Six Central Solenoid modules in the fabrication process. The first module is located on the far right. (Image Credit: General Atomics)
General Atomics announced that the Central Solenoid's first module is heading to France after ten years of design and development. The world's most powerful magnet is a key component of ITER, a machine replicating the sun's fusion power, currently being built by a 35-national international coalition. The goal is to generate nuclear fusion power on a large scale, resulting in a zero-emissions energy source that runs for millions of years. As it stands now, ITER is nearly 75% complete. Gigantic components, which form the Tokamak, arrived in France over the past 15 months.
The Central Solenoid, an electromagnet in the middle of a tokamak, contains six modules once assembled. It's expected to stand at 18 meters tall with a width of 4.25 meters, weighing a thousand tons. Deuterium and tritium gas heat up inside a vacuum chamber until they're ten times hotter than the sun's core. Then, they're transformed into iodized plasma, where the fusion reaction combines atomic nuclei, generating large amounts of energy. The magnets hold the plasma in a specific shape while releasing extremely high-energy neutrons that are produced in the process. These ping into the chamber's walls and deliver electricity outward. Some react with lithium, creating more fuel.
Schematic showing the Central Selanoid (blue/yellow) in the Tokamak. It drives plasma current to produce fusion. (Image Credit: General Atomics)
The Central Solenoid is extremely powerful. Its magnetic force provides enough strength to lift an aircraft carrier two meters off the ground. The core can achieve a magnetic field strength of 13 Tesla, an impressive feat considering that it's 280,000 times more powerful than the earth's magnetic field. The Central Solenoid's support structures must withstand forces that are twice the thrust of the space shuttle's lift-off.
Earlier this year, the company finished testing the first Central Solenoid module. It was strapped onto a heavy transport truck heading to Houston. From there, it's placed on a vessel to be transported to southern France. This massive magnetic structure plays a key role in ITER's goal to demonstrate fusion energy as a safe, reliable, and long-lasting source of clean, zero-emissions energy.
"This project ranks among the largest, most complex and demanding magnet programs ever undertaken," says John Smith, GA's Director of Engineering and Projects. "I speak for the entire team when I say this is the most important and significant project of our careers. We have all felt the responsibility of working on a job that has the potential to change the world. This is a significant achievement for the GA team and US ITER."
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