Mega Coil Completes Insertion in the Tokamak Pit of ITER

The sixth poloidal field superconducting coil (or PF6 coil), the heaviest of all six superconducting magnet coils of ITER (short for International Thermonuclear Fusion Experimental Reactor) project, successfully sits at the bottom of the tokamak pit in ITER site in France recently, under the supervision of Fusion for Energy, witnessing another international collaboration moment.

This first-of-a-king magnet is known as the "divertor coil," whose main function is to create the null field point that allows the removal of helium ash from the plasma.

A team of experienced engineers from Institute of Plasma Physics, CAS (ASIPP) was working on site to help this equipment locate in place. As one of the contactors of ITER, ASIPP has sent many groups of experts in the past years, contributing their efforts on this most ambitious international scientific project.

According to Alessandro Bonito-Oliva, the Magnets Programme Manager at the European Domestic Agency Fusion for Energy, it's "collective achievement of Europe and China, working together with the ITER Organization to manufacture a first-of-a-kind component that presented a number of technical and organizational challenges."

ASIPP manufactured PF6 coil in China. In Mar. 2020, they transported it to Cadarache, France where ITER is located.  The coil arrived in June after over three months journey on sea.

This first-of-a-king magnet consists of nine twin-shaped wilding pancakes and a series of supporting accessories, measuring 11.2 meters in diameters and weighing roughly 400 tonnes (heavier than two Boeing 747 airplanes). The profile accuracy of the PF6 coil is strictly controlled within ±1.5mm after winding. (Reported by ZHAO Weiwei)

For further informtion to know about PF6 and ITER, please refer to：

Key Component for Fusion Reactor Arrives in France

ITER PF6 Coil Arrives on Site

ITER Project Starts Assembly

The sixth poloidal field superconducting coil successfully sits at the bottom of the tokamak pit (Image from iter.org) 

PF6 is the heaviest of all six superconducting magnet coils of ITER (Image from iter.org)