The Tokamak Complex building construction is progressing on the ITER site. This consists of the Tokamak building hosting the machine, the Tritium building and the Diagnostic building, together with a wide range of auxiliary buildings, such as those for the heating systems, cryoplant, power supply, control of the entire plant or the assembly of the Tokamak machine. The majority of the auxiliary...
ITER starts assembly! What sounds simple is actually an enormous technical
challenge for the ITER Organization in the coming years. Since 2016, after the design and
manufacture phases of Tokamak components, the project is now entering the assembly
phase step-by-step.
A new organizational structure was put into place to start the preparation,
installation and commissioning of all components and...
Technology Readiness Levels are commonly taken to indicate the “suitability” of a particular component, process, etc. that is part of a larger system. Several versions exist; all assign a simple value (usually 1 to 9) defined in terms of the point in the development and testing cycle that the particular subject has completed. Thus TRL really reflects “maturity” rather than a holistic...
The National Spherical Torus eXperiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) is an experimental research facility funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) that is operating at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). NSTX-U (http://nstx-u.pppl.gov/home) is the centerpiece of the U.S. ST research program. After commencing operation in 1999 in its original configuration, the...
The end of the first operation phase of Wendelstein 7-X, OP1.1, in March 2016 marked the start of an ambitious device completion campaign to install and commission a set of systems and components able to extract and support steady state operation from 2020 when OP2 is planned to start. Challenging assignments need to be completed such as the fabrication and installation of the high heat flux...
UKAEA have now been applying Systems Engineering across a range of projects for a number of years, both directly and indirectly linked to fusion engineering. Systems Engineering has provided a unique perspective from which to solve these complex engineering challenges, bringing together insights from all aspects and disciplines involved. Fundamental functional requirements of the systems have...
