Remote handling demonstration test facility for spallation target

The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) are promoting a plan to construct a life and material science experimental facility, which consists of a neutron scattering facility and a muon science facility, to open up a new research area related to life and material sciences. In the neutron scattering facility, a 1 MW pulsed proton beam from a high-intensity proton accelerator will be injected into a mercury target in order to produce high-intensity neutrons. The neutrons produced by the mercury target will be utilized in the advanced fields of science such as the life and material sciences. The mercury target container must be replaced within a few months due to damages caused by proton and neutron irradiations and excessive heat loads under the spallation reaction. For the replacement of the mercury target container, the container must be handled with remote handling devices because it would be highly activated. Therefore, a three dimensional computer simulation study for the target replacement was carried out to determine the best procedure and devices for the target container replacement. As a result, a gantry robot with a power manipulator was selected as a main remote handling device for the target container replacement and master slave manipulators were used as assistant devices. This report describes a remote handling system demonstration test facility specification, which is decided on basis of the simulation study results and a test plan to demonstrate the target remote handling system. A series of remote handling tests using the demonstration test facility will be started from April, 2001. (author)