Vacuum standards and quality
Spreading the word
5 Jun 2023
As part of a continuing commitment to improve quality culture both at the ITER Organization and at the Domestic Agencies, the Vacuum Delivery & Installation Section delivered a training session on vacuum standards and quality to 30 delegates on 31 May 2023.
ITER will have one of the largest and the most complex high vacuum systems ever built, and one characteristic of high vacuum is that the functionally of a whole system can be lost by not appreciating and paying attention to the effect of small details. The vacuum "standards and quality" training sessions offered by the Vacuum Delivery & Installation Section twice a year are a way to raise awareness.
The one-day session at ITER comprised lectures on vacuum quality, qualification, material requirements and leak testing. In addition, a practical session on leak detection techniques was held in the B99 vacuum laboratory on site.
"Quality in vacuum is key to the success of a fusion device and an overall improvement in quality is required to minimize the risks of building a machine that does not meet the project objectives," explains Section Leader Robert Pearce. "If unmitigated, ITER may expect a 100 fold increase in vacuum-related problems when compared to other operating tokamaks," he added.
Participants from the ITER Organization and from the Domestic Agencies attended lectures on vacuum quality, qualification, material requirements and leak testing, and took part in a practical session in the vacuum lab (photo).
Sharing the message that vacuum is a critical issue with technical responsible officers, quality assurance specialists, and resident inspectors working at ITER and in the Domestic Agencies creates the opportunity to raise awareness on potential issues and promote good practices in the organizations and among suppliers. One participant—Guim Pallas, technical responsible officer for leak localization at the European Domestic Agency--had this to say after last month's session: "I would strongly recommend the training to everyone working with or around vacuum."
"We plan to hold the training session twice a year and interested parties should contact me to register their interest. Course content can be tailored to the delegates' interests," says training organizer Liam Worth (@email).
The training material presented can be provided on request. You can download the ITER Vacuum Handbook on this ITER webpage.