Cage drone robot design for inspection in fusion reactor

Abstract

Tokamak fusion reactors stand at the forefront of achieving sustainable nuclear fusion energy. However, their operational environment presents significant challenges for inspection with traditional industrial robots. This bachelor's thesis aims to address these limitations with a compact, lightweight, and protected cage drone robot tailored for remote inspection tasks within the tokamak fusion reactor.

The paper derives critical requirements for a robotic drone system through a combination of Literature Review, 3D modelling, and Finite Element Analysis, explores its feasibility, and proposes a novel robot design. The study acknowledges its scope and limitations, omitting considerations of high radiation and temperature levels within the vacuum vessel of the tokamak reactor. The resulting 3D SolidWorks models, FE analysis results, and supporting documentation of the cage drone robot propose an innovative design to expand the inspection practices within tokamak fusion reactors, contributing to the realization of fusion energy as a viable and sustainable power source for the future.