Tests launched for the Port Plug Test Facility

In early April the Russian company Cryogenmash, located near Moscow, started a series of gasket tests for the facility that will enable the testing of the upper and equatorial port plugs before their installation in the machine—the ITER Port Plug Test Facility.

According to a Procurement Arrangement signed in 2011 with the ITER Organization, the Russian Domestic Agency is responsible for the supply of four test stands (two for the ITER Organization and one each for the European and US Domestic Agencies) for the vacuum, heat and functional testing of the vacuum vessel port plugs, critical components for preventing leaks and maintaining high vacuum within the vessel.

The tests at Cryogenmash were a significant milestone on the way to the final goal. Based on test results, the firm's specialists will make the final selection of the material and the technology of the gaskets. The ITER Organization representatives who were present at the gasket tests expressed their satisfaction both with the process and the results.