Reliability and Availability Assessments for the Next European Torus

Abstract

To achieve its targets in reasonable time, the Next European Torus (NET) must be operated with considerable reliability and availability (R&A). Therefore, failure modes, effects, and criticality analysis (FMECA) of the overall plant and of its major components is already being performed as the design evolves. The present status of the R&A work is described in four steps: First, the R&A targets envisaged for the NET operation are discussed. Then an FMECA covering the overall plant is described, and a more detailed FMECA of major components is presented concerning the toroidal field coil system; plasma heating systems; protection, instrumentation, and control system; first wall and blanket, as well as the cooling system. Finally, the R&A results are compared with the targets, and measures for improvements are given.