Using modern virtual reality techniques to perform analysis of ITER ECH EL port cell maintenance

Abstract

In order to maintain an ITER Port Plug after failure, the Port Cell needs to be cleared to allow for a transport cask to access the Port Plug and transfer it for maintenance to the Hot Cell Complex. The Port Cell clearing process is a complex, manual and machine assisted procedure, taking out the equipment blocking cask access in several stages.For the Equatorial Launcher (EL) of the Electron Cyclotron Heating (ECH) system, which is located in Equatorial Port Cell #14 of the ITER tokamak, the Port Cell clearing operation includes the removal of 24 Ex-vessel Waveguides, a complex set of CCWS (component cooling) and PHTS (primary cooling) lines, several manifolds, and other ancillaries, like the Service Vacuum System (SVS) to monitor the torus vacuum tightness.This paper shows how modern Virtual Reality (VR) simulation techniques, in combination with a state of the art, high-end game-PC environment and Head Mounted Display, can be used as a tool to visualize and analyse the maintenance procedures, to predict the time to repair, and to assist in minimizing radiation exposure to take in to consideration the ALARA principles.Special emphasis is put on the verification and validation of manual and machine-assisted maintenance procedures and the identification of tooling requirements. The possibility to simulate logistics and repair actions in an early stage of the design process allows for the identification of those maintenance actions that require dedicated tests or the development of dedicated tools.The added value of using modern VR techniques to analyse the maintenance scenarios are:•Immersive & intuitive – very little training required to experience the process first-hand•Quick and accurate assessment of maintenance scenarios, based on the actual CATIA models•The ability to assess in detail geometrically very complex maintenance sequencing•Less need for expensive hardware mock ups