Control system design of test auxiliary cold box for qualification testing of ITER cold circulating pumps

Abstract

Cold circulating pumps (CCP) in ITER-Cryodistribution system has been evaluated as the most technology critical component. Test Auxiliary Cold Box (TACB) is a valve box to perform the pre-series test of CCPs of ITER. The operating conditions of the CCPs installed in TACB during the test demands for detailed design of instrumentation and control system including physical and functional interfaces with subsystems of the test facility. Control system of TACB consists of a programmable logic controller (PLC) at the system level and two dedicated controllers for CCPs at component level, integrated together using various control and handshaking signals. Local Controllers at component level are capable of standalone local operation of respective CCPs. This paper describes the control system design using system level PLC, local controllers, associated network system, interface definition controller programming and data acquisition considering all the operating scenarios of the TACB during the pre-series test.