TPU scientists built a tomograph for the thermonuclear reactor details

TOMSK, Dec 5 – RIA Tomsk. Specialists of Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) developed the largest in Russia robotic ultrasound tomograph, which is able to control the quality of complex objects up to 1.5 tons; with its help it is planned to check the quality of parts for the world's first ITER reactor being built in France, the university’s press service said on Thursday.

It was previously reported that TPU was included in the project to create a robotic ultrasound system for monitoring elements of the world's first thermonuclear reactor, which is being built in southern France within the framework of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project. Tomsk Polytechnic University is a contractor of Scientific Research Institute of Electrophysical Apparatus named after D.V. Efremov JSC (NIIEFA), the contract value is 70 million rubles.

"TPU specialists developed the largest in Russia robotic ultrasound tomograph, which is able to control the quality of complex objects weighing up to 1.5 tons. Recently, the tomograph was mounted at the customer’s site in St. Petersburg. Using it, they will monitor the quality of the details of the first wall of a International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ITER", – is said in the report.

The contractor for the project is a TPU small innovative enterprise – Intech LLC. To solve the problem of localization of possible defects in huge details weighing more than a ton, polytechnics developed an original scheme with a digital focusing lattice, which allows to obtain accurate data on the defect's position and its size over the entire depth.

The main method of non-destructive testing used in the tomograph – is ultrasound. It suggests that the ultrasonic waves emitted by the transducer pass through the object and interact with its internal structure. All these interactions are reflected in the backward wave. And according to them, experts can judge the presence of hidden defects. The final commissioning of the giant tomograph developed by TPU employees is scheduled for February 2020.

"It is planned that after the final commissioning of the installation, with its help specialists will control the quality of eight types of parts for the reactor. This, for example, the dome cover, the cover of the reflective target and others. The developed system is flexible, so it allows to customize it at the customer's request to control other complex objects", – the press service quotes the head of the TPU Engineering School of Non-Destructive Testing Dmitry Sednev.