1. ITER Port-Plug Engineering
Gaetano Aiello
1 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

2. EFDA Goal Oriented Training Programme on Port Plug Engineering
Outline
EFDA Goal Oriented Training Programme on Port Plug Engineering
Description of my working activities at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Description of the working activity during my stage at CEA/Cadarache
2 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

3. Training programme overview
- Background
Degree in Safety and Nuclear Technologies Engineering, 3 years (base degree) + 2 years (specialistic degree), University of Palermo.
- Fusion training programme: ITER Port-Plug Engineering
Task leader: Louis Doceul
Involved associations: CEA, FZJ, HAS, KIT
Objective: train early-stage engineers in several topics related to the ITER port plug structures during 3 years.
3 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

4. My position in the training programme
Work package 3
Location: KIT, Institute for Materials Research I
Start date: 1st September 2008
Supervisor: Theo Scherer
Topic: materials, manufacturing and assembly of upper port plug structures in ITER
Sharing beetween the associations: CEA/Cadarache, HAS
Electon Cyclotron Heating Upper Launcher (ECH UL)
02 May – 30 July 2010: secondment at CEA/IRFM
4 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

5. control of the MHD instabilities in the plasma.
The ECH UL in ITER
Physics mission:
control of the MHD instabilities in the plasma.
BSM
Main frame
Support flange
Connection flange
4 Upper Launchers: length 6 m, weight 16 t
Outer structure: two separate units
Cantilevered structure
5 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

6. The ECH UL: internal overview
Closure plate
Waveguides
Internal shield
Front shield
Steering mirrors
Focusing mirrors
Quasi optical mirrors
Support flange
Intermediate plate
Auxiliary shield
Main frame – double wall area
Main frame – single wall area
Socket
First wall panel
BSM with double wall shell
Main frame – BSM flange
Main components
Socket
Closure plate
Main frame: single/double wall
BSM with First Wall Panel
Shield blocks
Millimeter wave components
6 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

7. My working activities at KIT
Involvement in the prototype testing of the ECH UL at KIT Launcher Handling Test facility (example: BSM)
Experimental outgassing measurements for the structural material of the ECH UL
Learning of design and simulation tools (example: CFD simulations of the cooling circuit for transmission diamond windows in the gyrotrons)
7 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

8. Prototyping and testing of the BSM
Objective: identify the optimum manufacturing strategy for double wall components.
3 concepts: HIP, brazing, machining
HIP prototype of BSM corner
Testing of thermo-hydraulic behaviour
8 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

9. Outgassing measurements: why?
Outgassing is the gas desorbed from a vacuum surface due to the temperature of the surface.
Critical issue: contamination of the ITER plasma!
Outgassing limits are given in the ITER Vacuum Handbook.
HIPing: no outgassing data are available in literature.
In-vessel component:
316L(N)-IG stainless steel
T= °C (240°C for baking)
Internal vacuum ~ Pa
Experimental measurements are necessary to verify the compliance with the limits.
9 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

10. Outgassing measurements: setup
An experimental setup has been developed to investigate the partial outgassing rates q of HIPed stainless steel samples.
Outgassing depends on temperature, time, surface finish…
10 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

11. CFD simulations for diamond windows in the gyrotrons
Transmission diamond windows are necessary to keep the vacuum in the gyrotrons and also act as tritium barriers.
The silicon oil DC200(R)5cSt has been investigated as alternative coolant with respect to water for the window assembly.
11 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

12. My working activity at CEA/Cadarache
Study of the Equatorial Port Plug 1 (EPP 1)
Monte Carlo transport code MCNP (already studied at University of Palermo)
EPP 1 catia model for neutronic purposes
12 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

13. The Diagnostic Equatorial Port Plug 1 in ITER
Interface programs are able to convert CAD (Catia) geometry data into a suitable model for the Monte Carlo transport code MCNP.
Objective: create a simplified EPP 1 Catia model in order to enable neutronic analysis.
13 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

14. Neutronic catia model
Flexibility: different configurations for neutronic analysis by managing the skeleton.
14 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello

15. Many thanks to CEA/IRFM people for the kind welcome!
Conclusions
Gained experience in vacuum technology and manufacturing methods
Gained skills in design and simulation tools (improvement of my Catia knowledge at CEA/IRFM)
Many thanks to CEA/IRFM people for the kind welcome!
15 | RST - Cadarache, 12 July 2010
G. Aiello