Development and qualification of the ITER port plug handling process

Abstract The Port Plug handling system aims to insert and remove the ITER Port Plugs installed at the Equatorial and Upper levels of the ITER Tokamak. As the Port Plugs activation and contamination levels prevent hands-on access, their safe transfer is ensured by the Cask and Plug Remote Handling System (CPRHS) between the buildings. The basic principle of the CPRHS is to allow the transfer of the Plug in and out the vessel using passive guiding means permanently attached to the Plug and the Vessel. This handling process has been reproduced on a scaled-down physical mock-up which has partially demonstrated its reliability from a mechanical point of view. In parallel, a campaign of tribology testing has been performed to identify suitable material compatible with the In-Vessel environmental conditions and with which to optimize the coefficient of friction. This paper describes the technical activities performed during handling process development (integration, tolerances, mechanical and neutronic analyses) and the results of performed tests.