Maintenance plan of the ITER Radial Neutron Camera: Verification and validation by virtual reality simulation

IF 1.9 3区工程技术 Q1 NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Fusion Engineering and Design Pub Date : 2025-03-23 DOI:10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.114980

Enrico Occhiuto , Domenico Marzullo , Danilo Nicola Dongiovanni , Ugo Bonavolontà , Francesco Malaroda , Daniele Marocco , Basilio Esposito

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The Radial Neutron Camera (RNC) is an ITER diagnostic designed to measure the un-collided 14 MeV and 2.5 MeV neutrons from deuterium-tritium (DT) and deuterium-deuterium (DD) fusion reactions, through an array of detectors covering a poloidal plasma section along collimated Lines Of Sight (LOS).

The Ex-Port RNC is located in the Port Cell (PC) Interspace zone, the first area outside the Vacuum Vessel, and includes several detector units, mounted inside detector boxes. On the base of reliability considerations, the Radial Neutron Camera Maintenance Plan (RNC-MP) has foreseen a hands-on maintenance task to replace detectors unit equipment in case of failure. Despite not precluding workers access, the radiation field at shutdown in the PC Interspace zone requires optimization of hands-on operations to enable the minimization of occupational radiation exposure under the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle.

The relevant complexity and dimensions of the Ex-Port RNC requires a maintenance evaluation method different from a physical mock-up. The Virtual Reality technology may help to create a digital mock-up for evaluating the detectors replacement operations. The paper aims to demonstrate the potentialities of such technologies, in a field where safety and worker ergonomics are primary priorities. Thanks to the virtual scenario built, the RNC-MP updated steps are evaluated, improved and finally validated. The VR simulation is as well validated via a simple physical mock-up of the detector box.

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来源期刊

Fusion Engineering and Design 工程技术-核科学技术

CiteScore

3.50

自引率

23.50%

发文量

275

审稿时长

3.8 months

期刊介绍： The journal accepts papers about experiments (both plasma and technology), theory, models, methods, and designs in areas relating to technology, engineering, and applied science aspects of magnetic and inertial fusion energy. Specific areas of interest include: MFE and IFE design studies for experiments and reactors; fusion nuclear technologies and materials, including blankets and shields; analysis of reactor plasmas; plasma heating, fuelling, and vacuum systems; drivers, targets, and special technologies for IFE, controls and diagnostics; fuel cycle analysis and tritium reprocessing and handling; operations and remote maintenance of reactors; safety, decommissioning, and waste management; economic and environmental analysis of components and systems.