The Chinese Domestic Agency (CN-DA) signed two important contracts on 21 December 2011 with domestic suppliers for the procurement of electrical systems for ITER. The contracts respectively cover the design and internal integration for AC/DC converters and the design and integration for Reactive Power Compensation (RPC) and Harmonic Filtering (HF). The Procurement Arrangements for these electrical packages were signed between the CN-DA and the ITER Organization in April 2011.

On the basis of its design solutions, one contract was awarded to the Rongxin Power Electronic Company Limited. During a similar tender evaluation process on 11 December, the Institute of Plasma Physics at the Chinese Academy of Science (ASIPP) was chosen to supply the design and internal integration of ITER's AC/DC converters. The China International Tendering Corporation was authorized by the CN-DA to carry out the tendering process for the two packages.

During the signing ceremony on 21 December, CN-DA Director Luo Delong expressed his appreciation for the quality of the tendering work performed. He also stressed his high expectations for productive cooperation with the two supplying companies.

Remote Handling

The European Domestic Agency has signed a contract to receive engineering support over the next four years in the field of remote handling with OTL, Assystem UK and CCFE for a budget in the range of EUR 3.5 million. Mechanical, electrical, electronic and control systems engineering linked to remote handling systems and components will be covered by the contract.

The work will be structured along the four packages for which Europe is responsible in this area: the divertor remote handling system; the cask and plug remote handling system; the in-vessel viewing system; and the neutral beam remote handling system. Furthermore, the framework contract could be used to verify the remote handling compatibility of other ITER systems like plugs and in-vessel components. The scope of the contract is to support design and fabrication studies of remote handling equipment and respective systems; industrial evaluation of remote handling concepts and solutions in the areas of remote maintenance and decontamination; radiation tolerance assessments of components and materials; and the review of CAD models, technical specifications and safety evaluations.

The knowledge gained from the contract is expected to be complemented by existing and future grants in the area of remote handling when needed.

Test Blanket Modules

ITER will provide a unique opportunity to test mock-ups of breeding blankets, called Test Blanket Modules (TBM), and associated ancillary systems in a real fusion environment. Within these Test Blanket Systems (TBS), viable techniques for ensuring tritium breeding self-sufficiency will be explored in the framework of the TBM Program. The TBM Program has a special standing within the ITER research program in that the Test Blanket Systems are developed by the Members and remain the property of the Members ... even though they will be tested at ITER. It is furthermore an essential element of the common purpose of the ITER Members to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power for peaceful purposes. Members of ITER Organization's management and delegations from the seven ITER Members came together in Cadarache recently, to discuss the generic "Test Blanket Module Arrangement." This Arrangement will be used as a template for the individual TBM Arrangements, which will govern the relationship between the ITER Organization and each Member during the development and construction of the Test Blanket Systems.

Cryolines

The ITER cryolines are a system of complex, multi-process, vacuum-insulated pipes ranging from 2 to 8 process pipes that connect cryogenic components in the Cryoplant and Tokamak buildings—some 3.5 kilometres in all. They form part of the ITER cryogenic system, comprising the cryoplant, the cryodistribution system and a system of cryogenic lines and manifolds. The main function of this cryodistribution system is to provide helium at 4.5 K and 80 K to the machine's superconducting magnet system, the thermal shields and the cryo vacuum pumps.

On 30 January this year the Procurement Arrangement for the delivery of the cryolines system was signed by the Indian Domestic Agency with the ITER Organization. ITER India has complete responsibility for the procurement, installation and performance of cold acceptance tests for the ITER cryolines. In order to validate the design and manufacturing of this complex system, a prototype test has been proposed by the Domestic Agency, which will be carried out on a short length 1:1 scale model. A dedicated laboratory for performing the tests is under construction at the Institute of Plasma Research (IPR) in Gandhinagar.

The two companies that have pre-qualified to participate in the tendering and manufacturing of the cryolines are M/s. Air Liquide Advanced Technologies from France and the consortium made up by M/s. INOX India Ltd., India and M/s. A S Scientifc Products, UK. The companies had already participated in the design of the prototype.

Superconductor

The performance degradation problem that was found in a conductor for ITER's Central Solenoid last year seems to be solved. As part of a comprehensive R&D program that was launched following unsatisfactory test results, a new conductor was fabricated; recent tests performed at the SULTAN Test Facility in Switzerland show good results. The new conductor sample was submitted to 10,000 magnetic load cycles and two warm-up / cool-down cycles, mimicking one-sixth of the full operational life of ITER's Central Solenoid. "Compared to the tests performed last year, the conductor now shows a level of degradation much closer to that originally anticipated in the design, and the rate of degradation with magnetic cycling is stabilizing," explains Neil Mitchell, head of ITER's Magnet Division.

The tested conductor sample has two new features with respect to previous samples: First, it relies on a different strand manufacturing process, referred to as "internal tin", which has shown good resistance to mechanical bending loads in individual strand tests. Second, it compares two design options: In one, the original cable design is used, with two superconducting strands (copper to non-copper ratio 1:1.0) and one copper strand forming the triplet that is the basis of the cable structure. In the other, three superconducting strands (copper to non-copper ratio 1:1.5) are used. In this three-superconducting strand option, the loads on individual strands are reduced and extra superconducting material is added.

The root cause of the problems observed in the original tests is believed to be the high magnetic loads accumulating on the strands in the cable-in-conduit conductor. To maintain a low level of coupling losses in the pulsed conditions required in a central solenoid designed for a tokamak machine such as ITER, the contact between strands needs to be limited. However, the strands also need to be supported transversally to limit bending under the Lorentz load. If the strands deform too much, it can lead to gradual fracture of the brittle superconducting filaments and degradation in superconducting performance.

Vacuum Vessel

An important milestone was achieved in February for the Korean Domestic Agency. Following the selection of Hyundai Heavy Industries in January 2010 as manufacturer for the Korean section of the ITER vacuum vessel and ports, and the completion of manufacturing design late 2011, cutting has begun on the ITER-grade stainless steel plate for the vacuum vessel. On 13 February, in the presence of quality assurance experts and engineers from the Korean Domestic Agency, the first cutting operation for vacuum vessel sector #6 was performed by HHI subcontractor Busan Waterjet.

Neutral Beam Test Facility

A ceremony was held in Padua, Italy on Monday 27 February for the launching of the PRIMA Neutral Beam Test Facility. In order to heat fuel to the 200-300°C temperature range required for fusion, ITER will be equipped with three powerful heating systems: 33 MW of neutral beams; 20 MW of electron cyclotron; and 20 MW of ion cyclotron.

The neutral beam system represents such an advance in all its parameters over present-day systems that it was decided some years ago to build the Neutral Beam Test Facility at Padua. This facility comprises two test-stands: SPIDER, which will test full-sized ion sources, and MITICA, which is a full-scale test of the ITER heating system. Whilst the design and some early procurement were being made, negotiations were under way for bilateral agreements between the ITER Organization and the European Domestic Energy Fusion for Energy, and between Fusion for Energy/Consorzio-RFX, Padua. These agreements were signed in December 2011 and were followed shortly by the signature of Procurement Arrangements with Japan for the high voltage power supplies and the high voltage bushing for MITICA. The Indian Domestic Agency will also be supplying components for SPIDER.

For more information on ITER progress, visit the ITER newsline site at http://www.iter.org/newsline