First qualification of ITER Toroidal Field Coil conductor jacketing

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has the responsibility to procure 25% of the ITER Toroidal Field Coil conductors as the Japanese Domestic Agency (JADA) in the ITER project. The TF conductor is a circular shaped, cable-in-conduit conductor, composed of a cable and a stainless steel conduit (jacket). The outer diameter and maximum length of the TF conductor are 43.7 mm and 760 m, respectively. JAEA started to produce strand, cables and jacket sections and to construct a conductor manufacturing (jacketing) facility in 2008. Following preparation in December 2009 of the jacketing facility, the dummy cable, the jacket sections and fabrication procedures, such as welding, cable insertion, compaction and spooling, JAEA manufactured a 760 m long Cu dummy conductor for process qualification. Into the 760 m long Cu dummy conductor jacketing, JAEA successfully inserted the cable with a maximum force of 32 kN. The outer diameter of the cross section of the spooled conductor was 43.7 ± 0.15 mm, which complies with the ITER target requirement of 43.7 ± 0.3 mm. Following qualification of all manufacturing processes, JAEA has started to fabricate superconducting conductors for the TF coils.