Thermal Event Recognition Applied to Protection of Tokamak Plasma-Facing Components

Magnetic confinement fusion tokamaks are complex devices where a large amount of power is required to make the fusion reactions happen. In such experimental conditions, Plasma Facing Components (PFC) are subjected to high heat fluxes which can damage them. Machine protection functions must then be developed to operate current and future devices like ITER in the safest way. In current tokamaks like Tore Supra, infrared thermographic diagnostics based on image analysis and feedback control are used to measure and monitor the heating of the PFC during plasma operation. The system consists in detecting high increase of the IR luminance signal beyond fixed qualitative levels for a set of predefined Regions of Interest (ROI). The detection of overheating regions is then fully dependent on the settings of the ROI and of the qualitative thresholds. This ROI-based approach must be improved to fit with ITER requirements and operation where the infrared scene complexity (many components monitored...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: TIM
• Authors: Vincent Martin, Jean-Marcel Travere, François Brémond, Victor Moncada, Gwenaël Dunand
• Keywords: Confinement Fusion Tokamaks, Education, Realtime Pfc Protection, Thermal Event, TIM 2010