American Nuclear Society
Home

Home / Publications / Journals / Fusion Science and Technology / Volume 28 / Number 3P2

The Overall Control Architecture of the European Tritium Handling Experimental Laboratory

Giorgio Natale Magni

Fusion Science and Technology / Volume 28 / Number 3P2 / October 1995 / Pages 1353-1358

Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Tritium System / Proceedings of the Fifth Topical Meeting on Tritium Technology In Fission, Fusion, and Isotopic Applications Belgirate, Italy May 28-June 3, 1995 / dx.doi.org/10.13182/FST95-A30600

The overall control architecture serving the European Tritium Handling Experimental Laboratory (ETHEL) consists of two types of apparatus:1) Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Personal Computers (PCs), networks which constitute the so-called Distributed Digital Control System (DDCS); 2) Fail-safe hard-wiring which operates independently of the DDCS. This paper deals with the first type of apparatus; its hardware and software are described. The computerized system, defined by a four-level hierarchical and modular architecture, is a large distributed Real-time Control System. The operation is mainly centralised in the Control Room through a fully programmable man-machine interface (graphic displays, trends, etc.).