The international ITER project, whose objective is to demonstrate the viability of nuclear fusion as a source of energy, has chosen to use Spanish technology for the assembly of its vacuum vessel. The different vacuum vessel components will be assembled at the ITER site in Caradache (France) by the Spanish company Equipos Nucleares (ENSA).
The vacuum chamber is the reactor part where plasma is confined and fusion reactions take place. Moreover, it provides support to other reactor components such as cooling system. The chamber dimensions are impressive with an internal volume of 1,600 cubic meters and with dimensions close to 19.4 meters in outside diameter, 11.4 meters in height and 5200 tons in weight.
The work done by ENSA will cover all the necessary engineering for machining procedures, non-destructive welding (ultrasonic, radiographic, Helium) and metrological tests, in addition to the necessary tools and robots.
Currently the first phase of the project has already concluded with the manufacturing of a model at scale of 1:1 which simulates an ITER vacuum vessel section. This phase has been done at the facilities of ENSA in Maliaño (Spain) and has helped to test the techniques and tools that will be used in the ITER facilities in France.
Source: El Periódico (Spanish)