In Russia, a robotic tomograph was created for the largest international thermonuclear reactor ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), located in France. The installation has been tested and is already in operation.
The prototype of robotic ultrasonic testing (PRUT), created by Tomsk Polytechnic University under a technical order from NIIEFA (part of Rosatom), allows tracking the quality of welds, detecting defects, and controlling the uniformity of the structure and thickness of materials during the production of components inside the chamber of the international experimental thermonuclear reactor.
The sample includes an immersion bath, a robotic manipulator, and a stage with a lifting system. Together with specialists from NIIEFA, TPU scientists developed specialized software for the tomograph.
The installation successfully passed acceptance tests, during which a full cycle of automated ultrasonic testing was performed on all typical test objects of the in-vessel components of ITER, and was put into operation.
