Vacuum operation test for optical window protective shutters of JT-60SA diagnostic port-plugs

Kokusen, Shigeharu; Yoshida, Maiko; Tojo, Hiroshi

Shutters will be installed in front of vacuum windows of some diagnostics in JT-60SA to avoid deposition of impurity onto the vacuum window during wall cleaning and plasma conditioning. Two types of shutter systems had been designed. One has a light shutter (0.5 kg) with rotary motion in vacuum. Another has a heavy shutter (3 kg) with vertical motion in vacuum. For the both types, malfunction due to increase of friction coefficients of the sliding parts in vacuum is concerned. In the present paper, Durability, abrasion and friction coefficient of the sliding parts has been investigated and the shutter designs have been validated. The light shutter with rotary motion successfully rotated required times (4000 times), and the design was validated. On the other hand, for the heavy shutter with vertical motion, the test could not be carried out due to the large friction of the sliding parts. This result suggests that we should change the material of the sliding parts to reduce the friction or change the design from the sliding structure to other ones such as a structure using pulleys and bearings. In the test of the heavy shutter with vertical motion, the friction coefficient increased from 1.3 to 4.5 in the vacuum chamber and from 0.4 to 2.5 in the air.