Post by EUROfusion

Once a fusion reactor starts running, its interior becomes radioactive, ruling out human access for maintenance. Since every component will eventually need replacing, engineers must find ways to carry out that work remotely, from a safe distance. That's harder than it sounds. Some reactor components weigh up to 180 tonnes and have to be manoeuvred through narrow maintenance ports. To work through this, EUROfusion is working with a new robotics testing centre of the University of Southern Denmark. The site will soon include the world's strongest robotic arm, built to develop and test a new approach to handling these components for future fusion power plants. More on the project and the engineering challenge behind it: https://lnkd.in/dvjkTdFz