• SPECIAL TOPIC: POWER GENERATION •
In essence, the steps required for the ITER project to function are as follows: inject Deuterium-Tritium gas, apply an electric current to convert the gas to a plasma, inject electromagnetic waves, inject high-energy neutral particles, and then combine these techniques to reach 150 million degrees. The key challenge, Sabina Griffith notes, is in containing and controlling the plasma.
MAIN ITER COMPONENTS, HIGHLIGHTING APPLICATIONS OF CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
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And that’ s where the tokamak comes in. At ITER, this massive device features a vacuum vessel which, wrapped around a central solenoid, is swathed in toroidal and poloidal field coils. Other key components include the feeders, the diverter, and the cryostat( see Figure 1). Photos shown at the conference demonstrated the tokamak’ s final size. For example, each of the 18 toroidal coils weighs 360 tonnes and measures 9 x 17 meters. On a snapshot showing one of these coils being transported by overhead crane, you really must look hard to spot the workers standing close by( see Figure 2).
Participating in such a unique engineering project entails learning by doing, noted Sabina Griffith. Upcoming challenges include identifying materials resistant to extreme conditions, heat exhaust management in the divertor region, and the tritium fuel cycle.
Stainless steels throughout The audience paid particular attention to a final slide, which gave an overview of the main ITER components and materials. Corrosion-resistant alloys from 304 and 316L right up to Alloys 718 and 660 are essential for all key tokomak components, including the vacuum vessel, first wall, divertor, cryopumps, cryostat, blanket manifolds, thermal shield, and even the magnet system( see“ Main ITER components”).
Concluding her well-received talk, Sabina Griffith shared a slide with more details of the alloys, forms, codes, and standards specific to the vacuum vessel and ports( see Table 1).
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Location Component Corrosion resistant alloy usage * 1 Vacuum vessel and ports 316L( N)-IG, 304, 304L, 304B4, 304B7,
Project update
In March 2026, ITER noted the arrival of vacuum vessel section number seven, with the final two expected this year. ITER expects that commissioning can start in 2033, with first experiments in 2034.
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430, Alloy 718, 660, XM-19, 625 2 Blanket / first wall 316L( N)-IG, Alloy 718, 660 3 Divertor 316L( N)-IG, XM-19, 660 4 Cryopumps 316L( EN No.) 5 Magnet system 316LN, JJ1, 316L, Alloy 718 6 Thermal shield 304L, 304LN, Alloy 718, 660, 7 Blanket manifolds 316L, 660 8 Cryostat 304, 304L, 660
* Other materials found in ITER include nickel-aluminium-bronze, Beryllium, polyamide, Niobium alloys, epoxy, glass fiber, etc.
To learn more about the ITER project and see stunning work in progress images, please visit the official website at: www. iter. org.
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR •
A freelance editor, David Sear has been fascinated by the flow control sector for over three decades.
Suggestions, comments, and critiques are expressly welcomed and can be addressed to: info @ teservices. nl.
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