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News & Media

Latest ITER Newsline

  • Image of the week | The platform's quasi-final appearance

    Since preparation work began in 2007 on the stretch of land that was to host the 42-hectare ITER platform, regular photographic surveys have been organized to d [...]

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  • Cryopumps | Preparing for the cold tests

    Before being delivered to ITER, the torus and cryostat cryopumps are submitted to a  comprehensive series of factory acceptance tests. This is not sufficie [...]

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  • Fusion technologies | Closing a fusion schism

    Historically, inertial confinement and magnetic confinement approaches to fusion have been parallel, separate processes. The ITER Private Sector Fusion Workshop [...]

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  • Toroidal field coil celebration | "A good day for the world"

    A little before 2:00 a.m. on 17 April 2020 a powerful transport trailer, accompanied by dozens of technical and security vehicles, passed the gates of the I [...]

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  • Press conference | New baseline to prioritize robust start to exploitation

    At a press conference on 3 July attended by approximately 200 journalists and key ITER stakeholders, ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi answered questions [...]

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Of Interest

See archived entries

ITER NEWSLINE -

Image of the week

Bearings unveiled

The construction teams are in the last stages of preparing the Tokamak pit for the first major operation of ITER machine assembly: the lowering of the cryostat base onto supports in the Tokamak pit. Around the concrete "crown," female lugs have been precisely adjusted, and the protective coverings have been removed from the 18 cryostat bearings that were installed six months ago.

With their protective coverings removed, the 18 cryostat support bearings that dot the crown like jewels are clearly visible. (Click to view larger version...)
With their protective coverings removed, the 18 cryostat support bearings that dot the crown like jewels are clearly visible.
The circular shape at the very centre of the pit is a set of deeply embedded plates designed to anchor the central column of the in-pit assembly tool. This tool will support, align, and stabilize the vacuum vessel sub-assemblies as they are progressively joined and welded.

The cryostat support bearings will act as ball-and-socket joints to allow the smooth transfer of the tremendous forces that will be exerted on the machine in all types of situations. (Click to view larger version...)
The cryostat support bearings will act as ball-and-socket joints to allow the smooth transfer of the tremendous forces that will be exerted on the machine in all types of situations.
By mid-week, the Tokamak pit will be perfectly clean and ready to receive the 1,250-tonne cryostat base, an operation both delicate and spectacular that will open a new chapter in the history of ITER.

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