ITER - THE FIRST EXPERIMENTAL FUSION-REACTOR

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project is a multiphased project, at present proceeding under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency according to the terms of a four-party agreement between the European Atomic Energy Community, the Government of Japan, the Government of the USA and the Government of Russia (''the parties''). The project is based on the tokamak, a Russian invention which has been brought to a high level of development and progress in all major fusion programs throughout the world. The objective of ITER is to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy for commercial energy production and to test technologies for a demonstration fusion power plant. During the extended performance phase of ITER, it will demonstrate the characteristics of a fusion power plant, producing more than 1500 MW of fusion power. The objective of the engineering design activity (EDA) phase is to produce a detailed, complete and fully integrated engineering design of ITER and all technical data necessary for the future decision on the construction of ITER. The ITER device will be a major step from present fusion experiments and will encompass all the major elements required for a fusion reactor. It will also require the development and the implementation of major new components and technologies. The inside surface of the plasma containment chamber will be designed to withstand temperature of up to 500 degrees C, although normal operating temperatures will be substantially lower. Materials will have to be carefully chosen to withstand these temperatures, and a high neutron flux. In addition, other components of the device will be composed of state-of-the-art metal alloys, ceramics and composites, many of which are now in the early stage of development of testing. The main systems of ITER are the superconducting magnet coils and their support, the vacuum vessel and the shield-blanket, the heating and fueling systems, the cryostat, the power supplies and the buildings. During operation the ITER device will sustain a controlled fusion burn for periods of more than 1000 s. Numerous components, experimental packages and test modules will have to be remotely installed and removed from the ITER device in order to test materials properties, component characteristics and material lifetimes. The status of the ITER design as of July 1994 is presented below.