Advancement in the development of remote handling tools for the volumetric neutron source blanket

• The work describes the remote maintenance strategy for Volumetric Neutron Source blanket segments. • The blanket segment remote replacement sequence is here proposed. • The remote handling tool list is also reported. • The paper describes also the conceptual design of the main remote handling tools: the blanket transporter, the cask transporter and the contamination protection structure. • Preliminary structural analysis to check the integrity of the blanket transporter are carried out proving the feasibility of the design. A feasibility study of a new testing facility, i.e., the Volumetric Neutron Source (VNS) in a tokamak configuration, was initiated in 2023 and is now under way to address potential showstoppers. Key outcomes of the engineering activities are presented in [1] and the latest improvements in [2]. The main goal of the VNS is to provide a realistic environment to test the in-vessel components of fusion reactors, in particular the tritium-breeding blanket. Lessons learned during previous years of DEMO development point to the need for thorough nuclear design integration already at the level of the basic machine design; hence, issues related to the maintenance of the in-vessel components have been addressed at a basic level. The work presented here describes the remote maintenance strategy for VNS blanket segments, which is an adaptation of the concept proposed for DEMO in previous years [3]. The work discusses the basic approach for the development of an integrated remote blanket strategy for the VNS blanket. Consistent with the initial requirements of the machine, the remote replacement sequence of the blankets, the potential list of the required tools and transporter, and the conceptual design of some of the main tools are presented and discussed in this article.