Automatic Transfer between Two Cryogenic Robots for the Laser Megajoule Facility.

The Laser Megajoule (LMJ) Cryotarget Positioner (PCC) will be used to set cryogenic targets in the vacuum chamber centre of this experimental facility for fusion by inertial confinement. In the French concept, only the targets will be transferred at cryogenic temperature to the PCC using a Cryotarget Transfer Unit (UTCC). Some of the specifications are very ambitious. Indeed, the targets must be transferred automatically between those cryorobots between 20 K and 29 K. Then, they have to be cooled carefully to the triple point of deuterium-tritium mixture, and eventually have to be regulated at this temperature with an accuracy of +/- 2 mK. Scale one prototypes have been built at the Low Temperature Laboratory (SBT) in CEA-Grenoble, France, to deal with cryogenic contact resistances, cryogenic temperature regulation, 6 degrees of freedom robot positioner, vision control of the transfer and automatism. This paper presents the results obtained with these prototypes regarding topics specific to cryogenic transfers. © 2006 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]