The Dynamic SNC consortium announced, 25 March, that it had completed a successful dry run of using an upending tool required to build the world’s largest tokamak nuclear fusion reactor for the ITER project under construction in France.
The equipment will be used to construct the main tokamak machine, and is designed to transition components vertically from their horizontal delivery position. It can upend and transport loads as heavy as four loaded Boeing 747 aircraft.
The consortium comprises Ansaldo Nucleare, Ansaldo Energia, Endel Engie, Orys Group ORTEC, SIMIC and Leading Metal Mechanic Solutions SL. Dynamic SNC began working on the Tokamak Assembly Contract 2 (TAC2), after being awarded the contract last year.
The contract involves assembling the main vessels and ports and sub-assembling with toroidal field coils and vacuum vessel thermal shielding and welding.
Ansaldo Nuclear said that commissioning two upending test loads for the upending tool was critical. Dynamic SNC technical team leader Andrea Barbensi said: “Assembly rehearsals of this scale will become a common occurrence at ITER, as all the main equipment we will be using for sub-assembly and assembly will be commissioned at the site."
He added that the upending tool would be used nine times for the Vacuum Vessel Sectors, each weighing 450 tonnes, and 18 times for the Toroidal Field Coils, weighing 320 tonnes each.
"The assembly rehearsal of the empty upending tool has already delivered a wealth of data. The team now knows where improvements need to be made, and photogrammetry has provided a baseline for deformation reference.”
Photo: The DYNAMIC team (Credit: Ansaldo Nuclear)
