Subscribe options

Select your newsletters:

Please enter your email address:

@

Your email address will only be used for the purpose of sending you the ITER Organization publication(s) that you have requested. ITER Organization will not transfer your email address or other personal data to any other party or use it for commercial purposes.

If you change your mind, you can easily unsubscribe by clicking the unsubscribe option at the bottom of an email you've received from ITER Organization.

For more information, see our Privacy policy.

News & Media

Latest ITER Newsline

  • On site | 28 who "truly shined"

    The new ITER Star Awards recognize exemplary performance and commitment. Every year, during the annual assessment campaign, ITER staff may be recognized for exe [...]

    Read more

  • MT-28 Conference | Superconducting magnets as a catalyst

    Many passers-by paused for a moment and picked up their cell phones to capture the scene. It was indeed rare to see dancers on the square outside of the Pavillo [...]

    Read more

  • Fusion world | TCV tokamak turns 30

    The Swiss TCV tokamak (for Tokamak à Configuration Variable, or 'variable configuration' tokamak) has been exploring the physics of nuclear fusion for 30 years [...]

    Read more

  • Image of the week | Port cell with a view

    A visit to ITER would not be complete without a peek into the Tokamak pit where the machine is being progressively assembled. For several years, one of the equa [...]

    Read more

  • Visit | Chinese Minister reaffirms "full support"

    ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi and the Chinese Minister of Science and Technology (MOST) Wang Zhigang share a common academic background. They both tra [...]

    Read more

Of Interest

See archived entries

ITER NEWSLINE -

Construction

Honouring the crown mockup

Medieval stone masons used to engrave their personal mark on the walls and pillars of the cathedrals they contributed to building. Their present-day counterparts, the builders of ITER, did something equivalent last week: with felt-tipped markers in place of chisels, all the men and women involved in the realization of the Tokamak's supporting "crown" scrawled their signature on the smooth concrete of the mockup that had made the crown possible.

Designed to provide the ultimate demonstration of the crown's constructability, the mockup, like the crown it prefigured, was a collective masterwork. (Click to view larger version...)
Designed to provide the ultimate demonstration of the crown's constructability, the mockup, like the crown it prefigured, was a collective masterwork.
Brief but highly symbolic, the event gathered a few dozen personnel from the BIPS Project Team (Building, Infrastructure and Power Supplies), architect-engineer ENGAGE, the ITER Organization, the European Domestic Agency Fusion for Energy and its contractors¹. Like the crown it prefigured, the mockup was a collective masterwork.

The construction of the mockup during the summer of 2017 was made necessary by the complex and strategic nature of the Tokamak's supporting crown. Representing a true-size 40-degree section of the projected structure, the mockup—with a footprint of 50 m² and a height of 3 metres—was to be the ultimate demonstration of the crown's constructability.

Like stone masons in medieval times, the builders of ITER left their personal mark on the collective masterwork. (Click to view larger version...)
Like stone masons in medieval times, the builders of ITER left their personal mark on the collective masterwork.
In his address to the small audience, Director-General Bigot stressed its importance in the successful realization of the crown—a challenging structure characterized by unique geometry, high-density steel reinforcement and high-performance concrete.

The crown was successfully finalized last autumn, and the mockup's mission has been fulfilled. Because space on the ITER platform is always scarce it may one day be demolished. In the meantime, it deserved to be honoured for its significant contribution to the project.

¹Tiresia, Energhia, Nuvia, and APAVE (heath and safety).


return to the latest published articles