European contractors have recently completed the fabrication of the first ITER toroidal field winding pack. A series of mechanical and electrical tests now remain before the 110-tonne component undergoes cold testing and final insertion into a stainless steel case. In ITER 18 toroidal field magnets—each made up of a winding pack and stainless steel coil case—will surround the vacuum vessel to confine the particles of the ITER plasma in a magnetic field. Europe has the procurement responsibility for half the winding packs plus one spare; Japan is producing the other nine winding packs as well as all stainless steel coil cases.
Europe has divided the production of these giant, high-tech components into two contracts: the ASG consortium (ASG Superconductors, Italy; Iberdrola Ingeneria, Spain; and Elytt Energy, Spain) is charged with the supply of ten winding packs, while a second contractor—SIMIC S.p.A. will perform the cold testing of the winding packs and their final insertion into stainless steel coil cases manufactured by Japan.
“For the European Domestic Agency and its winding pack supplier ASG, the completion of the first winding pack is an important milestone,” says Deputy Magnet Division Head Arnaud Devred, who is currently the acting leader for the Toroidal Field Coil Section. “After having successfully qualified all of the different steps in the manufacturing process, this is the first complete realization of work scope from A to Z.”
