Factory Acceptance Test Research Articles

Delivered Poloidal Field Coils to ITER Fusion Tokamak Facility: Status, Factory Acceptance Test Results and Overview of the Undergone Electrical Tests in Manufacturing Processes

Delivered Poloidal Field Coils to ITER Fusion Tokamak Facility: Status, Factory Acceptance Test Results and Overview of the Undergone Electrical Tests in Manufacturing Processes

Completion and Factory Acceptance Test of the ITER PF1 Coil

Completion and Factory Acceptance Test of the ITER PF1 Coil

Development of Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation Test Bed to Verify and Validate Power Management System for LNG Carriers

Liquefied natural gas carrier (LNGC) orders are increasing owing to marine environment regulations. The complexity of the integrated system applied to shipbuilding and software errors have increased with the high degree of automation. Direct on-site inspection methods are associated with high costs and safety risks, whereas software-based simulations rely heavily on the accuracy of the models of power system components. Hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) can be utilized for designing and testing intricate real-time embedded systems. Specifically, HILS offers a reliable means of evaluating power management system (PMS) performance for LNGCs, which are high-value vessels commonly used in offshore plants. This study proposes a PMS–HIL test bed comprising a power supply unit, consumer, simulation control console, and main switchboard. The proposed HILS test bed utilizes the real equipment data of the shipbuilding industry to replicate the conditions associated with actual LNGCs. The proposed system is verified and validated through a software acceptance test procedure. Additionally, load-sharing, load-dependent start, blackout prevention, and preferential tests are performed for the PMS function evaluation. Test results indicate that the proposed system has great potential for conventional PMS commissioning. Therefore, it exhibits the potential to replace traditional factory acceptance tests. Additional development of the system will be conducted for ship automation, utilizing PMS control and an energy management system.

240 Leveraging factory acceptance tests for enhanced noise control strategies, a Petronas experience

240 Leveraging factory acceptance tests for enhanced noise control strategies, a Petronas experience

CMS ECAL VFE design, production and testing

Maintaining the required performance of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) barrel at the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) requires the replacement of the entire on-detector electronics. 12240 new very front end (VFE) cards will amplify and digitize the signals of61200lead-tungstate crystals instrumented with avalanche photodiodes. The VFE cards host five channels of CATIA pre-amplifier ASICs followed by LiTE-DTU ASICs, which digitize signals with 160 MS/s and 12bit resolution. We present the strategy and infrastructure developed for achieving the required reliability of less than 0.5% failing channels over the expected lifetime of 20 years. This includes the choice of standards, design for reliability and manufacturing, as well as factory acceptance tests, reception testing, environmental stress screening and calibration of the VFE cards.

Commissioning of the hydrogen cryostat of the cryogenic moderator system of the European Spallation Source (ESS) for test purposes at the ZEA-1

A helium-cooled hydrogen cryostat for the European Spallation Source (ESS) was developed, built and tested at the ZEA-1 of the Forschungszentrum Jülich. In order to be able to carry out the final factory acceptance test (FAT), a nitrogen mixing system was developed with which the cryostat could be cooled down and operated in a controlled manner. During the test phase, the cryostat was operated exclusively with nitrogen instead of helium and hydrogen. Nevertheless, all functions of the cryostat system could be checked and key figures could be determined.

Partial Discharge Monitoring of Power Transformers by Calibrated UHF Measurements

Partial discharge (PD) measurement is an established technique to detect local defects in the oil/paper insulation. They can be measured by electrical PD measurements according to IEC 60270 or by electromagnetic measurements in the ultra-high frequency range (UHF: 300 MHz – 3 GHz). The electromagnetic emissions of PD are recorded using an UHF sensor which is inserted into the transformer tank. The importance of PD measurements is reflected in the standard for charge-based electrical measurements (IEC 60270). Because of the standard, apparent charge, QIEC, became an essential factor for determining insulation quality in transformers. To be an accepted factor for both, quality testing in factory acceptance tests (FAT) or site acceptance tests (SAT) and continuous PD monitoring, the UHF technology must be as reliable and reproducible as the electrical method. To achieve this, a standardized calibration procedure is needed: It makes UHF measurement results from different systems comparable. Because this calibration procedure was lacking in the past, the UHF technology does not provide comparability between measurement systems and different sensors, yet. However, it shows advantages for on-site acceptance tests like SAT, continuous monitoring, and diagnostic purposes. E.g., regarding signal to noise ratios, the possibility for localization of PD sources and also for practical reasons like preparation times and accessibility on-site. This contribution presents a PD monitoring system which can be calibrated according to the calibration process described recently in Cigré TB 861 and two different types of UHF PD sensors for power transformers. One sensor type is for new transformers using dielectric windows and the other is for retrofitting transformers using their DN50/80 drain valves. A recommendation or strategy on where to place window-type UHF sensors at the tank of new power transformers is also provided in accordance with TB 861. Additionally, this contribution provides a description of the calibration process for UHF PD measurement systems consisting of two steps: 1) Calibration of the measurement instrument analogous to the calibration of the electrical PD measurement circuit using a defined reference signal. 2) Calibration of a UHF sensor using its characteristic antenna factor (AF). Furthermore, it shows three case studies from different power transformers equipped with UHF sensors and UHF PD monitoring systems.

First Measurement Campaign by a Multi-Sensor Robot for the Lifecycle Monitoring of Transformers

Transformers are a very important asset in the electrical transmission grid, and they can suffer from destructive events—e.g., rare transformer fires. Unfortunately, destructive events often lead to a lack of data available for investigators during post-event forensics and failure analysis. This fact has motivated our design and implementation of a robotic multi-sensor platform and cloud backend solution for the lifecycle monitoring, inspection, diagnostics, and condition assessment of transformers. The robotic platform collects data from specific viewpoints around the transformer during operation and at specific relevant lifecycle milestones of the transformer (e.g., at the factory acceptance test) in an automated, repetitive, precise, and reliable manner. The acquired data are stored in the cloud backend, which also provides computing resources and data access to relevant in- and off-premises services (e.g., respectively, SCADA systems, and weather reports). In this paper, we present the results of our first measurement campaign to showcase the value of our solution for transformer lifecycle monitoring, for anomaly detection, and as a crucial tool for post-event forensics in the case of destructive events.

A Deep-Sea Environment Simulated Test System for Subsea Control Modules, Part A: Prototype and Test

This paper proposes a version of the deep-sea environment simulated test system for subsea control modules to solve the problem of incomplete testing systems for electro-hydraulic subsea control modules. Based on the subsea control module test requirements specified in APISTD17F, the test system in this paper is a highly integrated system, including a test hydraulic power unit, a control module test bench, a signal simulator, an electronic test unit, an umbilical simulator, a high-pressure chamber, and an incubator. Firstly, the design indicators of the test system were determined by analyzing the various functions of the subsea control module and its working environment. Secondly, the design scheme for the test system was proposed, and a detailed design was carried out. Finally, a hydro-electrical subsea control module for the Bohai Sea was fully tested with this system, with tests including the qualification test and the factory acceptance test. The test results show that all parts of the test system coordinated well and have achieved the design indicators, and the test system can simulate the working environment and complete a land test. The effectiveness and feasibility of the test system have been verified through the test. By adopting this system, the risk of subsea control module failure can be minimized, laying the foundations for future research and improvement of subsea control module testing equipment.

FAIR SIS100 accelerating RF system - Modeling and analysis of the coupled LLRF control loops

The SIS100 heavy ion synchrotron as core part of the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) will be equipped with 14 accelerating RF stations in the first stage of realization. Each RF station consists of a tunable ferrite-loaded cavity powered by a tetrode amplifier. Further key components are a solid-state pre-amplifier, a power supply unit, and dedicated Low-Level Radio Frequency (LLRF) feedforward and feedback systems to control amplitude and phase of the cavity gap voltage as well as the resonance frequency. Each cavity has to provide up to 20 kV peak gap voltage in the frequency range from 1.1 to 3.2 MHz. While all components of the system have been successfully tested in the factory acceptance tests and transferred to the FAIR storage, the First-of-Series (FoS) RF station is still persistently operated at GSI to gain experience. For further insight into the LLRF part, especially the stability of the control loops, the inter-coupling of the three local control loops was analyzed with methods from control theory based on simplified but realistic models, which have been developed based on extensive measurements and analysis of the systems’ behavior. In this contribution, the modeling as well as the analysis of the coupling between the LLRF control loops are discussed and the results are presented in comparison with measurements on the FoS system.

Design and Simulation of CRAFT TF Winding Table

The Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology (CRAFT) is an important step in China's quest to use fusion energy. The toroidal field (TF) coil project, one of the most important parts of CRAFT, is targeting manufacturing a full-scale prototype China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) TF coil with a dimension of 19.5 m (height) 11.5 m (width) 1.1 m (thickness), solving key engineering and scientific issues in the manufacturing process of this giant superconducting magnet. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">The CRAFT TF winding packs (WPs) are pancake windings design, composed of high, medium, and low field sub-WPs. As the core unit of the TF winding line, the winding table plays the role of bearing the weight of each child winding, moving in X and Y directions, and rotating in C direction, to follow the winding trajectory accurately. In this paper, the movement data (displacement, speed and acceleration in different axis) of the winding table while coil winding and the engineering design are presented. Factory acceptance test was performed and the main parameters of the winding table in various working scenarios were obtained. The test results imply the design and fabrication of the winding table fully meet the winding requirements.

A study on the interaction among hull, engine and propeller during self-propulsion of a ship

Hull-engine-propeller matching is one of the key issues of ship design. It plays an important role in improving the economy and safety of ship navigation. The hull-engine-propeller matching is generally based on the Factory Acceptance Test of engine and the Sea Acceptance Test of ship. These conventional methods cost money and time. To overcome these defects, this paper proposes a simulation method based on the quasi-steady model of engine and CFD for ship hydrodynamics to study the interaction among the hull, engine and propeller, which provides the basis for ship-engine-propeller matching. Taking the PA6 diesel engine and the ONR tumblehome ship as the study objects, the quasi-steady model of engine is constructed by using simulation software and applied to carry out simulation under the operation conditions; the ship resistance test, propeller open-water test and self-propulsion test are simulated by using CFD method. Based on the simulation results, an integrated simulation platform is established for studying the hull-engine-propeller interaction. Further, the external characteristics of diesel engine under the effects of hull-engine-propeller interaction are predicted for the ship sailing straight ahead at different speeds. This paper provides a new method for studying the characteristics of hull-engine-propeller interaction.

Commissioning and Service Experience With a ±550 kV DC GIL Conducted in Frame of a CIGRE Prototype Installation Test

A newly developed ±550 kV DC GIL (direct current gas-insulated transmission line) prototype was erected at a HVDC test facility at the Technical University of Darmstadt to collect first service experience with this new equipment. The 100 m long DC GIL prototype is periodically stressed with DC voltage and DC current as well as superimposed impulse voltage. The test equipment was procured for the project and partly newly developed. The overall procedure follows the prototype installation test recommendations from CIGRE TB 842. This paper presents experience collected during the commissioning and long-term testing of the DC GIL prototype. The commissioning process, events occurred, as well as resulting conclusions for type, factory acceptance and site acceptance tests of DC GIL systems are discussed. The long-term operation of the DC GIL is intended to run continuously. Interruptions occur due to external influences only. Partial discharge events and the overall performance of the DC GIL prototype during long-term stress are presented.

Hybrid SVC-VSC modeling approaches for hardware-in-the-loop simulation

Hydro-Québec built two static var compensators at the 735-kV La Verendrye substation in 1985. Each has a capacity of +330/-110 Mvar to help regulate system voltage and power system dynamic. They exceeded their useful life, and their operation was becoming challenging due to the aging control technology. Spare part availability and cost were also becoming an issue. A refurbishment project was thus undertaken. Due to design constraints, a hybrid SVC was selected: traditional thyristor-switched capacitors are used, but thyristor-controlled inductors are replaced by full-bridge modular multilevel converters.Throughout the ongoing project, hardware-in-the-loop real-time simulation was used for dynamic performance testing, factory acceptance tests and pre-commissioning studies. Two modeling approaches were used to represent the hybrid SVC: conventional electromagnetic transient simulation and small time-step approach. As this paper demonstrates, both approaches are valid in this case and produce matching results if simulation contrivances are not neglected.

Construction of hot helium leak test facility for ITER blanket shield block

The ITER Blanket Shield Block (SB) is one of the main in-vessel components that provides nuclear shielding and removes nuclear heating for the Vacuum Vessel (VV) and external vessel components. The SB, which contains internal cooling channels, is manufactured from 316L(N)-IG stainless steel, and the internal channels are designed to provide the required thermal-hydraulic performance while aiming for a water/steel ratio that results in good nuclear shielding with headers and welded cover plates. Therefore, the soundness of all SB products' welded joints must be confirmed to eliminate the risk of leakage during manufacturing and the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT). However, a test facility capable of testing large components at high temperatures has never been constructed anywhere. The ITER Korea Domestic Agency (KODA) has therefore successfully completed the construction and commissioning of two Hot Helium Leak Test (HHLT) facilities, and all SB series products are being entirely tested under RT and an elevated temperature of 250 °C with a maximum operational pressure of 5.0 MPa. This paper provides information on the design features of the two HHLT facilities and lessons learned from the commissioning test.

KoBRA Wien filter for low-energy RI beam production and recoil separation

The Wien filter is one of the key components in ion optics to improve the mass separation performance. The KoBRA Wien filter will be installed at the low-energy beamline KoBRA of RAON in Korea. The specifications of the KoBRA Wien filter were determined based on the ion beams expected in the KoBRA beamline, especially, beam energies less than about 5 MeV/nucleon suitable for nuclear astrophysics experiments. The Wien filter is designed to have the maximum field intensities of 0.2 T for the magnetic field and 2.0 kV/mm for the electric field in the ±75(H)×±50(V)×2500(L)mm3 good-field region. Performance of the Wien filter was estimated by the ion optics calculations of the KoBRA beamline for 40Ar beams at 18.5 MeV/nucleon and 14O beams at 2.5 MeV/nucleon. The mass resolving powers are 42.65 and 517, respectively. Currently, the KoBRA Wien filter is being manufactured, and will perform a factory acceptance test.

Reliability Analysis of the Deep-Sea Horizontal Clamp Connector Based on Multi-Source Information from an Engineering Background

As a key piece of equipment in underwater production system, a reliability study of deep-sea connectors has important theoretical significance and engineering value for increasing fault-free operation time, improving engineering safety, and reducing maintenance costs. However, the diverse failure modes of connectors and the lack of high-quality and credible reliability data can lead to biased analysis outcomes. To tackle this problem, this study aims to establish a reliability model for deep-sea horizontal clamp connectors. Based on the actual engineering background, a fault tree model for deep-sea horizontal clamp connectors is developed, and the distribution types of bottom events are analyzed concerning the failure mechanism. To enhance the model’s credibility, a multi-source information approach is employed, combining prior product information, expert experience, and design information to quantitatively solve the reliability probability of the connector. The expert experience is quantified using the fuzzy quantitative analysis method, while the design information is estimated by developing a corrosion prediction model combined with grey theory. Thus, the reliability assessment of deep-sea horizontal clamp connectors is completed. Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) is performed on the improved connectors, and the closed-loop work of reliability analysis is completed.

Experimental Investigation to Assess the Performance Characteristics of a Marine Two-Stroke Dual Fuel Engine under Diesel and Natural Gas Mode

With the aim of CO2 emissions reduction in the maritime sector, dual fuel engines operating on natural gas are the most prominent technical and commercially available solution. A promising variant is the two-stroke high-pressure natural gas injection engine, utilizing diesel pilot fuel injection for ignition of the gaseous fuel while being able to operate in diesel-only mode. In this study, a comparative analysis of the performance and the combustion mechanism of dual fuel and diesel mode for this engine type is conducted using experimental data. Studies based on measurements conducted on actual scale are limited in the literature due to the engines’ sheer size not allowing lab testing. The analysis was conducted using measurements acquired during the factory acceptance tests involving conventional operating data and cylinder pressure data acquired using a piezoelectric sensor. In terms of the mean pressure and temperature, only minor differences were found. The specific fuel consumption was improved under low load operation for the dual fuel mode by 1.8%, while a small increase of 1.2% was found near full load. Differences were found in the combustion process from 25 to 75% load with considerably faster premixed and diffusion combustion for the dual fuel mode leading to a 6–8% decrease in combustion duration. Despite the combustion process differences, the performance under dual fuel operation was overall close to that of conventional diesel with an acceptable 1.5% efficiency reduction on average. This confirms that modern dual fuel marine engines can achieve the performance standards of conventional ones while benefiting from low-carbon fuel use to reduce CO2 emissions.

AC Loss Modeling of a Full-Size ITER CS Module

Thorough analyses of electromagnetic transients in superconducting coils for fusion magnets are necessary to compute the losses arising in time-varying operating conditions and correctly design the cryogenic system. The challenge of these analyses, when using numerical methods, is related to the high number of degrees of freedom required to discretize large-scale magnets wound with cable in conduit conductors (CICCs), which include hundreds of composite strands. This study is focused on the central solenoid (CS) of the ITER magnet system, composed of six modules, each wound with several CICC for a total length of 6 km. The numerical code THELMA and an analytical model based on a <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">single time constant</i> —previously applied to analyze the tests of a 44-m-long single-layer solenoid, referred to as CS Insert (CSI)—are scaled up to calculate losses during factory acceptance tests (FAT) at the General Atomic (GA) in Poway (US). We demonstrate, by comparison with experimental data, the possibility of predicting the losses in the CS module by projecting the results obtained in the CS Insert subsize test, a single-layer solenoid tested at the National Institute for Quantum Science and Technology (Naka, Japan). The application of a numerical model discretizing the conductor with a few tens of subcables to a full-scale fusion magnet is very demanding. A novel methodology is proposed to abate the computational burden, based on reducing the number of turns involved in the calculation, still retaining a high level of accuracy in the loss assessment.

Commissioning and first operational experience with the new thyristor converter Group 7 of ASDEX Upgrade

Due to the continuously expanding experimental program of ASDEX Upgrade (AUG), the high current converters came to their limits. At the same time, the risk of failure increased because of the equipment aging. In order to reduce this risk and to extend the area of operation, a new thyristor converter called “Group 7″, equipped with a recently developed digital control system, was installed. While the design was already published on SOFT 2018, this paper will describe in detail the commissioning results and the first operational experience of the new thyristor converter. The manufacturing and on site installation of Group 7 started in 2018 and was finished in spring 2021 by the delivery of the transformers. In parallel to the construction process the main components were type-tested. One of four converter modules was extensively verified during the factory acceptance tests. In order to be able to test the digital control system independently of the construction of the power converter, a scale model was built. All functions of the control system were tested on it. It was also useful to investigate the problems arising during commissioning and to verify firmware fixes. After finishing the site installation work, the converter was proved in all possible configurations on a test coil. These tests were performed in local and remote control. Attention was also paid to the effect of power factor improvement by neutral-point vs. regular bridge (B6) thyristor configuration. For this reason, all tests were performed with and without operation of the neutral-point thyristors. The last step was to operate the converter on the magnet coils of AUG. In an intensive test program over a period of six month, all poloidal field and OH coils of AUG were operated with the new converter in the required operation mode.