The first International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (Iter) diagnostic components to be supplied by Fusion For Energy (F4E) have been delivered to the Iter site in Cadarache, southern France.
F4E, the organisation which manages Europe’s contribution to Iter, said acceptance testing by Iter of the five continuous external Rogowski (CER) coils ended on 7 March. They are to be located outside the Iter vacuum vessel, within the cases of three toroidal field (TF) coils. Their purpose is to measure the total electric current flowing in the Iter plasma, a key measurement required for plasma control. Unlike other common methods of measuring the plasma current, the Rogowski method works with a single sensor, resulting in very high reliability, despite the cryogenic temperatures, high vacuum and mechanical stresses it will be subjected to during operation of the TF coils.
Each CER coil is a flexible, cylindrical structure, measuring approximately 40 metres in length and 12 millimetres in diameter. The coils were manufactured by Axon of France, which supplied the electrical parts, and Sgenia of Spain, which supplied the mechanical parts.
Photo: One of the Continuous External Rogowski (CER) coils undergoing acceptance testing (Credit: F4E)