Status of ITER magnet design and model coils

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Final Design Report (FDR) of July 1998 provided a comprehensive design of the ITER facility. Although this design fulfilled all its initial objectives, including cost, the financial constraints among the ITER Parties led to the decision that a cost reduction of about 50% is required and should be achieved by a reduction in machine size anti more limited performance objectives. The new machine design under consideration is not only smaller in size, but also puts more emphasis on plasma configurations which are more elongated and have higher triangularity. These new requirements have led to some design changes. One major change is the structural arrangement of the magnets, where the toroidal field (TF) coils are no longer bucked on the central solenoid (CS), but wedged on themselves. The ITER magnet R&D program is focused on the manufacture and testing of two model coils. The CS model coil (CSMC) manufacture has been completed and installation for testing is well underway. The TF model coil (TFMC) manufacture is expected to be completed in early 2000. The main results of the model coil tests will be available by the end of the year 2000.