The ITER toroidal field model coil project started in 1995 and the contracts for the supply of superconductor and coil were placed with European companies early in 1996. The engineering design was completed in 1997. New design principles and manufacturing methods had to be used for the construction of the coil, which took about four years. The coil and its support structure, having a total weight of about 60 tons, were completed in industry by the end of 2000. The assembly and installation into the TOSKA facility a the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Germany) started in January 2001 and was completed in June. The coil reached the transition temperature to the superconducting state on July 6 and the testing phase began on July 16 The coil reached a new world record current for a superconducting coil of 57 kA on July 19 and extended this record to 80 kA on July 24.

Salpietro said "The successful testing of the coil confirms the feasibility of the ITER magnet system." "A test program will continue to explore the operational limits of the coil and validate the design codes. Both are needed to optimize the ITER operating parameter's space and cost," he said.

For further information, contact Ettore Salpietro (salpiee@ipp.mpg.de).

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