The mechanical measurement system of RFX

The mechanical behaviour of the RFX machine is monitored during the pulses and the baking operations, both to verify the agreement between the actual and the design values of strains and displacements and to assess the effects of possible faults or anomalous operations of the machine. A specific measurement system was designed to provide quasistatic and dynamic measurements of strains and displacements. The paper describes the criteria which guided the design of the system, pointing out the specific requirements which had to be met to obtain a complete and correct mechanical information of the machine, as confirmed by the first results obtained during the RFX operations.