Commissioning is the final check that each of the components and plant systems have been designed, manufactured and installed correctly. It is an opportunity to transfer knowledge to the operations team, test all the procedures, and get ready to start the first experiments.
To commission a facility as complicated as ITER it is necessary to proceed in small and gradual steps—checking each part before moving onto the next, and bringing together more and more pieces of the puzzle until the whole facility is working as one. At that point we will be ready to turn on the Tokamak and make plasma.
We will start this year by energizing the electrical distribution systems, since without electricity nothing can work. ITER is directly connected to France's 400 kV public transmission network. Transformers and switchgears located on the ITER platform will "propagate" this power all over the site to provide the correct voltage for each of the clients.
Last year, a test was performed with the
first energization of a 400 kV bay, in order to validate all procedures and contractual requirements with French transmission system operator.
Once power is available, the central control system will be turned on and made ready to control, monitor and record data from each of the systems to come. The first task for the control system will then be to start up the cooling water systems and the cooling towers, testing each pump and valve before starting the circulation and flow tests.