Preservation is particularly critical for ''captive'' components that may need preserving for a decade or longer before entering service. Here, a worker performs a white cloth test to check for moisture on a cryostat support bearing during a preservation inspection.
At ITER, equipment passes through three preservation stages from delivery to commissioning. Stage one, under the responsibility of Integrated Logistics Management (ILM), begins when a component arrives on site and is placed in storage. Stage two begins when equipment is issued from storage and put in the care of the works contractor for installation. Stage three covers the period after installation, but prior to commissioning. During this third stage, responsibilities typically fall under the general services contractor or a maintenance contractor.
The four large stainless-steel tanks, located at the lowest basement level (B2) of the Tokamak Complex, are among the components that require preserving.
"The preservation team ensures that the requirements are clearly communicated to whoever is responsible for performing the activities, and that any findings from the activities are reported," says Brown. "Last year we began using a set of key performance indicators to help monitor progress and help everyone to understand what parts of the process we need to improve."