AN IN-VESSEL MANIPULATOR CONCEPT DEMONSTRATION FOR THE COMPACT IGNITION TOKAMAK

THE SPECIALIZED CONFIGURATION OF THE CTT (COMPACT IGNITION TOKAMAK) PLASMA CHAMBER WITH ITS LIMITED ACCESS SPACE, HIGH RADIATION LEVELS, AND HIGH VACUUM CONDITIONS REQUIRES THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIAL PURPOSE REMOTE-HANDLING EQUIPMENT. INITIAL ASSEMBLY OF THE VACUUM VESSEL AND PORT PLUS IN-VESSEL INSPECTION/MAINTENANCE OF FIRST-WALL COMPONENTS, DIVERTOR, DIAGNOSTICS, AND RADIO FREQUENCY LAUNCHER ARE TO BE PERFORMED REMOTELY. A KEY ELEMENT OF THE REMOTE-HANDLINGEQUIPMENT IS A TWO-ARMED ELECTRIC MASTER-SLAVE MANIPULATOR THAT WILL BE MOVED THROUGH THE TORUS ON AN ARTICULATED BOOM.THE MANIPULATOR WILL BE STORED WITHIN A RADIATION SHIELDED VACUUM CHAMBER WHEN NOT IN USE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECTIS TO EVALUATE A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE MANIPULATOR AND TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC MATERIAL/COMPONENT CHANGES NEEDED FOR OPERATION IN THE SEVERE RADIATION AND VACUUM ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND CONFIGURATION CHANGES NEEDED TO ENTER AND PERFORM EFFECTIVE WORK WITHIN THE TORUS. A DEMONSTRATION OFTHE COMMERCIAL MANIPULATOR IN A FULL-SIZED TORUS SECTOR MOCKUP WILL BE PERFORMED. THE OUTPUT OF PHASE I WILL BE A MANIPULATOR CONCEPT DESIGN ACCEPTABLE FOR IN-VESSEL CTT USE.