Remote handling technology for lead-bismuth spallation target system

鉛ビスマス核破砕ターゲットにおける遠隔操作技術

大林 寛生  ; 吉元 秀光*; 北 智士*; 八巻 賢一*; Wan, T.*; 斎藤 滋   ; 佐々 敏信   

Obayashi, Hironari; Yoshimoto, Hidemitsu*; Kita, Satoshi*; Yamaki, Kenichi*; Wan, T.*; Saito, Shigeru; Sasa, Toshinobu

J-PARC is performing R&Ds aimed at realizing an experimental facility applying a spallation target system in order to contribute to development of a lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) cooled accelerator-driven system. The target system utilizes LBE as a spallation target material and as a primary coolant. The main purpose of the facility is to understand the compatibility of candidate structural materials under flowing high temperature LBE with proton / neutron irradiation, and reflect it in ADS design. 400 MeV - 250 kW pulsed proton beam strikes a target vessel containing irradiation samples during operation. Among the components installed to the target system, in particular the target vessel is exposed not only the corrosive LBE flow, but also highly irradiation by the target operation. It is essential to establish remote exchanging technology of the target vessel that can avoid exposing workers to high radiation environment. This paper describes recent status of a planning remote exchanging procedure of the target vessel and presents the result of a demonstrative experiment. The series of remote operation procedure was successfully demonstrated by experiments using a mock-up apparatus and developed remote jigs. As further issues, we planning several minor modification capable shortening of operation time.