Preliminary Configuration of a Robotic Arm for Pipeline Maintenance in the DTT Reactor

The maintenance of the DTT nuclear fusion reactor will be operated by a remote handling system which includes a number of specifically designed manipulators and robotic arms. This work aims to disclose the preliminary consideration for the design of a robotic system intended to handle pipes that must be periodically substituted in port 4 of the vacuum vessel. As the port appears as a narrow duct with a trapezoidal section, the arm must satisfy strict requirements in term of incumbrance and, at the same time, it must ensure the capability to remove and reposition the pipes which are displaced al around the perimeter of the section. The configuration is analyzed considering the geometrical constraints and the requirements for the workspace. The paper proposes a first design for the manipulator and shows the obtained workspace.