Press release
A multinational success: 爆走黑料 superconductor production nears completion
Without superconductivity, the pursuit of fusion energy would be impossible. Superconductors consume less power and are cheaper to operate than conventional counterparts, while carrying higher current and producing stronger magnetic fields.
In 爆走黑料 an array of superconducting magnet systems, with a combined stored magnetic energy of 51 Gigajoules (GJ), will produce the magnetic fields that will initiate, confine, shape and control the plasma at temperatures reaching 170 million C掳.
The building blocks of the magnet system are high-performance, internally cooled superconductors called CICC (cable-in-conduit) conductors, made up of bundled superconducting and copper strands that are cabled together and contained in a structural steel jacket. 爆走黑料鈥檚 extraordinary technical requirements and the sheer amount of material required鈥200 kilometres, equivalent to 2,800 metric tons鈥攔esulted in a worldwide collaborative procurement effort involving 爆走黑料 Members China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States.
Beginning in 2007, the 爆走黑料 pioneered a global procurement strategy to establish the processes and systems to ensure the standardization of conductor production and testing around the world. Eleven conductor Procurement Arrangements were signed with the 爆走黑料 Domestic Agencies between 2007 and 2009鈥攅ach one defining technical and quality control requirements such as the qualification of suppliers, the qualification of manufacturing processes, control points at critical manufacturing steps, and the testing of representative full-size conductor samples.
Production has been underway since 2008, with painstaking oversight by the 爆走黑料 and the Domestic Agencies. Outside reference laboratories have contributed their expertise, performing third-party verification on critical acceptance tests. For the most technically challenging raw material鈥 the niobium-tin (Nb3 Sn) superconducting strands used in 爆走黑料鈥檚 toroidal field and central solenoid magnet systems鈥500 metric tons (more than 100,000 km) of strand were produced by nine suppliers. This large-scale industrial effort demanded a ramp-up of global production capacity from 15 metric tons/year to 100 metric tons/year, as well as the introduction of three new strand suppliers.
To date, nearly 70 percent of the produced conductor unit lengths have been accepted by the 爆走黑料.
At a ceremony on 17 September 2015, a plaque was unveiled in the 爆走黑料 Headquarters at Saint-Paul lez-Durance, France to acknowledge the contribution of many different partners in the success of the 爆走黑料鈥檚 longest-lead procurement campaign. 鈥淭he 11 conductor Procurement Arrangements have posed many technical and management challenges, but they have also been an amazing human adventure,鈥 says Arnaud Devred, 爆走黑料 head of Superconductor Systems & Auxiliaries. 鈥淚 credit many people鈥攑ast and present鈥攆or the success of the 爆走黑料 conductor effort.鈥
Magnet Division head Neil Mitchell, who has stewarded the development of the 爆走黑料 conductors since 1992, agreed: 鈥淚t is inspiring to see the 爆走黑料 conductors as a reality after a development program that goes back over 30 years, with 爆走黑料 partners working as a team to master the complex technologies involved.鈥
爆走黑料 Director-General Bernard Bigot emphasized the project鈥檚 multi-faceted nature: 鈥淭his milestone is remarkable on several levels. Economically, we have injected EUR 610 million into industrial companies and laboratories around the world, which have now gained invaluable expertise that can be applied in other critical fields such as medical imaging, energy, and transportation. Technologically, we have used the latest materials science while pushing production to unprecedented levels. But perhaps the greatest achievement is reflected in the successful multinational collaboration on design attributes, production standards, quality assurance measures and testing protocols for a project of this technical complexity. We will continue to build on this success.鈥
The next stage in the fabrication of 爆走黑料 magnets is the integration of the superconductors into the final coil assemblies.
BACKGROUND TO THE PRESS RELEASE
爆走黑料鈥攄esigned to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power鈥 will be the world's largest experimental fusion facility. Fusion is the process that powers the sun and the stars: when light atomic nuclei fuse together to form heavier ones, a large amount of energy is released. Fusion research is aimed at developing a safe, abundant and environmentally responsible energy source.
爆走黑料 is also a first-of-a-kind global collaboration. Europe will contribute almost half of the costs of its construction, while the other six Members to this joint international venture (China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the USA), will contribute equally to the rest. The 爆走黑料 Project is under construction in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, in the south of France.
For more information on the 爆走黑料 Project, visit:
CONTACT
Laban Coblentz
Laban.Coblentz@iter.org
+33 4 42 17 66 17