The US is responsible for 14% of port-based diagnostic systems, including integration of 4 diagnostic port plugs, plus 7 instrumentation systems out of a total of approximately 40 individual diagnostic systems. The European Union, Japan, the Russian Federation, China, Korea, and India are also contributing to ITER diagnostics.
ITER diagnostic systems provide measurements to aid understanding of plasma behavior and optimize fusion performance. Because of the harsh environment inside the tokamak vacuum vessel, these systems must cope with a range of conditions not previously encountered by diagnostic technology, all while performing with high reliability. US diagnostics will include microwave, laser, x-ray, and optical systems. The US will provide design, fabrication, assembly, and testing of US port plugs, specifically the Upper Ports (U11, U17) and Equatorial Ports (E3, E9), plus the Lower Port Structures (L8). In addition, the US will support the integration into these plugs of multiple diagnostics, including some from other domestic agencies.
The US will also be responsible for the following instrumentation systems: Upper IR/Visible Cameras, Low Field Side Reflectometer, Motional Stark Effect Polarimeter, Electron Cyclotron Emission Radiometer, Toroidal Interferometer/Polarimeter, Core Imaging X-ray Spectrometer, and Residual Gas Analyzer.
For more information, contact:
Ruben Fair, US ITER Project Office Diagnostics Team Leader (except Residual Gas Analyzer), Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, rfair@pppl.gov
Tripp Fulmer, US ITER Project Office Port Plugs Team Leader, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, fulmerjl@ornl.gov
Dave Rasmussen, US ITER Project Office Residual Gas Analyzer Team Leader, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, rasmussenda@ornl.gov
The windows are an indispensable component of ITER," says Sunil Pak, Boundary Penetration and Port System Group Leader of the Diagnostic Engineering Section at the ITER Organization. About half of the ITER diagnostics are optical or microwave diagnostics—systems that operate from a protected location inside a port plug and peer into the plasma through small windows covered by transparent material.
As the first phase of ITER tokamak assembly begins, the US ITER diagnostics team is busy preparing the systems essential for first plasma. The team, which is based out of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and is responsible for a total of seven ITER diagnostics, will hold a final design review in summer for the first of those systems: an antenna array for the low-field side reflectometer (LFSR) that will gather data from the outer layers of the ITER tokamak plasma.
The first level of the Diagnostic Building is ready for handover to contractors for the beginning of systems installation. The embedded plates visible on all surfaces will allow contractors to attach the supports required for installing plant systems.
Source: ITER Newsline
The I&C team has completed a number of design achievements in preparation of First Plasma deliveries, including: Ion Cyclotron Heating (RF Bldg.) I&C First Plasma Final Design Review (December 2017), Tokamak Cooling Water System I&C First Plasma Final Design Review (November 2017), Vacuum Auxiliary System (03) Conceptual Design Review (July 2017) and Roughing Pumps System I&C Conceptual Design Review (April 2017).
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in collaboration with industry and universities, are developing the US contributions to ITER diagnostic systems. At this point, six of seven US diagnostic systems are in preliminary design with teams actively investigating physics and engineering issues through testing, prototype development and proof-of-principle activities.
As of October 29, 2014, procurement arrangements governing all 11 US ITER diagnostic systems have been signed with the ITER Organization; these arrangements define and assign the design, procurement and delivery responsibilities for the US.
