Open Doors Day
Face to face with ITER immensity
27 Nov 2023
In October 2011, when ITER organized its first "Open Doors Day," there was little to show and much to leave to the public's imagination: the Poloidal Field Coils Winding Facility wasn't yet finalized, the electrical switchyard was just a forest of pylons, and at the bottom of a large 17-metre-deep excavation on the platform, installation work had just begun on the anti-seismic system of the Tokamak Complex. The visitors of twelve years ago however sensed that something unique was beginning to take shape. Last week on Saturday, as the doors of ITER were opened wide once again, the immensity and complexity of the project hit each and everyone of the approximately 800 participants.
Close to 800 visitors, young and old, passed the open doors of ITER on Saturday 25 November and took in the immensity and complexity of the project.
Conceived and organized for the public, Open Doors Day is also a unique opportunity for "ITER workers," whichever organization or company they belong to, to share their passion and expertise. This year, a record 75 volunteers, including ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi, guided the public and provided explanations and perspective.
New features are offered at every event, as progress is made on the worksite and more components are finalized and delivered. On Saturday, the public particularly appreciated the viewpoints through plexiglass panes into the Tokamak assembly pit—a bit like an aquarium view on a mysterious subterranean world. Also impressive was the recently cocooned cryostat top lid, which gave a sense of the exceptional dimensions of the ITER machine.
And of course there was the magic of physics made fun—the plasma ball, the expanding marshmallows, the tricks magnetism can play... all courtesy of the usual partners Petits débrouillards, United Crocos of Marseille and, last but not least, the in-house "plasmagicians."
Ever popular are the demonstrations prepared for children, which explain magnetism and vacuum with simple experiments.
The local science association Les Petits Débrouillards (The Little Crafty Ones) loves to explain electricity and magnetism to children, and offers plenty of hands-on activities.
New plexiglass viewing areas offer a superb line of sight into the Tokamak pit.
Three vacuum vessel sectors were on display in the Assembly Hall, two in the midst of disassembly (left) and one ready for transport out of the building (right). The Open Doors Day was the occasion to explain the repairs planned on the vacuum vessel joint regions.
It's a lot to take in for visitors of any age! An occasional yawn is permitted...
75 volunteers take part in the day-long event, taking their assigned shifts on buses, at visitor viewpoints, in the Visitor Centre, or as facilitators and guides, all orchestrated by ITER Communications' Julie Marcillat.
Dozens of volunteers help to guide small groups of visitors through the Assembly Hall and Tokamak Complex. Small groups mean more time for questions and answers with the specialists.