3D INSPECTION OF CIT FIRST WALL SURFACES

SAFE OPERATION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL COMPACT IGNITION TOKAMAK (CIT) BEING CONSTRUCTED AT THE PRINCETON PLASMA LABORATORY REQUIRES INTEGRITY OF THE FIRST WALL SURFACES. THE GRAPHITE TILES LINING THE INTERIOR OF THE TORUS MAY CRACK, DELAMINATE, OR BREAK COMPLETELY OFF. RATHER THAN MANUALLY INSPECTING THE SURFACES OR USING DETECTION OF CONTAMINANTS IN THE PLASMA TO DETERMINE THE LOSS OF TILE INTEGRITY, A PROPRIETARY THREE-DIMENSIONAL SENSING SYSTEM MAY BE USED TO LOCATE DEFECTS. BY COMPARING THE MEASURED SURFACES WITH AN IDEAL SURFACE, DEVIATIONS MAY BE IDENTIFIED AND PRESENTED TO OPERATORS. THE PHASE I PROJECT INCLUDES A REQUIREMENTS STUDY OF THE FIRST-WALL-INSPECTION PROBLEM, ANALYSIS OF THE SENSOR GEOMETRY, AND PRELIMINARY INSPECTION OF GRAPHITE TILES IN THE LABORATORY USING A PROTOTYPE SENSOR.