A remote handling test platform at the Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology (CFFT) has been launched . ) has passed expert evaluation and acceptance.
According to a report by China Science Daily on Tuesday (September 16), CRAFT is a platform where key components of a fusion energy reactor are developed and tested by engineers.
Various field tests confirm that the cladding maintenance robot handle loads of up to 60 tonnes with high accuracy in toroidal positioning and vertical lifting, while its large capacity manipulator is capable of lifting loads of up to 2.5 tonnes.
Cladding and divertor components, which operate under the combined effects of high heat flux, intense magnetic fields, and neutron irradiation, are susceptible to damage and can only be repaired through robotics-based remote handling systems.
Despite rapid advances in industrial robotics, no robot yet exists that can withstand intense radiation while carrying heavy loads, maintaining high accuracy, and performing precise manipulations in the maintenance of key components of a fusion reactor.
The newly unveiled platform was built to address these challenges, while also serving as a core engineering verification platform to support the stable operation and commercialization of future fusion reactors.
The successful development of the remote handling test platform also creates a range of technologies that can be applied to nuclear power plant inspection and repair, the aerospace industry, heavy equipment operations, and emergency response missions.
