployment in Tore Supra tokamak vessel, under real vacuum and temperature conditions (10
−6
Pa and 120
°C) after a conditioning ...phase to avoid pollution of the chamber. This full demonstration is a turning point in the project, allowing a second phase to start toward the objective to make use of the Remote Handling Equipment as an inspection routine tool. This feasibility demonstration will also be performed on Tore Supra.
At this stage, the system requires enhancements of overall technologies and also developments of the Remote Handling control system. Lessons learned in the first phase of the project and experience collected for more than 20 years by Robotics Units of CEA-LIST teams on teleoperated systems enable to identify three main fields to explore to reach the objectives:
•
Development of a reliable control based on a real time generic command control system.
•
Development of a graphical supervisor for intuitive steering.
•
Development of a generic flexible model for realistic computations of the robot localization in the environment.
This paper is dedicated to the description of the further developments that shall be done for routine Remote Handling operations. It presents the R&D project roadmap for the next years.
Development of an ITER relevant inspection robot Gargiulo, Laurent; Bayetti, Pascal; Bruno, Vincent ...
Fusion engineering and design,
12/2008, Letnik:
83, Številka:
10
Journal Article, Conference Proceeding
Recenzirano
Robotic operations are one of the major maintenance challenges for ITER and future fusion reactors. In particular, in-vessel inspection operations without loss of conditioning will be mandatory.
In ...this context, an Articulated Inspection Arm (AIA) is currently developed by the CEA within the European work programme framework, which aims at demonstrating the feasibility of a multi-purpose in-vessel Remote Handling inspection system using a long reach, limited payload carrier (up to 10
kg). It is composed of 5 segments with 8 degrees of freedom and a total range of 8
m.
The first in situ tests will take place by the end of 2007 on the Tore Supra Tokamak at Cadarache (France). They will validate concepts for operations under ITER relevant vacuum and temperature conditions. After qualification, the arm will constitute a promising tool for various applications.
Several processes are already considered for ITER maintenance and will be demonstrated on the AIA robot carrier:
•
The first embedded process is the viewing system. It is already manufactured and will allow close visual inspection of the complex Plasma Facing Components (PFC) (limiters, neutralisers, RF antenna, diagnostic windows, etc.).
•
In situ localisation of water leakage based on a helium sniffing system is also being studied to improve and facilitate maintenance operations.
•
Finally a laser ablation system for PFC detritiation, developed in CEA laboratories, is being fitted to be implemented on the robot for future operation in Tore Supra.
This paper deals with the integration of the robot into Tore Supra and the progress in the development of the processes listed above. It also describes the current test campaign aiming to qualify the robot performance and reliability under vacuum and temperature conditions.
The aim of the project is to demonstrate on Tore Supra the reliability of a multi-purpose in-vessel remote handling inspection system using a long reach, limited payload carrier.
The robot prototype ...is fully representative of the deployment carrier system that could be required on ITER. The demonstration on Tore Supra will help in the understanding of operation issues that could occur in the tokamak vacuum vessel equipped of actively cooled components. The viewing process that is currently under development will allow close inspection of the Tore Supra plasma facing components that are representative of the ITER divertor targets in terms of confined environment and identification of possible tiles failure of CFC carbon tiles.
One of the other potential inspection processes that is foreseen to be tested using the AIA carrier in Tore Supra is the laser ablation system of the CFC armour. It could be fully relevant for the ITER wall detritiation issues. Such process can be simulated on Tore Supra through the deuterium inventory under long-time plasma discharges. The in situ leakage localisation of a damaged plasma facing component is also one of the major ITER maintenance challenges that could use remote handling inspection tools.
With possible ITER applications, a 8 m long multipurpose carrier has been developed by CEA institutes to operate in the plasma vessel without breaking its conditioning. In 2008, a world premiere ...operation was conducted in the vessel of Tore Supra under Ultra High Vacuum and high temperature conditions (10 -5 Pa, 120°C). Close camera inspections of the inner wall were performed without any pollution of the tore; after the intervention and the robot return into its storage cask, plasma campaign could restart quickly. With the opportunity to carry various diagnostics and tools, this new type of remote handling device could offer important functionalities for future fusion facility maintenance needs, operation and safety issues.
