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Test Blanket Module Program reviewed in November
Luciano Giancarli, Chief Technical Officer of the TBM Program
Test Blanket Module Program reviewed in November
The Test Blanket Module (TBM) Program Committee met for the eighth time in November.
The eighth meeting of the ITER Council Test Blanket Module (TBM) Program Committee took place in Cadarache on 5-6 November to discuss the program's status and to define the short-term steps that need to be performed in order to keep to the present baseline schedule for the TBM Program.
The TBM Program Committee meets twice a year to govern the implementation of TBMs and associated systems in ITER and to report to the ITER Council. Several items are discussed at each meeting such as the status of the TBM-related activities within the ITER Organization, those with the ITER Members, and the status of corresponding milestones.
Following the endorsement of the
generic TBM Arrangement by the ITER Council at its last meeting in June 2012, this eighth meeting focused on the steps that need to be performed within the next few months. The upcoming year will be an important one for the TBM program: the final version of the Preliminary Safety Report for each Test Blanket System (TBS) must be prepared by May 2013, and preparations and negotiations on each of the six specific TBM Arrangements are planned before the end of 2013.
Concerning the specific TBM Arrangements, participants stressed that an estimated six months will be necessary between the reception of the first draft by the ITER Organization and the official signature. Therefore, most draft documents are expected to be received by the ITER Organization by mid-2013.
The TBM Program Committee also discussed the report on the activities of the Test Blanket Program Working Group (TBP-WG) on radwaste that had been established in May 2012 and charged with the elaboration of a potential strategy for radwaste management. The Chair of the Working Group reported on the meetings held within the last few months with Agence ITER France (AIF), the official entity in charge of the future ITER radwaste management on behalf of the Host state France. Some issues have been identified and discussions will continue in the next few months to develop management options. The TBM-PC suggested an evaluation of the feasibility of transporting irradiated materials for Post Irradiation Examination (PIE).
The outcome of the eighth meeting of the Test Blanket Module (TBM) Program Committee was reported to the ITER Council last week.
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