Remote Handling (RH) is an absolute required feature of ITER not only during nominal operation, but also during rescue and recovery situations. Among the various RH systems and sub-systems, a Transfer Cask System (TCS) has been adopted as the reference solution for the transportation of casks (containing divertors and blankets) to/from vacuum vessel ports in all levels of the Tokamak Building (TB) and ports in the Hot Cell Building (HCB).
Studies have been conducted in the past (including the reference design proposed originally by an IST/ISR research team) and on its present design, TCS is composed by a cask that enclosures the load, a pallet that holds the cask and an Air-cushion Transfer System or simply Air Transfer System (ATS) that is a line-following guidance mobile platform with a double set of pivoting drive wheels powered by electric motors, air-bearings and batteries on-board. The ATS, when underneath the pallet, can transport the entire TCS, but it can also move independently of the pallet and cask. The ATS is remotely operated, and during normal operations moves along paths previously defined.
The present proposal will consolidate the past studies on TCS, and will incorporate the ITER functional requirements and interface data, trough three main objectives:

1.Definition of optimized paths along which the ATS will move in all normal operations.
2. Definition, development and operation of a 3D Virtual Model (VM).
3. The existence of a real facility to test a prototype ATS/TCS.

Along the grant duration, ongoing technical support in various TCS-related areas will be also provided, on demand, to F4E.