Author: Alfredo Portone

On 14th-15th May, the Energy Group (EG) of the European Physical Society met in Cadarache (France) for its annual meeting that, this year, was celebrated at the Cadarache Château just next to the chantier of the largest nuclear fusion experiment under construction: the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

On 14th May, 19 EPS members gathered at the Cadarache Château to visit the ITER site located nearby. After a brief lunch at the ITER canteen the group was briefed by three members of the ITER Staff about the project, its key features, and the visit highlights.

The group first visited the Assembly Hall where the main reactor components are pre-assembled prior to their transport inside the neighbouring tokamak pit for final assembly. The assembly hall is just overwhelming for its dimensions and amount of high-tech equipment it contains. Two superconducting Toroidal Field coils were located on the pre-assembly station together with one of the nine 40-deg vacuum vessel sector. Similarly, in the Central Solenoid area of the hall, 2 modules of the CS coils stack were also being assembled.

Then the group moved to the tokamak pit where the final tokamak will be located and where the actual fusion experiments will take place. The pit is less impressive but far more important for the final function it will play. This is a higher quality clear area that will be soon very crowded by hosting an increasingly large number of components that will be finally assembled inside it. At present only the 2 lowermost Poloidal Field (PF) coils (PF5 and PF6) are installed down inside the pit.

Following the visit, at 5 PM the group returned to the Château where the workshop started to focus on four main themes: (a) critical issues associated to the present EU de-carbonization plans ( “energy trilemma”), (b) developments in the field of energy production and optimization (fission, fusion, energy storage, etc.), (c) impact of global warming on society, for example in terms of natural disasters and (d) contribution of EPS to the discussion on energy matters within the EU institutions.

Regarding this last point, the presence of Prof. Mairi Sakellariadou (new EPS President) was particularly appreciated. Indeed, Mairi presented her views on the priorities and goals that the EPS-EG should be focussing on in such dialogue with the EU Institutions. She also showed a strong interest in following up regularly our group activities.

The group of participants at the ITER HQ ready to visit the ITER construction platform.  

The ITER tokamak building

The ITER Assembly Hall

The ITER Assembly Hall: the TF-vessel assembly area (left) and CS assembly area (right).
Inside the ITER Assembly Hall: 2 (wrapped) TF coil is being mounted on the vacuum vessel sector.

Inside the ITER Assembly Hall: the Central Solenoid coils modules being stacked together.   

Inside the ITER Tokamak Pit: 18 TF coils gravity supports surround the PF6 coil (all wrapped).
The grey central post will be later replaced by the stack of 6 superconducting coils modules (Central Solenoid).

Dinner at the Cadarache Château