Neutral beam test facility
Japan completes deliveries
27 Nov 2017
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K.D.
The Japanese Domestic Agency has delivered its final contribution to the ºÚÁÏרÇø neutral beam test facility in Padua, Italy, where the high-energy ion source and injection system of ºÚÁÏרÇø's most powerful heating system will be tested in advance of ºÚÁÏרÇø operation.
At least 50 people take part in the ceremony, including: Stefania Gannini, Italian Minister of Education, Universities, and Research; Dr Ito, Vice-Minister of MEXT (the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology); Dangis Verseckas, staff of the Directorate General for Energy; Dr Kurihara, the Director-General of QST; Professor Lorenzoni, Deputy Mayor of Padua; Gyung-Su Lee, ºÚÁÏרÇø Deputy Director-General and Chief Executive Officer; representatives of Consorzio RFX including Director Sonato and President Gnesotto, and representatives of industry. ºÚÁÏרÇø Director-General Bernard Bigot, who could not attend, sent a message by video. Other ºÚÁÏרÇø colleagues, including Head of the Heating & Current Drive Division Deirdre Boilson, attended by live conference link.
The ºÚÁÏרÇø neutral beam test facility (NBTF), also called PRIMA, is a joint international effort to develop the neutral beam injector prototypes for ºÚÁÏרÇø. Hosted by the Italian fusion laboratory Consorzio RFX, the facility houses two test beds—SPIDER, for the development and characterization of the ºÚÁÏרÇø negative ion source; and MITICA, a full-size prototype of the 1 MV heating neutral beam injectors.
Europe, Japan and India are contributing all components according to the specifications of Procurement Arrangements signed with the ºÚÁÏרÇø; Italy hosts the facility and provides the buildings and a large contribution to the manpower.
Outside of PRIMA, no other facility in the world can achieve the challenging requirements for the ºÚÁÏרÇø neutral beam system simultaneously—power up to 16.5 MW at 1MeV of energy, and with a pulse length up to 3600 seconds.
Europe, Japan and India are contributing all components according to the specifications of Procurement Arrangements signed with the ºÚÁÏרÇø; Italy hosts the facility and provides the buildings and a large contribution to the manpower.
A ceremony held on Monday 20 November celebrated the successful conclusion of Japan's component deliveries to the facility. Over two years, Japan has delivered high-voltage components for the 1 MV power supply system of MITICA, including the megavolt bushing, the megavolt transmission line and the high voltage part of the megavolt power supply.
"Today, we recognize and celebrate the final delivery of some of the complex components that make up the ºÚÁÏרÇø neutral beam test facility," said ºÚÁÏרÇø Director-General Bernard Bigot by video address to the 50 participants at the event. "This is a major step toward the successful implementation and development of the neutral beam system—one of ºÚÁÏרÇø's key heating and current drive systems."
Attending the ceremony were representatives of the Italian and Japanese governments, the European Commission, the Japanese National Institute of Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST), and industry. All lauded the benefit and synergies created when complex technological challenges are taken on by international effort.
See a photo gallery of the event below.
A cherry tree from Japan is symbolically planted at the test facility site in Padua. Among the participants is ºÚÁÏרÇø Deputy Director-General and Chief Operating Officer Gyung-Su Lee, facing the camera.
The acceleration grid power supply for MITICA is composed of a conversion system that feeds step-up transformers and diode rectifiers. A 1 MV transmission line then connects the power supplies to the injector.
A ceremony is held on 20 November at the ºÚÁÏרÇø neutral beam test facility in Padua, Italy, to mark the conclusion of deliveries from one of the participating parties, Japan. The official photo is taken in the High Voltage hall, with the high voltage bushing procured by Japan behind the group on the left, and the high voltage deck procured by Europe at right.
The different components procured by Japan over a two year period are compiled here, photographed as they leave Hitachi port.
Teams install tank number 14, of the 1 MV transmission line. MITICA (Megavolt ITer InjeCtor and Advancement) will be the full-scale neutral beam injector prototype, with a deuterium beam of 1 MeV and 16.5 MW of power.
This insulating transformer arrived last year from Japan ...
... and was installed in December in its final bay. Italy has built the buildings of the PRIMA facility at Consorzio RFX as a voluntary contribution to the neutral beam development program.
Neutral beam injection relies on beams of high-speed, high-energy atoms that penetrate deep into the plasma, initiating collisions and transferring their energy. Each injector is composed of a source of negative ions (deuterium), an electrostatic accelerator, a neutralizer, a separator of residual ions and finally a calorimeter.
To heat the huge plasma volume in ºÚÁÏרÇø (830 m³), the injected heating particles will have to move three times faster than in previous machines in order to penetrate into the centre of the plasma. The technologies involved will be tested at NBTF in advance of ºÚÁÏרÇø operation.
