Thu, 21 May, 2020
TWI has recently completed a project providing design and engineering support to part of the ITER project in Cadarache, France. Working closely with the ITER team, engineers at TWI provided advice and support with respect to the manufacturing, welding, joining and NDT inspection of parts for the Tokamak assembly. A close working relationship was formed through multiple brainstorming sessions at the site in France as well as through regular correspondence and electronic meetings. As part of the project a number of key technical challenges were assessed, including:
- Ability to machine parts, including alternative manufacturing options and suppliers
- Assessment of welding and fabrication requirements
- Ability to apply non-destructive testing
- Relevant codes and standards
Through an iterative development process, the overall design concept was finalised, allowing the team at ITER to identify critical components and manufacturing activities that will be progressed to testing via mock ups.
