Subscribe options

Select your newsletters:

Please enter your email address:

@

Your email address will only be used for the purpose of sending you the ITER Organization publication(s) that you have requested. ITER Organization will not transfer your email address or other personal data to any other party or use it for commercial purposes.

If you change your mind, you can easily unsubscribe by clicking the unsubscribe option at the bottom of an email you've received from ITER Organization.

For more information, see our Privacy policy.

News & Media

Latest ITER Newsline

  • Poloidal field magnets | The last ring

    As the massive ring-shaped coil inched its way from the Poloidal Field Coils Winding Facility, where it was manufactured, to the storage facility nearby where i [...]

    Read more

  • Heat rejection | White "smoke" brings good news

    Like a plume of white smoke rising from a cardinals' conclave to announce the election of a new pope, the tenuous vapour coming from one of the ITER cooling cel [...]

    Read more

  • WEC 2024 | Energy on centre stage

    The global players in the energy sector convened in Rotterdam last week for the 26th edition of the World Energy Congress (WEC). The venue was well chosen, wit [...]

    Read more

  • Fusion world | The EU blueprint for fusion energy

    The EU Blueprint for Fusion Energy workshop, convened by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy, brought together key stakeholders in the fiel [...]

    Read more

  • Neutral beam injection | ELISE achieves target values for ITER

    Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Garching, Germany, have generated the ion current densities required for ITER neutral beam injecti [...]

    Read more

Of Interest

See archived entries

ITER NEWSLINE -

Vacuum vessel sector preparation

Lessons learned reduce work time by half

In life as in the assembly of the ITER machine, "lessons learned" are what makes progress possible. Gains in wisdom, time, skill, investment can be incremental; they can also be spectacular. The ongoing preparation works on the second vacuum vessel sector, Sector #1(7), offer a striking example of the benefits that come with experience: whereas it took 36 work weeks to fit the first sector with sensors, cables and flux loops, it is expected that the same operations on the second sector will only require 15 to 17 work weeks—less than half the time.

Whereas it took 36 work weeks to fit the first sector with sensors, cables and flux loops, it is expected that the same operations on the second sector will only require 15 to 17. (Click to view larger version...)
Whereas it took 36 work weeks to fit the first sector with sensors, cables and flux loops, it is expected that the same operations on the second sector will only require 15 to 17.
Although the packaging of both sectors for shipment from Korea was similar, the duration of the unpacking operations was divided by two the second time around. "We knew from experience where to expect difficulties and we were able to anticipate and adapt," says Alex Martin, the head of the ITER Vacuum Vessel Section.

Once extracted from its transportation frame, cabin-sized metal box and multi-layered wrapping, the first vacuum vessel sector, Sector #6, had been subjected to a helium leak test. No leaks above the limit of detection were found and the values obtained were two orders of magnitude tighter than the acceptance criteria.

"We had full demonstration of the quality control procedures performed by the manufacturer, Hyundai Heavy Industries, and ITER Korea. So we decided that, as far as Sector #1(7) was concerned, we would do without the on-site leak test," says Martin. And thus the teams saved another week.

With fewer bosses but more clips to install, the amount of work to equip the second sector is equivalent to the first. But this time, the organization is different. "We've gone from a sequential to a parallel approach. Sector #6 kept us busy for approximately four months on this task; this time, with the optimization of the processes, we expect to complete the works in two months."

As equipment work on Sector #1(7) is nearing completion, preparation for moving the component into the upending tool and then into the sector sub-assembly tool (SSAT-1), has already started. "If we compare with the first vacuum vessel sector, we are now ten weeks ahead overall and we are already working on the lift operation, preparing for the installation of the radial beam and the sector lifting tool."

During the sub-assembly operation, Sector #1(7) will be joined with toroidal field coils #8 (TF8 from Japan) and #9 (TF9 from Europe). This second sub-assembly—which will certainly also benefit from lessons learned on the first operation—is scheduled to be lowered into the Tokamak pit by mid-2022.

With another seven vacuum vessel sectors to equip prior to assembly and installation, is there still room for progress and additional gains in time? "Always," smiles Alex Martin.

return to the latest published articles