The project
Commissioning
To commission a facility as sophisticated as ITER it is necessary to proceed in small and gradual steps—checking each part before moving onto the next, and bringing together more and more pieces of the puzzle until the whole facility is working as one.
Gallery
Scientific Data and Computer Centre coming on line
2025-02-03
Peter Kroul—from the IT System and Operation Section—is in the Scientific Data and Computer Centre, where ITER data will be stored, secured, processed and distributed throughout the lifetime of the machine. Data storage and management will begin in 2025 when the centre starts receiving data from various ITER plant systems.
Shift operation managers: ready for anything
2025-02-03
For one year now, 12 shift operation managers have been on duty rotation for 24/7 coverage of operational areas on the ITER site. Working from the temporary main control room (pictured) or on call, they coordinate daily activities and intervene in off-normal events when necessary.
A test bench for cryopumps
2025-01-14
Like all ITER components, the torus and cryostat cryopumps that will create the vacuum conditions needed for ITER operation are subjected to comprehensive factory acceptance tests before shipment. But because this is not sufficient to guarantee that they will perform as expected during actual tokamak operation, a test facility has been created to bring the cryopumps to cryogenic temperatures (4 K or minus 269 °C). Engineers will be able to test a whole range of cryopump processes in the new facility, which is located in the ITER cryoplant for convient access to cryogenic fluids.
First command issued from control room
2024-12-19
On Thursday 19 December, the ITER main control room issues its first CODAC command to a plant system, a decisive milestone towards tokamak operation. A powerful pump is activated, and water starts rushing into one of the cooling loops of the reactive power compensation installation.
How do electronics react to magnetic fields?
2024-12-04
Components installed in the ITER Tokamak Complex will be exposed to magnetic fields to varying degrees. To test the resistance of these components before operation, and to avoid the risk of dysfunction, samples of valves, circuit breakers, and electric and electromechanical components are being subjected to maximum expected field levels in a test facility on the ITER site that was designed and built in China. See "How do electronics react to magnetic fields?" in the ITER video gallery.
Cryoplant tests underway
2024-12-02
The ongoing tests mimic the variations of the loads that the tokamak’s magnetic system will exert on the liquid helium flux. "This is quite unusual in the world of large cryogenic facilities, where loads are generally stable,” explains Marie Cursan, a project engineer in the Cryogenic System Project.
Temporary control room for the cryoplant
2024-12-02
Pending the availability of the Control Building, cryoplant activities are managed from temporary control rooms staffed with ITER and Air Liquide staff.
12 compressors at work in the cryoplant
2024-12-02
Twelve megawatt class-compressors, out of a total 18, are presently at work in the ITER cryoplant. Liquid helium at 4 K (minus 269 °C) is needed for the tokamak’s magnetic system and cryopumps, but also for the planned cold test facility, whose commissioning will begin in July next year.
Water falling
2024-07-18
Cooling water and heat rejection systems have entered routine operation to support the plant system processes that require continuous water cooling for commissioning. A sheet of water is visible in this cooling tower as it falls through corrugated plastic fill as part of the cooling process.
Preparing for cryopump cold tests
2024-07-02
In a test facility inside the ITER cryoplant, torus and cryostat cryopumps can be tested through a whole range of operating temperatures and pumping scenarios. Testing will begin with a pre-production component that will not be installed in the ITER machine (photo).
Vacuum equipment testing
2023-11-23
In the Vacuum Lab on site, the first cold valve box procured by Europe is undergoing site acceptance tests.
Toroidal field coils will be tested at 4 K
2023-11-06
While repairs are ongoing on the vacuum vessel and thermal shield, a window has opened to test "as many toroidal field coils" as possible at 4 K (-269° C). "A 4 K test is about much more than just testing a coil ... it's about validating a whole infrastructure (the power supply system, the cryogenics, the feeders, the control-command system ...). Along with minimizing risks, this partial commissioning will be like a general rehearsal that will save us a considerable amount of time," says Project Leader David Grillot. More at /newsline/-/3954.
Smallest poloidal field coil also
2023-11-06
The cold test infrastructure will be dimensioned for the D-shaped toroidal field coils, but the smallest poloidal field coil, PF1, is also a good fit and can be tested.
New project launched: a 4 K magnet cold test facility
2023-11-02
This is the dedicated, fully matrixed project team that has been established to set up the magnet cold testing facility in less than two years. The plan is to test at least one toroidal field coil from each manufacturer. (Each cold test takes from 4 to 6 months.)
Heat rejection system, from the sky
2023-09-27
The cooling water system is striking from above, with its neatly arranged pumps and pipes and its 10 cooling towers at right. Photo: ITER Organization/EJF Riche
Closeup
2023-09-27
Commissioning is currently underway on the many integrated parts of the heat rejection system. Photo: ITER Organization/EJF Riche
Systems vs integrated commissioning
2023-09-27
ITER's approach to commissioning makes a clear distinction between system commissioning (underway now on many plant systems including the heat rejection system, pictured) and integrated commissioning. Integrated commissioning is a carefully orchestrated process that occurs only after all components and systems have been tested independently. Photo: ITER Organization/EJF Riche
Beginning to re-centralize control stations
2023-05-09
Since 2018, small control rooms around the site have been established to support local testing and commissioning of plant equipment. With the opening of the temporary main control room (T-MCR) in late 2022 (/newsline/-/3845), some of these distributed functions are being brough back in and centralized (/newsline/-/3880).
Temporary main control room goes live
2023-02-18
On the second floor of the ITER Headquarters building, a temporary main control room is now operating five days a week. it uses the same CODAC workstation—with the same human-machine interface—that will be moved to the main control room when it opens in the Control Building.
Five days a week
2023-02-18
Two systems are already operational on site and run from this temporary control room—electrical distribution and utilities like compressed air and demineralized water from the Site Services Building. From this remote location, operators are also helping to commission the cryoplant, the heat rejection system and reactive power compensation.
Commissioning in a spotless environment
2022-09-08
In the ITER cryoplant, the commissioning and dynamic testing of the nitrogen vaporization system have been successfully initiated to support the startup of the liquid helium plant system. Other activities underway include oil filling (some 60,000 litres) and cleaning procedures to prepare for operation.
Ten towers
2022-07-06
The most visible part of the heat rejection zone—the cooling towers—are captured by Swiss photographer Luca Zanier (https://www.zanier.ch/) in early July. Commissioning activities are underway.
Nitrogen tank fill up
2022-06-14
Cryoplant commissioning is underway. In June 2022, 12 trailers delivered enough liquid nitrogen to fill the tank to 80% of its capacity.
Commissioning the liquid nitrogen (LN2) plant
2022-04-29
As part of LN2 plant commissioning, this liquid nitrogen tank is being filled to 80% of its capacity to verify the rate of evaporation, which should not exceed 0.16 percent of the total volume per day. The tank in the photo has a capacity of 300 cubic metres.
Compressed air for cryoplant commissioning first
2022-03-18
Connecting the compressed air distribution network to the cryoplant was an essential step in the testing of the facility's 1,500 pneumatic actuators and hundreds of control valves. An integrated team composed of ITER operators and European staff from Fusion for Energy and Engage have been working closely together to achieve this milestone. The demineralized water system will be next, and progressively, one by one, all the clients throughout the installation on the platform will be served.
Site Services Building: beginning to serve clients
2022-03-18
The Site Services Building is beginning to service its first utility clients on the ITER platform. Densely packed with a demineralized water plant, chiller systems, air compressors, dozens of pumps and kilometres of piping, the facility produces and distributes compressed and breathable air (for operators in ventilated nuclear suits), demineralized water for cooling circuits and detritiation systems, and cold water for air conditioning systems.
From the top
2022-03-09
In March, the commissioning team transfers water from the hot basin to two cells of the cooling tower for the first time, using vertical turbine pump #13. In the picture, we can see the water in the towers by spray nozzles to the fill packs (which increase the heat exchange surface).
Implementing every step of the process
2022-02-04
Another commissioning task is testing the control software for the heat rejection system. Laura de Frutos Bolzoni (centre) is the engineer responsible for integrating the cooling water system with CODAC (ITER's central control system). Thomas Pralus (left) and Thierry Menguy (right) also work in the Operations Division with responsibility for cooling water commissioning.
Step-by-step commissioning
2022-02-04
One big remaining task for the team is testing the 10 cooling towers. A lot of cold commissioning has already been done there, including all the instrumentation of the cooling tower fans; the next step is to start the fans.
Commissioning the heat rejection system
2022-02-04
Commissioning of the heat rejection system is well underway, clearing the path for all "client" systems. The team started by performing loop checks, testing of input/output signals, starting up motors and pumps, and circulating water through the basins.
Cryoplant: first steps towards commissioning
2021-11-25
Over the past three and a half years, some 5,000 tonnes of equipment (tanks, compressors, piping, valves, truck-size electrical motors and Zeppelin-like gas bags) were installed in the cryoplant. Now, a two-year commissioning period opens.
Attention to detail
2021-11-25
Ensuring the cleanliness of the equipment inside the installation is an integral part of the pre-commissioning process. Here, workers are busy dusting and cleaning pipes between one of the cryoplant's 18 screw compressors (foreground) and the 1 MW electrical motor that drives it.
Cryoplant: temporary control room
2021-11-25
For the next two years, cryoplant commissioning operations and equipment testing will be managed from this temporary control room. At a later stage, cryoplant operation and monitoring will be moved to the main ITER control room (which is presently under construction).
2021-11-25
As part of cryoplant pre-commissioning, operators are testing and verifying control-command systems, performing leak tests, and ensuring cleanliness, helium purity and the safety of the equipment.
Cooling plant: next step, commissioning
2021-10-15
Approximately 6,000 tonnes of equipment for the ITER cooling plant have been supplied by India and installed by ITER Organization contractors. The next step is plant commissioning.
Preserving installed components
2021-09-01
Between installation and operation, machine components and plant equipment must be kept in good condition through preservation activities. Here, a worker performs a white cloth test to check for moisture on a cryostat support bearing during a preservation inspection.
Integrated commissioning at ITER
2021-07-12
ITER's approach to commissioning makes a clear distinction between system commissioning and integrated commissioning. This chart shows the highest-level tasks for Integrated Commissioning 1, which concludes with First Plasma. Read more at: /newsline/-/3641
Reactive power compensation: site acceptance tests
2021-04-08
Protected by fire-resistant work wear, headpiece and face shield, this ITER electrical engineer is testing one of the 8-metre-tall thyristor-controlled reactors that is part of the reactive power compensation and harmonic filtering system. Site acceptance tests of all system equipment on arrival from China ensures a no-default situation despite the long journey and subsequent handling.
Point of departure
2021-03-23
Cryolines originating in the cryoplant deliver cooling fluids to some essential elements of the ITER machine—the superconducting magnets, the cryopumps and the different parts of the thermal shield.
Into the depths
2020-11-27
For five days in late November, a diver explored the depths of the heat rejection basins, inspecting the critical zones of the massive concrete structure that had been "overfilled" for structural testing.
Testing the basins
2020-10-14
Prior to turning over the heat rejection system to the ITER commissioning team, a leak tightness test was organized for the system's cold and hot basins. The basins were filled to capacity, and even a little beyond, to test their leak tightness and structural solidity.
Takes a team
2020-10-14
Assessing the leak tightness of the heat rejection system basins involved the ITER Control Division, in charge of instrumentation and control; the Operations Division; the Mechanical Implementation Division; the Field Engineering Installation Division, and Site Coordination.
Secondary cooling circuit
2020-09-21
The chiller plant in the Site Services Building has been turned over to the ITER Science, Controls & Operation Department (SCOD) for commissioning. Now, a commissioning team led by SCOD will start to energize the equipment, fill the pipes, and test the circuits and control interfaces of this auxiliary plant, which is one element of the chilled water system.
Central interlock
2020-06-08
The ITER central interlock system will interface with 170 local interlock systems (at the level of each plant system) to ensure machine protection. Material is beginning to arrive on site.
Early control room
2020-02-07
Because the main ITER control room will not be in place until 2022, a temporary control room had to be put into place. The temporary control room is really a "virtual control room" in the sense that it is several different rooms connected together.
Verifying everything
2020-02-07
Checking the protection logic for the high voltage relays during the commissioning of ITER's electrical distribution system.
"Energization" begins for second electrical distribution network
2019-11-26
The first of three transformers for the pulsed power electrical network (PPEN) was successfully "energized" on 26 November. Procured by China and installed by Europe, weighing close to 500 tonnes and towering 15 metres above ground, the PPEN transformers are the largest electrical components of the project.
ITER's first electrical distribution system enters operation
2019-01-23
After several months of tests and commissioning, the first ITER system—steady state electrical distribution—enters into operation on 23 January 2019. The ITER site is now independently powered by an electrical substation that draws power directly from the 400 kV French national grid.
Commissioning local control systems
2019-01-07
One after another, 170 local controls systems have to be integrated into central conventional control, CODAC. In this image, members of the Controls Division are attempting for the first time to operate high voltage circuit breakers from the CODAC human/machine interface.
An unassuming name, a strategic building
2018-12-12
Despite a rather unassuming name, the Site Services Building is a strategic resource for the entire installation, accommodating and distributing a large number of industrial support services and systems. All mechanical and electrical equipment (pumps, chillers, pressurizers, cabinets and chemical dosing systems) and relevant piping has been installed, and a series of hydrostatic tests have been completed successfully.
First transformer is powered up
2018-09-18
''Electricians'' and command-control specialists from the ITER Organization and the European Domestic Agency (Fusion for Energy) succeed on 18 September in powering up the four transformers of the steady state electrical network.
When a transformer purrs
2017-03-30
A test energization procedure is carried out on the first of four 22 kV steady state electrical network (SSEN) transformers, which have not managed power since factory acceptance tests in 2014. By "revving them up," the team is verifying that all is well.
2017-01-20
After more than a full year of work, all 4.8 kilometres of cryolines and "warm lines" installed inside the cryoplant have been successfully leak-tested by the INOXCVA team operating under the responsibility of ITER India.
Working toward energizing the switchyard
2017-01-20
In close coordination with the French transmission system operator RTE the ITER Organization is now embarked on the step-by-step process that will lead to the "energization" of the ITER switchyard. Tests started in January 2017 on the first of the switchyard's seven bays.
15
Major systems
from 2018
Systems commissioning
2033-2034
Integrated commissioning (baseline proposal)
