ITER ORGANIZATION

PROGRESS IN PICTURES 2016

ITER Organization Progress in Pictures 1
 ITER ORGANIZATION
PROGRESS IN PICTURES 2016

November 2016

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 A star will be born

A star will soon be born, a star unlike any other… a

man-made star. ITER – the Latin word for “The Way” –
will light up in the middle of the coming decade.
From a scientific and technological point of view, it will
be one of humankind’s historic achievements. The creation
of an artificial star and the tapping of the tremendous
amounts of energy produced could forever alter the course
of civilization.
The ITER Project, an unprecedented international
collaboration that brings together China, the European
Union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States, is the
culmination of decades of research and years of diplomatic
negotiation. It has been the aspiration of three generations of
physicists; it is now the reality of the hundreds of scientists,
engineers and labourers working in southern France where
the ITER installation is under construction.
The seven ITER Members, representing half the world’s
population, share the responsibility for building the ITER
machine and facilities. Every Member, essentially, is
involved in every system.
As buildings rise on the ITER platform (pages 5 to 19),
component manufacturing advances in ITER Member
factories (pages 23 to 48).
This third edition of the ITER photobook aims to take you
into the heart of ITER – from the rolling hills of Provence to
factories on three continents, where men and women from
35 nations are bent on realizing one of mankind’s most
enduring dreams: capturing the fire of the stars and
making it available to humanity for the millennia to come.

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 The ITER Tokamak

T he ITER machine is a tokamak, the Russian acronym

for Toroidal Chamber, Magnetic Coils. Tokamaks were
developed in the 1960s at a time when nations were
experimenting with all kinds of different systems to
reproduce the nuclear reactions at work in the core of the
Sun and stars.
A tokamak, like a star, is designed to fuse light atoms
into heavier ones. A tokamak is a magnificent tribute to
Albert Einstein’s E=mc2: the tiny loss of mass that results
from the fusion process translates into a huge quantity of
energy. One gram of fusion fuel (the hydrogen isotopes
deuterium and tritium) generates as much energy as
eight tonnes of oil.
ITER will be by far the largest and most complex tokamak
ever built. Designed from the experience accumulated by
hundreds of fusion machines throughout the world, it will
demonstrate that fusion energy is scientifically and
technologically feasible.

Weight 23,000 tonnes

Height ~ 30 metres
Diameter ~ 30 metres
Plasma volume 840 m3
Temperature at plasma core 150,000,000°C
Fusion power 500 MW

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 Site map

The ITER Project is located approximately 75 kilometres north of Marseille, France, on a 180-hectare parcel of land in the Durance River Valley. Following three years of preparatory work to create a level platform
for the scientific facility, building construction began in 2010.

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 The heart of ITER

It took four years (2010-2014) to create the foundations of the Tokamak Complex, including the excavation, first-level basemat, retaining walls, seismic pillars and bearings, and second-level basemat. Now, the lowest levels of the
Tokamak Complex are taking shape with – at their centre – a perfectly round “well” reserved for machine assembly. April 2016

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 The ITER site, looking northwest

Industrial activity has kicked off in both of ITER’s on-site manufacturing facilities: the vast winding facility for poloidal field coils (red trim) where European contractors have installed equipment and begun
qualification winding activities; and the Cryostat Workshop (lower right), where Indian contractors have begun welding the cryostat base. October 2016

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 A spectacular backdrop

The ITER Assembly Building is now the most visible feature of the ITER site. This photo captures cranes on the ITER worksite as well as outlying buildings belonging to the CEA Cadarache research centre. March 2016

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 Cladding completed

The Assembly Building will be equipped with specialized tooling to handle and pre-assemble Tokamak components. The building’s mirror-like cladding, completed in 2016, will be reproduced on all the
main buildings of the ITER facility. October 2016

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 Constructing the basement levels

The 17-metre-deep excavation for the Tokamak Complex has now disappeared under the reinforced walls and columns of the lower level basement (B2). As workers start on the B1 level of the Tokamak Building, only six metres
remain before the construction reaches ground level. April 2016

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 A perfect circle

The three-metre-thick ITER bioshield creates an inner circle, with spoke-like reinforcement set in place for the radial walls that will connect it to the cryostat crown. A wider circle is formed by 18 giant columns that will rise
30 metres to provide structural support to the Tokamak Building. January 2016

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 440,000 tonnes of building and machinery

From the air, the three sub-projects of the Tokamak Complex (the Diagnostics Building, the Tokamak Building, and the Tritium Building) are clearly distinguishable. When completed and equipped,
the Complex will weigh 440,000 tonnes. June 2016

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 Deep in the Tokamak Pit

Machine assembly will begin here when the Tokamak Building is completed in 2018. At that point, the building will be as tall as the Assembly Hall. October 2016

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 Cathedral-like space

The cavernous area in the basement of the Tokamak Building will completely fill up with pipes, cables, feeders and busbars as the Tokamak systems are installed. The equipment will be anchored to the embedded plates
that can be seen in the floor, walls and ceiling. October 2016

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 Cranes installed

A massive crawler crane raises the four metal girders of the Assembly Hall travelling cranes into position by passing hooks and cables through an opening in the roof. June 2016

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 Assembly workhorses

Forty-three metres above the shop floor of the Assembly Hall, two travelling cranes will work in concert to lift loads of up to 1,500 tonnes. June 2016

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 Winding qualification activities begin

Four of ITER’s six ring-shaped poloidal field coils will be manufactured by Europe in this on-site facility. In 2016, activities to qualify tooling and processes were successfully launched. November 2016

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 Cryoplant Building progressing

The ITER Cryoplant Building is under construction now on the southeast portion of the platform. In parallel, cryogenic components (cold boxes, turbines, compressors …) have begun arriving on site. July 2016

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 World’s largest single-platform cryoplant

Cryogenic technology will be used extensively at ITER to create and maintain low-temperature conditions for the magnet and vacuum pumping systems. The required cooling power will be produced in the cryoplant and
distributed through a vast network of pipes, pumps and valves. October 2016

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 Deliveries accelerate

Large components like this cryoplant tank procured by Europe are shipped by sea to the Mediterranean port of Fos-sur-Mer before continuing along a specially adapted road itinerary to the ITER site. Approximately 10% of the
“highly exceptional loads” scheduled to be delivered along the ITER Itinerary have already reached the site. November 2016

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 Barge and escort

A 47-metre steel girder and its transport vehicle are ferried by barge across the inland sea Etang de Berre. When they dock, there will still be 104 kilometres to travel over land to the ITER site. November 2016

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 Night shift

Approximately 1,500 workers are involved in the construction of the ITER scientific installation. The last daily shift ends at 10 p.m. November 2016

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 The challenge of cryostat assembly

Advanced welding techniques such as automated, all-position narrow groove gas tungsten arc welding have been specially developed for the challenging assembly of 54 segments into the single largest component
of the ITER machine. Pictured: two triangular segments for the cryostat base (tier 1) are stored in the Cryostat Workshop. December 2015

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 Cryostat welding begins

Welding begins on tier 1 of the cryostat base. When assembled with second tier segments, the cryostat base will weigh 1,250 tonnes. September 2016

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 By contributing to the construction of the experimental machine, the ITER Members are creating the technological and industrial basis for the commercial fusion reactors of the future.

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 ITER ORGANIZATION
MANUFACTURING

A unique aspect of ITER implementation is the in-kind procurement system that was
established at the onset of the project. Instead of contributing purely financial resources,
China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States will be providing
90% of their contributions in the form of machine components, systems and – in the case of
Europe – buildings.

Procurement packages are shared equally (~ 9% of the total value) between China, India,
Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States; Europe’s share, as Host Member, is ~ 45%.
The in-kind procurement arrangement is at the core of ITER's founding philosophy,
offering the ITER Members invaluable experience in the manufacturing of components for a
fusion installation.

By contributing to the construction of the experimental machine, the ITER Members are
creating the technological and industrial basis for the commercial fusion reactors of the future.

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 Who manufactures what?

Central Solenoid Cryostat

Page 46 Page 23, 24, 36

Thermal Shield

Toroidal Field Coils (18) Page 41

Vacuum Vessel
Page 31, 37

Page 40

Poloidal Field Coils (6)

Blanket Modules

Page 17, 43

Heating Systems (3)

Cooling Water System

Page 35

Correction Coils (18) Divertor

Page 28 Page 44

Not all systems (or contributions) are represented in this illustration.

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 Qualifying correction coil fabrication

Three sets of six correction coils will be distributed symmetrically around the tokamak to correct field errors. At the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP), the first-of-series, multiple-pancake bottom
correction coil winding is prepped for the wrapping of ground insulation.

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 Mega transformer

This 300 MVA step-down transformer is one of three that have successfully passed factory acceptance tests in China for ITER's pulsed power electrical network.
The first transformer reached ITER in 2016; two others are expected next year.

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 Carrying a lot of current

High temperature superconductor (HTS) current leads will transfer large amounts of current from room-temperature power supplies to very low-temperature superconducting magnets. The 52 kA current lead prototype pictured
(poloidal field and central solenoid type) has been successfully tested at ASIPP.

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 First toroidal field winding pack

D-shaped toroidal field coils will create the magnetic field that confines the ITER plasma. In 2016, the first toroidal field “inner core” – called a winding pack – is successfully produced in Europe. Following testing, it will be inserted
into a stainless steel coil case to form the final 310-tonne coil assembly.

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 A small tank, but a large milestone

This water detritiation tank being lowered into the Tritium Building is one of six that have since been installed at the B2 (lower basement) level.

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 Inner tank passes leak tests

A 23-metre storage tank for liquid helium, part of Europe’s contribution to ITER’s liquid nitrogen plant and auxiliary systems, has successfully passed leak tests. The 190 m³ stainless-steel tank will store liquid helium at -269 °C.

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 Thousands of in-wall shielding components

Approximately 55 percent of the space between the double walls of the vacuum vessel will be occupied by in-wall shielding blocks that protect ex-vessel components from neutron radiation.
India is manufacturing close to 9,000 of these blocks and sending them in batches to vacuum vessel manufacturers in Europe and Korea.

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 Cooling water pipes

Some 100 containers of piping are expected from India for ITER’s component cooling water, chilled water and heat rejection systems. Deliveries are arriving regularly.

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 In-factory inspections

In the cryostat manufacturing facility in India, a segment of the pedestal ring (part of tier 2 of the base) is inspected before delivery to ITER. Responsible for the manufacturing design, fabrication and assembly of the
3,850-tonne ITER cryostat, India is shipping the cryostat to ITER in 54 segments for on-site assembly.

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 Double pancake series production

Toroidal field coil windings are first insulated with glass and polyimide tape, then impregnated with cyanate-ester and epoxy resins to harden the assembly. Thirty-five double-pancakes – the building blocks of the
toroidal field coils – have been insulated and impregnated at Mitsubishi Heavy Industry’s Futami factory.

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 Contributing to the neutral beam test facility

Japan is supplying the high voltage power supplies and the high voltage bushing for MITICA, a full-scale ITER neutral beam injector under installation at the PRIMA neutral beam test facility in Italy. Pictured are assembly tests
on the 1MV bushing at Hitachi, before the component is shipped and installed in the 1 MV insulating transformer.

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 Counting neutrons to measure fusion power

Mineral insulated (MI) cables have been manufactured by Toshiba Co Ltd under contract with QST. These MI cables will deliver signals from micro fission chambers which are located near the plasma to “count” neutrons
during operation as a way to measure fusion power.

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 Vacuum vessel fabrication in Korea

Each of the nine vacuum vessel sectors will be assembled from four segments (upper, lower, inner and outer). At Hyundai Heavy Industries, technicians carry out 3D dimensional inspection on the upper segment of sector 6.

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 Thermal shielding

A thin barrier of stainless steel (10-20 mm), actively cooled and covered with a low-emissivity coating of silver, will protect the magnet coils from thermal radiation. At SFA Engineering in Changwon, welding is underway on an
outboard sector of the vacuum vessel thermal shield.

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 800-tonne assembly tool expected next year

Staff inspects the outboard columns of the giant sector sub-assembly tool at Taekyung Heavy Industries in Changwon. Two sector sub-assembly tools – standing 22 metres tall and weighing 800 tonnes each – will suspend each
vacuum vessel sector in the Assembly Hall while toroidal field coils and thermal shielding is installed.

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 First of eight poloidal field coil windings

In St. Petersburg, specialists of the Efremov Institute and the Srednenevsky shipyard have completed the first poloidal field double pancake winding. Eight double pancakes will be stacked to form
poloidal field coil 1, the smallest of ITER’s ring-shaped magnets.

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 “Seeing” the neutrons from the divertor

The divertor neutron flux monitoring system – under development in Russia – will provide routine measurements of neutron emissions from a location at the bottom of the vacuum vessel.

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 Prototyping diagnostics

The design, prototype manufacturing and testing of in-vessel components for the H-alpha spectroscopy diagnostic is underway. Mock-ups for the first mirror, the labyrinth mirror and a
pneumatic shutter (pictured) have been successfully tested.

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 Central solenoid fabrication milestone

General Atomics technicians complete the winding of the first central solenoid module in April. Six modules – each made from approximately 6,000 metres of niobium-tin (Nb3Sn) superconductor supplied by Japan – will be
stacked to form the 13-metre-tall central magnet.

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 Withstanding tremendous force

Tie plates for the central solenoid undergo machining at Major Tool and Machine in Indianapolis, Indiana. These plates are part of a specially designed support structure that will hold the central electromagnet
in place during operation despite thousands of tonnes of force.

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 Shooting selected pellets

A high-speed injection system will be used to deliver pellets of fuel to the core of the plasma and “pace” plasma instabilities that may form on the edge. This dual nozzle developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
will deliver both – selecting differently sized pellets for either fuelling or pacing.

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 Governing ITER

Senior representatives from the seven ITER Members convene twice a year as part of the ITER Council – the ITER Organization’s top governing body.

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 3D rendering of ITER plant systems

The virtual reality room is used by technical responsible officers and configuration managers for design and engineering activities. The “immersion” experience (in this photo, the ITER cryoplant) facilitates the identification
and resolution of integration challenges.

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 Welcoming the head of the IAEA

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, considers that ”ITER’s impressive work is crucial to advancing research in [fusion].” His visit to the site in 2016 was the second in five years.

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 Iranian delegation at ITER

In July, a group of Iranian nuclear specialists and government officials visit to better understand the nature and scope of the project. Subject to the endorsement of all ITER Members, the ITER Agreement is open to any country that has the
scientific, technological and financial commitment to contribute meaningfully to the project and its stated goal of demonstrating the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy for peaceful purposes.

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 Welcome Australia!

The ITER Organization concludes a technical cooperation agreement in September with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, ANSTO, representing the Australian fusion community. For this first technical
agreement signed with a non-Member state, cooperation is foreseen in a number of strategic areas, including diagnostics, materials, superconducting technology, and fusion plasma theory and modelling.

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 Meeting the public

Held twice a year, ITER Open Door Days are the occasion to visit the construction site, meet ITER specialists and ask questions about the world’s largest collaborative effort in science.

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 Scientist Fellow network launched

The first ITER Scientist Fellows gather at Headquarters in September. Nominated by heads of institutes in the ITER Members, these scientists have agreed to apply their expertise to solving some of
ITER’s high-priority research needs, particularly in the areas of simulation and theory.

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 The men and women of ITER

Approximately 500 of the ITER Organization’s 730 directly employed staff members take part in a team photo in January, before the installation of the first assembly platform in the Cryostat Workshop makes gathering impossible.

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 Photo Credits
Pages 5, 6, 7 IO - EJF Riche
Pages 20, 21 Emmanuel Bonici
Page 25 F4E
Pages 28, 29, 30 ITER China
Pages 31, 33 F4E
Pages 34, 35, 36 ITER India
Pages 37, 38, 39 ITER Japan
Pages 40, 41, 42 ITER Korea
Pages 43, 44, 45 ITER Russia
Page 46 General Atomics
Pages 47, 48 US ITER
Page 58 IO - EJF Riche
All other photos and illustrations ITER Organization

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© ITER Organization, November 2016

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