The ITER project has completed the assembly of its Central Solenoid, a critical component for plasma initiation and confinement, with the recent insertion of the sixth and final module into the tokamak pit in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, France. San Diego-based General Atomics manufactured and tested all six modules under the direction of US ITER, a project office managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The 1,000-ton solenoid, often described as the heart of the ITER machine, is the largest and most powerful pulsed superconducting electromagnet ever constructed. Its completion marks a significant step in the assembly phase of the international fusion energy experiment, moving the project closer to integrated commissioning and eventual first plasma operations. Source: ITER
The Central Solenoid's primary function is to induce a powerful current in the ITER plasma, a key step in heating and stabilizing the deuterium-tritium fuel. When fully assembled and stacked, the solenoid stands 18 meters tall and 4.3 meters in diameter. It is designed to drive 15 million amperes of plasma current and will generate a peak magnetic field of 13 tesla. The system's magnetic energy storage capacity is 5.5 gigajoules, sufficient to lift an aircraft carrier two meters. This immense power is required to initiate the plasma burn and maintain its shape and stability during long-pulse operations, which are central to ITER's mission of demonstrating the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power. Source: ITER
The Central Solenoid's primary function is to induce a powerful current in the ITER plasma, a key step in heating and stabilizing the deuterium-tritium fuel.
Each of the six modules is an independent unit, wound with niobium-tin superconducting cable. The manufacturing process at General Atomics involved precision winding, heat treatment, and extensive testing before the components were shipped from the United States to the ITER site in France. The final module's journey and subsequent installation represent the culmination of a multi-year, international logistics and engineering effort. The successful delivery and assembly of such a complex, first-of-a-kind component validates the distributed manufacturing model employed by the ITER consortium, where member nations contribute hardware rather than just funding. This approach is essential for a project of ITER's scale, which involves 35 collaborating nations. Source: ITER
With the Central Solenoid now fully assembled in the pit, the next phases of tokamak assembly can proceed. This includes the continued installation of vacuum vessel sectors and the thermal shield components that surround the core machine. The completion of this central magnet system is a prerequisite for enclosing the tokamak and beginning the complex process of connecting the myriad of support systems, from cryogenics to power supplies. While the overall project timeline has faced revisions, the installation of major hardware like the Central Solenoid provides tangible evidence of progress toward the ultimate goal of demonstrating a net energy gain from a sustained fusion reaction, a key objective in the global quest for commercial fusion energy. Source: ITER