Instrumentation integration in the European Test Blanket Modules

Abstract

Amongst the four different Test Blanket Modules (TBM) that shall be tested in ITER, the European domestic agency (Fusion For Energy) participates in two concepts: the Water-Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) and the Helium-Cooled Ceramic Pebbles (HCCP). A progressive set of activities including implementation and integration of instrumentation has been conducted from preliminary design stage. The current work is mainly focused on the thermal and mechanical instrumentation, although other sensors are also considered. The integration of instrumentation in the TBMs is challenging; consequently, the number and position of the sensors should be carefully optimized. An important advance of the current work is the use of reconstruction algorithms to provide an estimation of the reconstruction ability of the different sensor sets. These algorithms comprise a series of mathematical tools which use model results and sensor measurements to infer different variables at positions where no in-situ measurement is available. Apart from the use of these algorithms, the final decision on sensor location has been conducted from a holistic point of view considering the different perspectives and integration challenges.