Systems approach for condition management design: JET neutral beam system - A fusion case study

The maturation of any new technology can be coarsely divided into three stages of a development lifecycle: (1) fundamental research, (2) experimental rig development and testing through to (3) commercialization. With the enhancement of machines like JET, the building of ITER and the initiation of DEMO design activities, the fusion community is moving from stages 1 and 2 towards stage 3. One of the consequences of this transition will be a shift in emphasis from scientific achievement to maximizing machine reliability and availability. The fusion community should therefore be preparing itself for this shift by examining all methods and tools utilized in established engineering sectors that might help to improve these fundamental performance parameters. To this end, the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) has proactively engaged with UK industry to examine whether the development of condition management (CM) systems could help improve such performance parameters. This paper describes an initial CM design case study on the JET neutral beam system. The primary output of this study was the development of a CM design methodology that captures existing experience in fault detection, and classification as well as new methods for fault diagnosis. A summary of the methods used and the potential benefits of data fusion are presented here.