In-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device

Abstract

The present invention discloses an in-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device, which relates to the technical field of magnetically confined fusion devices. The system includes a robotic arm module, an in-situ performance assessment module, and a multi-fiber laser cooperation device. The multi-fiber laser cooperation device includes a cleaning and preheating laser beam, a main repair laser beam, and a local impact laser beam. The main repair laser is equipped with a coaxial powder feeding device, which is used to transport the repair powder to the damaged area. By adopting the above in-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device, the present invention provides a comprehensive solution for the in-situ repair of the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device, can significantly improve the repair efficiency and repair effect, and reduce the waste of resources caused by component replacement. It is not only applicable to nuclear fusion devices, but also can be applied to fields such as aerospace and nuclear power equipment that require repair in extreme environments, and has broad application prospects and market value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of magnetic confinement fusion devices, and particularly to an in-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device. Background Art

[0002] The first wall components of a nuclear fusion reactor are directly exposed to a high-temperature plasma and neutron irradiation environment, and the materials on its surface and inside are prone to irradiation damage. This kind of damage will significantly reduce the thermal physical properties and fracture toughness of the materials, thus affecting the operation safety of the device, and at the same time weakening the reliability of experimental data, bringing challenges to the long-term stable operation of the nuclear fusion device.

[0003] The first wall components of a nuclear fusion reactor are composite structures composed of first wall materials, support structures and transition materials. Among them, the first wall materials usually adopt tungsten or molybdenum with high melting points and high radiation resistance, the support structures are usually low-activation steels or other high-strength alloys, and the transition materials are usually oxygen-free copper or chromium-zirconium copper, which are used to relieve the thermal expansion mismatch problem between the first wall materials and the support structures.

[0004] The current repair methods mainly rely on disassembling the damaged components for repair or replacement. This traditional method is not only complex in operation, time-consuming, but also costly.

[0005] Laser additive manufacturing technology has shown great potential in the field of complex structure and material repair due to its advantages of high energy density, high material utilization rate and high-precision forming. However, for the repair requirements of complex curved surfaces, large areas and multi-directional damages in nuclear fusion devices, the existing technologies still face the following bottlenecks: it is impossible to accurately transport the repair powder to the curved surface damage area; the powder utilization rate is relatively low; the bonding strength and density between the repair layer and the base material are insufficient, and it is difficult to meet the service requirements under a high heat load environment; there is a lack of technical means for real-time observation and evaluation of the performance of the repair layer, and it is difficult to ensure the reliability of the repair effect.

[0006] The composite structure form of the first wall components poses higher requirements for in-situ repair technologies. On the one hand, the physical property differences between the first wall materials, transition materials and support structures, such as differences in thermal expansion coefficients, melting points and thermal conductivities, lead to stress concentration and damage at the interfaces; on the other hand, the thermal stability and compatibility of multiple materials need to be considered simultaneously during the repair process to avoid introducing new defects or further weakening the component performance due to the repair. In addition, due to the usually complex curved surfaces and multi-directional connection forms in the composite structure, this also brings additional difficulties to the design and operation of the repair equipment.

[0007] In the industrial field, robotic arms with multiple degrees of freedom have been widely used in high-precision operations in complex environments. However, in the high-radiation environment and complex curved surface conditions of nuclear fusion devices, the cooperative control and trajectory planning of robotic arms still face many technical challenges. These limitations require further research and technological breakthroughs to meet the requirements of efficient, precise, and intelligent repair of internal components in nuclear fusion devices. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide an in-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device, to solve the repair problems of complex curved surfaces, large areas, and multi-directional structural damages caused by high-temperature plasma, high heat flux density, and neutron irradiation environment of the first wall components.

[0009] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an in-situ intelligent repair system for the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device, including a robotic arm module, an in-situ performance assessment module, and a multi-fiber laser cooperative device. The multi-fiber laser cooperative device includes a cleaning and preheating laser beam, a main repair laser beam, and a local impact laser beam. The main repair laser beam is equipped with a coaxial powder feeding device, which is used to transport repair powder to the damaged area.

[0010] Preferably, the coaxial powder feeding device optimizes the nozzle outlet shape, carrier gas flow rate, spraying height, and spraying amount through a multiphase flow numerical model simulation.

[0011] Preferably, the multi-fiber laser cooperative device realizes high-density deposition of the repair layer by adjusting the laser power, scanning strategy, scanning speed, and building direction.

[0012] Preferably, the in-situ performance assessment module generates natural laser speckle marks on the surface of the repair area by using a low-power laser.

[0013] The method for the in-situ intelligent repair system of the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device includes the following steps:

[0014] Step S1, damage identification: determining the damaged area and its microscopic characteristics of the first wall structure damage sample by using a high-resolution detection method;

[0015] Step S2, repair preparation: selecting repair powder and laser process parameters according to the damage characteristics, and adjusting the working modes of the coaxial powder feeding device and the multi-fiber laser cooperative device;

[0016] Step S3, repair process: using the multi-fiber laser cooperative device to perform cleaning, preheating, main repair, and local impact treatments, and simultaneously transporting repair powder through the coaxial powder feeding device;

[0017] Step S4, performance assessment: measuring the mechanical and thermal properties of the repair layer under high heat load by using the in-situ assessment module.

[0018] Preferably, the high-resolution detection method in the step S1 is to use a profiler and a spectrometer to identify the structural damage of the first-wall structure damage sample, and obtain the geometric morphology and material composition information of the damaged area.

[0019] Preferably, in the step S4, the in-situ assessment module observes the change of the strain field in the repair area in real time by the laser speckle digital image correlation method, and measures the temperature field distribution by the infrared thermal imaging method.

[0020] Therefore, the present invention adopts the above-mentioned in-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first-wall components of a nuclear fusion device, provides a comprehensive solution for the in-situ repair of the first-wall components of a nuclear fusion device, can significantly improve the repair efficiency and repair effect, reduce the waste of resources caused by component replacement, and is not only applicable to nuclear fusion devices, but also can be applied to fields such as aerospace and nuclear power equipment that require repair in extreme environments, and has broad application prospects and market value.

[0021] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments. Description of the Drawings

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the in-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first-wall components of a nuclear fusion device of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of the in-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first-wall components of a nuclear fusion device of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the repair preparation of the in-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first-wall components of a nuclear fusion device of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the technical solution of the high-power multi-fiber laser collaborative energy deposition repair for the in-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first-wall components of a nuclear fusion device of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the coaxial powder feeding device of the in-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first-wall components of a nuclear fusion device of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the high-efficiency in-situ detection technology for the mechanical and heat transfer properties of the repair layer of the in-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first-wall components of a nuclear fusion device of the present invention;

[0028] Reference numerals: 1, robotic arm module; 2, in-situ performance assessment module; 3, multi-fiber laser collaboration device; 4, profiler and spectrometer; 5, first wall structure damage sample; 6, structural damage; 7, molten pool; 8, main repair laser; 9, damage cleaning and preheating laser; 10, local impact laser; 11, protective gas; 12, repair powder; 13, deposition track; 14, heat affected zone; 15, computer; 16, infrared thermal imaging device; 17, repair area; 18, high-speed photography; 19, filter; 20, low-power laser. Detailed implementation manners

[0029] The technical solutions of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the present invention shall have the ordinary meanings understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. The "first", "second" and similar terms used in the present invention do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. The terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the elements or objects appearing before this word cover the elements or objects listed after this word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms such as "connected" or "coupled" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms such as "upper", "lower", "left" and "right" are only used to represent relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0031] Embodiment

[0032] Please refer to Figures 1-6 , the present invention provides an in-situ intelligent repair system for the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device, including a robotic arm module 1, an in-situ performance assessment module 2 and a multi-fiber laser collaboration device 3. This system combines the flexible operation ability of multiple robotic arms, the high-density forming ability of laser additive manufacturing and non-contact on-line performance detection technology, realizes the efficient and precise repair of the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device in a complex environment, and the repair method covers steps such as damage identification, repair preparation, energy deposition repair and repair performance assessment, and can adapt to various working conditions and ensure the reliability of the performance of the repair area.

[0033] The robotic arm module 1 is used for precise positioning and motion control under complex curved surfaces and multi-directional structures. Combining the multi-degree-of-freedom control function of the robotic arm, through path planning and motion control algorithms, the robotic arm can automatically adjust the position and angle of the repair equipment, realize the precise positioning and flexible operation of the repair equipment, is suitable for damage repair in complex curved surfaces, large areas and high-radiation environments, and can adapt to the repair requirements of different damage areas.

[0034] The multi-fiber laser collaborative device 3 includes a path of cleaning and preheating laser 9, a path of main repair laser 8, and a path of local impact laser 10. It can collaboratively complete the energy distribution in the damaged area, material deposition repair, and microstructure optimization, achieve precise energy distribution in the repair area 17, and combine with protective gas to reduce powder leakage to improve the repair efficiency. The multi-fiber laser collaborative device 3 realizes high-density deposition in the repair area 17 by adjusting the laser power, scanning strategy, scanning speed, and building direction, so that the density is ≥98%.

[0035] The main repair laser 8 is equipped with a coaxial powder feeding device. The coaxial powder feeding device is used to transport the repair powder 12 to the damaged area. The coaxial powder feeding device optimizes the nozzle outlet shape, carrier gas flow rate, spraying height, and spraying amount through a multiphase flow numerical model to ensure the stable transportation of the repair powder 12 and reduce environmental pollution. The powder feeding system has the advantages of multiple powder channels and multiple powder supply barrels. The powder feeding system combines with protective gas to reduce the leakage of the repair powder 12, and adapts to the repair requirements of complex curved surfaces and asymmetric structures by adjusting parameters such as spraying height and carrier gas flow rate.

[0036] The in-situ performance assessment module 2 is based on digital image correlation technology (DIC) and infrared thermal imaging technology, and real-time monitors the strain field and temperature field in the repair area 17 to evaluate the repair quality and performance. The in-situ performance assessment module 2 generates natural laser speckle marks on the surface of the repair area 17 through a low-power laser 20, provides guidance for the optimization of the performance of the repair area 17, and improves the measurement accuracy of digital image correlation technology.

[0037] The method of the above in-situ intelligent repair system for the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device includes the following steps:

[0038] Step S1, damage identification: Use a high-resolution detection method to determine the damaged area and its microscopic characteristics of the first wall structure damage sample 5. The high-resolution detection method is to use a profilometer and a spectrometer 4 to identify the damage of the first wall component, and obtain geometric morphology and material composition information of the damaged area, etc.

[0039] Step S2, repair preparation: Select appropriate repair powder 12 and laser process parameters according to the damage characteristics, and adjust the working modes of the coaxial powder feeding device and the multi-fiber laser collaborative device 3 to ensure the precise transportation and uniform melting of materials.

[0040] Step S3, repair process: Use the multi-fiber laser collaborative device 3 to perform cleaning, preheating, main repair, and local impact treatments, and at the same time transport the repair powder 12 through the coaxial powder feeding device to complete the repair of the damaged area layer by layer.

[0041] Step S4, Performance Assessment: After the repair is completed, use the in-situ assessment module to measure the mechanical and thermal properties of the repair area 17 under high thermal loads. Specifically, it includes: The in-situ assessment module observes the change of the strain field in the repair area 17 in real time through the laser speckle digital image correlation method, and measures the temperature field distribution through the infrared thermal imaging method.

[0042] The following embodiments are used to further illustrate the technical solution.

[0043] As Figure 1 shown, the system of this embodiment mainly consists of a robotic arm module 1, a multi-fiber laser collaborative device 3, and an in-situ assessment module.

[0044] The implementation steps of the repair method are as Figure 2 shown.

[0045] First, prepare the first wall structure damage sample 5 with structural damage 6.

[0046] Then, observe the material surface to obtain the pit profile and microstructural characteristic parameters. Scan the first wall component through high-resolution detection technology to identify the location, shape, and depth of the damage area. Obtain the microstructural characteristic parameters of the damage location, such as crack size, damage distribution, etc., to provide a basis for formulating the repair process.

[0047] After that, select the appropriate repair powder 12 (such as tungsten powder or molybdenum powder) according to the damage characteristics, and determine that the particle size is between 10 µm and 50 µm. Adjust the laser power, scanning speed, and scanning trajectory of the multi-fiber laser collaborative device 3, and at the same time optimize the powder supply amount and spraying parameters of the coaxial powder feeding device to ensure precise material delivery and uniform melting in the repair area 17.

[0048] After that, carry out multi-fiber laser collaborative energy deposition forming repair, and successively perform the following steps:

[0049] (1) Damage cleaning and preheating: Use the damage cleaning and preheating laser to clean the surface of the damage area and raise the substrate temperature to 200°C - 400°C;

[0050] (2) Main repair: Through the cooperation of the main repair laser 8 and the coaxial powder feeding device, deposit the repair powder layer by layer to form the repair area 17, and the layer thickness is 0.1 mm - 0.3 mm;

[0051] (3) Local impact: Use the local impact laser to dynamically strengthen the repair area 17 to improve the bonding strength between the repair area 17 and the substrate.

[0052] Subsequently, use the digital image correlation method and infrared thermal imaging technology to observe the thermal strain field / temperature field of the repair area 17 under low-power laser irradiation. The strain field measurement accuracy reaches 10 µm, and the temperature resolution is 0.1°C. Assess the mechanical / thermal properties of the repair area 17.

[0053] Finally, integrate the in-situ repair technology of the first wall structure based on multi-fiber laser collaborative energy deposition to form an in-situ integrated intelligent repair technology system for the first wall component.

[0054] As Figure 3 shown, when damage occurs to the cladding structure, it is necessary to consider the substrate tissue type and structure to determine the repair plan, which mainly includes: process parameters, performance regulation, and powder design. Among them, the process parameters specifically include preheating temperature, laser power, scanning speed, scanning spacing, and powder feeding speed. Performance regulation specifically includes density, mechanical properties, and thermal properties. Powder design specifically includes powder composition, powder particle size, and fluidity. Apply the feedback results of the repair performance and damage characteristics to the formulation of the next round of repair plan to continuously improve the repair process and ensure that the performance of the final repair area 17 meets the design requirements.

[0055] As Figure 4 shown, the multi-fiber laser device consists of three lasers. The cleaning and preheating laser 9 is used to remove surface impurities in the damage area and heat the substrate to reduce the thermal mismatch between the repair area 17 and the substrate; the main repair laser 8 is used to energy-deposit the repair powder and complete the deposition forming, with the laser power range of 500W - 2000W and the scanning speed range of 1mm / s - 10mm / s to ensure that the density of the repair area 17 is ≥98%; the local impact laser 10 is used to strengthen the bonding strength between the repair area 17 and the substrate and optimize the microstructure. The molten pool 7 is the liquid region formed by the action of laser energy on the surface of the repair area 17, which causes the local melting of the repair powder 12 and the substrate material. The molten pool 7 can promote the full mixing of the repair powder and the substrate material, thereby forming a bonding layer with high density and high strength. The main repair laser 8 is the main driving force for the formation of the molten pool 7. By concentrating the laser energy within the repair area 17, it directly melts the repair powder and the substrate material to form a liquid molten pool. The control of the laser power and scanning speed determines the depth and width of the molten pool, affecting the density, bonding strength, and microstructure of the repair layer.

[0056] As Figure 5 shown, the coaxial powder feeding device combines multiple powder channels and multiple powder supply barrels, and combines with the shielding gas 11 to reduce powder leakage and ensure the precise delivery of the repair powder 12, forming a deposition track 13 and a heat-affected zone 14 on the first wall structure damage sample 5. The outlet shape of the nozzle can be dynamically adjusted according to the geometric characteristics of the repair area 17, and the spraying height range is 10mm - 50mm, and the flow rate of the shielding gas 11 is 10m / s - 30m / s to meet the repair requirements of complex curved surfaces.

[0057] As Figure 6As shown, the in-situ performance assessment module 2 measures the strain field and temperature field distribution of the repair area 17 in real time through digital image correlation technology (DIC) and infrared thermal imaging technology. The DIC technology generates natural speckle markers on the surface of the repair area 17 through a low-power laser 20 to achieve high-precision non-contact measurement. The infrared thermal imaging technology is used to capture the temperature change of the repair area 17 under high heat load and comprehensively evaluate the mechanical and heat transfer performance of the repair area 17. The specific implementation process is as follows: The computer 15 is responsible for receiving and processing the measurement data of the high-speed camera 18 and the infrared thermal imaging device 16, calculating the strain field and temperature field distribution of the repair area 17, and performing comprehensive performance analysis. The high-speed camera 18 records the dynamic deformation process of the speckles changing with strain at a high frame rate under the natural speckle markers generated by the irradiation of the low-power laser 20. The filter 19 is installed at the front end of the high-speed camera 18 to filter out ambient light interference and ensure the clarity and reliability of the speckle images. The infrared thermal imaging device 16 monitors the temperature change of the repair area 17 in real time, obtains the temperature field data by sensing the infrared radiation intensity, and transmits it to the computer 15 for comprehensive evaluation, so as to achieve precise monitoring of the mechanical and thermal performance of the repair area 17 under high heat load.

[0058] The schematic diagram of the component structure of this embodiment is as Figure 1 shown, including three core links of identification, repair and detection, combined with a variety of advanced equipment and technologies, forming a closed-loop repair process.

[0059] The identification link includes: using optical measurements such as a profiler and a spectrometer 4 to accurately identify the structural damage 6 of the first wall structure damage sample 5, obtaining the geometric morphology and material composition information of the damage area, and providing data support for the formulation of the repair plan.

[0060] The repair link includes: adopting a multi-channel collaborative energy deposition technology, integrating functions of damage cleaning, preheating, main repair and local strengthening; combining the main repair laser 8 with a coaxial powder feeding device to achieve high-precision and high-density layer-by-layer material deposition, ensuring the mechanical and thermal performance of the repair area.

[0061] The detection link includes: using laser speckle digital image correlation method technology (DIC) to monitor the strain field and temperature field of the repair layer in real time and evaluate the mechanical and thermal performance of the repair layer.

[0062] The whole set of systems realizes the full-process automation and intelligence from damage identification to repair detection through the integration of intelligent robotic arms, high-precision detection equipment and multi-channel laser collaborative technology, and can meet the repair requirements of first wall components in complex curved surfaces and high-radiation environments.

[0063] Therefore, the present invention adopts the above-mentioned in-situ intelligent repair system and method for the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device, providing a comprehensive solution for the in-situ repair of the first wall components of a nuclear fusion device, which can significantly improve the repair efficiency and repair effect, reduce the waste of resources caused by component replacement, and is not only applicable to nuclear fusion devices, but also can be applied to fields such as aerospace and nuclear power equipment that require repair in extreme environments, having broad application prospects and market value.

[0064] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify or equivalently replace the technical solutions of the present invention, and these modifications or equivalent replacements cannot make the modified technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. Method for an in-situ intelligent repair system of a first wall component of a nuclear fusion device, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step S1, damage identification: using a high-resolution detection method to determine the damage area and microscopic characteristics of the first wall structure damage sample; Step S2, repair preparation: selecting repair powder and laser process parameters according to damage characteristics, and adjusting the working modes of the coaxial powder feeding device and the multi-fiber laser coordination device; Step S3, repair process: using a multi-fiber laser collaborative device to perform damage cleaning and preheating, main repair and local impact treatment, while transporting repair powder through a coaxial powder feeding device; Step S4, performance assessment: using an in-situ assessment module to measure the mechanical and thermal properties of the repair layer under high heat load; The repair system includes a robotic arm module, an in-situ performance assessment module and a multi-fiber laser coordination device. The multi-fiber laser coordination device includes a damage removal and preheating laser, a main repair laser and a local impact laser. The main repair laser is equipped with a coaxial powder feeding device, which is used to transport the repair powder to the damaged area. The in-situ performance assessment module generates natural laser speckle marks on the surface of the repair area through a low-power laser.

2. The method of the in-situ intelligent repair system for the first wall component of a nuclear fusion device according to claim 1, wherein: The coaxial powder feeding device optimizes the nozzle outlet shape, carrier gas flow rate, spraying height and spraying amount through multiphase flow numerical model simulation.

3. The method of the in-situ intelligent repair system for the first wall component of a nuclear fusion device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multi-fiber laser cooperative device achieves high-density deposition of the repair layer by adjusting laser power, scanning strategy, scanning speed and building direction.

4. The method of the in-situ intelligent repair system for the first wall component of a nuclear fusion device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-resolution detection method in step S1 is to use a profilometer and a spectrometer to identify the structural damage of the first wall structure damage sample to obtain the geometric morphology and material composition information of the damaged area.

5. The method of the in-situ intelligent repair system for the first wall component of a nuclear fusion device according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S4, the in-situ assessment module observes the strain field changes of the repair area in real time by laser speckle digital image correlation method, and measures the temperature field distribution by infrared thermal imaging method.

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