Market Survey on availability of engineering effort to perform R&D, preparatory and final design for diagnostics Remote Handling connector

Transcription

1 Market Survey on availability of engineering effort to perform R&D, preparatory and final design for diagnostics Remote Handling connector 1. Introduction F4E signed a Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA, ref. F4E FPA 328) to develop Tokamak Services for Diagnostics in March The scope of F4E FPA 328 encompasses R&D, engineering, quality and testing activities for the infrastructure of the ITER Diagnostics systems (i.e. cabling, conduits, feedthroughs, connectors). Now F4E is looking for new partners to reinforce the F4E FPA 328 team, specifically for the development of the diagnostics Remote Handling (RH) cable connector. Therefore, the aim of this survey is to establish whether there is sufficient interest from, and capacity in, various economic operators in the EU and Switzerland (e.g. research laboratories and commercial companies) to undertake the R&D 2, preparatory and final design of the RH connector; joining as an additional beneficiary of the current F4E FPA 328 consortium. It is noted that activities conducted under F4E FPAs and Grants are funded as follows (i.e. applies for the F4E FPA 328): 40% F4E co funding for R&D activities, including technical project management. The beneficiaries of an FPA or Grant are expected to contribute the remaining 60% from their own or other funding sources. 100% F4E funding for administrative management. 100% F4E funding for other specific activities, such as certain travel costs. Certain activities related to the FPA are not expected to be undertaken by the beneficiaries, such as manufacture of some prototypes, acquisition of special equipment and provision of required facilities (e.g. irradiation testing) that are not available to them. These activities would be undertaken by F4E through industrial contracts separate from F4E FPA 328. In case this market survey shows that there is no interest in the development of the RH connector under the existing F4E FPA 328 (and its funding scheme explained above), F4E will consider the procurement of the RH connector under a 100% funded contract covering both the R&D/design AND manufacture. F4E would be interested in your response to the market survey if either of these arrangements is of interest to your organisation. The following sections describe briefly: the context and function of the RH connector, the expertise required for the development and design work for the RH connector, and characteristics of F4E FPA For more information on this subject, please check: 2 Including testing

2 2. Context and function of the RH connector: The ITER machine contains 54 removable cassettes structures located in the lower interior of the vacuum vessel, as shown below. Figure 1. Cross section of the ITER tokamak, with 3 divertor cassettes shown (Picture courtesy of the Iter Organisation) 17 of these cassettes will be instrumented with diagnostics components. Cables from the diagnostic components will transmit their signals to areas outside the machine. However, the divertor cassettes can be removed from the machine, meaning a connector is required in the diagnostics cabling. Once the machine is operational, removal of the cassettes has to be performed remotely, predominantly due to the radiation levels inside the machine. Therefore the cabling connector has to be RH (i.e. designedd to be attached and detached using remote tooling) Figure 2: An individual ITER Divertor Cassette (Picture courtesy of the Iter Organisation)

3 The RH connector shall: Function in vacuum at 120 C. Function after vacuum baking to 350 C (with survival up to 380 C). Have a very low out gassing rate (<1x10 9 Pa m 3 /m 2 s). Make use of radiation hard materials, as high neutron fluxes and gamma doses occur during machine operation. Transmit signals up to 250V or 20A (not simultaneously within the same signal). Survive electromagnetic, seismic, nuclear heating and disruption loads and deflections. Survive up to 50 connect/disconnect cycles. Have a capacity up to 220 pins per connector. Not interfere with remote removal/installation of the divertor cassettes. Minimise temperature variation along the cables by using passive cooling to adjacent components. Minimise noise generation and RF pickup. Fit in a confined space. Other considerations: There are two variations of divertor cassette central and side cassettes. Two variations of the RH cable connector design will also be required, but with some common parts. Prototype RH connectors are expected to be built to test the manufacture, assembly and the efficiency of remote connectability during the R&D and development. The cable loom that attaches to the RH connector is quite stiff (mineral insulated cable), therefore the design of the RH connector needs careful design to allow the connector to be connected and disconnected remotely. The insulators need to be UHV compatible. 3. Expertise required for the development and design work for the RH connector Services that are considered necessary for the design activity include: review of system scope and requirements; system level design, including assessment of perturbing effects; conduct of engineering design (to applicable codes and standards or acknowledged best practice); engineering modelling and analysis in support of design development, verification and justification; computer aided design, including dynamic modelling; services in relation to prototypes (such as design, development of test specifications, and execution of tests); services in relation to documentation, quality assurance, support and technical managerial activities in connection with the design process;

4 other specific technical services, including: o review of technologies and specification of prototypes, o conduct of RH designs and applicability of RH engineering codes, o conduct of mechanical, nuclear and electrical systems engineering, o conduct of prototype testing, including demonstration of dynamics of the connector operation. The following is an indicative list of competences that may be required for the R&D and design of the RH connector: Engineering: o Systems engineering (including sub roles such as reliability, CE Marking and codes & standards). o Mechanical engineering (including sub roles such as vacuum design, thermo mechanical analysis and material expertise). o Electrical engineering (including sub roles such as electromagnetic analysis and issues experienced by electrical connections in vacuum conditions). o Remote Handling engineering (engineer having knowledge of the implications that applies to remote handling designs, testing and application of codes and standards). o Neutronics engineering. o Welding engineering. Other: o Project management o Quality management o CAD Designer (CATIA v5) o Technician It should be noted that: It is expected that most of the resources deployed will be for the conduct of engineering activities. ITER is classified as a nuclear base installation under French law. Consequently, all design and manufacturing activities of ITER components are subject to stringent Quality Assurance requirements, which will be specified in the FPA 328 and Specific Grants for the R&D and design of RH connectors. 4. Characteristics of the F4E FPA 328 The F4E contribution to the existing F4E FPA 328 has a ceiling of 3.7 million EUR and the FPA has a duration of up to four years, starting from March 2012 (with possibility of renewal). This FPA has been awarded to a consortium consisting of three laboratories based in Budapest, Hungary: Wigner RCP, MTA EK as well as Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). It concerns the infrastructure (cabling, conduits, feedthroughs, connectors) for the Diagnostics systems, with a scope covering R&D, engineering, quality and testing from functional specifications. This is an important step in the drive for first plasma, as many of these components must be installed in the first stage of the ITER assembly. For more information on this subject, please check:

5 As mentioned in the introduction, the aim of this survey is to establish whether there is sufficient interest from, and capacity in, various economic operators in the EU and Switzerland (e.g. research laboratories and commercial companies) to undertake the R&D, preparatory and final design of the RH connector for the ITER project under the F4E FPA 328 Tokamak Services for Diagnostics; by joining the existing consortium. The costs for R&D activities of the intended FPA or Grants are envisaged mainly to correspond to effort for the services described in section 3, and provision of certain facilities (e.g. a laboratory). F4E has estimated that the scope of R&D and Design for the RH connector would require from 20 ~ 30 3 professional person years (PPY), to be deployed during a period up to 2.5 years. This includes effort for project management and all quality related activities. The start of the work on the RH connector is foreseen in the first half of The duration of the R&D and design of the RH connector is estimated to last around 2.5 years, and this could be implemented through a number of sequential Specific Grant under the FPA This estimation can be further discussed between F4E and the potential Suppliers in case of different views with regards to the effort to be allocated for the scope of the activity.