“Artificial Sun” ITER after 12 years of construction
Fusion energy, a nuclear reaction that simulates what happens in stars in the universe, could be an inexhaustible source of energy to help humanity end its energy thirst and dependence on fossil fuels. But building a power plant that can harness the energy from this reaction is truly one of the greatest scientific challenges of our time.
In the Saint-Paul-lès-Durance region, in the south of France, 35 countries are working together to build ITER, the world’s largest fusion reactor. Designed as a tokamak tube magnetic fusion reactor, ITER promises to be a huge source of energy for the world without emitting carbon. The construction of this factory has been started since 2010 until now.
Not only that, when completed, ITER will also be used to conduct scientific research inside the fusion energy source. According to the schedule, the plant is expected to be completed in 2025 with the hope that its first plasma generation will be done by the end of that year.
With just a few years to go before the plant is completed on schedule, many will be eager to know how far the construction of this “Artificial Sun” is progressing. Photographer Luigi Avantaggiato was among those who received ITER’s permission to enter the construction site, and his images show us how the work is progressing.
Supercooling chamber assembly
Technicians are assembling parts of a supercooling chamber for the ITER factory in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France. The supercooled chamber – or Cryostat – is a giant vacuum chamber intended to create a super-low environment for superconducting magnets.
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Visitors to ITER are photographing the construction of magnetic coils, a key component that helps create the magnetic field inside the tokamak.
Assembly building
The assembly building is where ITER’s massive components are built and prepared in advance, before they are transported to the Tokamak complex for assembly.
Vacuum chamber assembly
In the assembly site, engineers are building a second vacuum chamber. This vacuum chamber will provide a vacuum environment for the plasma, improving the radiation shielding and stability of the plasma. Its role is like a fence to trap radiation inside.
High voltage substation
An electrical substation inside the ITER. The entire ITER area is independently supplied with electricity from an electrical substation that is directly drawn from the 400 kV national grid. It is expected that the voltage requirement for the ITER will range from 110 MW up to a peak of 620 MW and last for 30 seconds to operate the plasma block.
Solder them together
In the workshop, a technician is performing a weld on the outer shield during the construction of a supercooled chamber.
Tokamak Hole
The reactor will be housed in this seismic isolation crater, a crater 17 meters below the ITER platform. The site is filled with concrete, retaining walls and seismic panels that will protect the building and the equipment inside from incidents like earthquakes.
Cooling system
The SPIDER and MITICA project cooling systems are located throughout the NBTF building in Padua and are capable of dissipating heat up to 70MW.
Sketches of ITER
The illustration below shows the tokamak and its entire system encased in a concrete shell. It is estimated that about 1 million parts will be assembled for this machine alone.
Harnessing the Sun’s Energy
Sunset above the ITER construction site in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance.
Refer to Sciencefocus
at Blogtuan.info – Source: genk.vn – Read the original article here
