Maintainability Features of the Compact Ignition Tokamak

The Compact Ignition Tokamak is envisaged to be the next experimental reactor in the U.S. Fusion Program. Its use of deuterium/tritium fuel requires the implementation of remote handling technology for maintenance and disassembly operations. The reactor is surrounded by a close-proximity nuclear shield which is designed to permit personnel access within the test cell, one day after shutdown. With the shield in place, certain maintenance activities in the test may be done hands-on. Maintenance on the reactor is accomplished remotely using a cranemounted manipulator after disassembling the shield. Maintenance within the plasma chamber is accomplished with two articulated boom manipulators that are capable of operating in a vacuum environment. They are stored in a vacuum enclosure behind movable shield plugs. The maintenance-related facilities are the test cell, hot cell, decontamination cell, warm cell, and the fabrication, assembly, and mockup building.