ITER Project and its Superconducting Coils

The design and development of the International Thermonuclear Experiment Reactor (ITER) have been under way since 1992, based on the international agreement of the Engineering Design Activities (EDA). The design of the main machine and the development of key components were successfully completed by July 2001. The technical specifications of the ITER machine are being prepared for the order of its fabrications in the Coordinated Technical Activities (CTA). The construction of ITER is expected to start by 2005. The ITER machine uses superconducting coils to confine and shape the plasma, and the coil system must be reliably operated to perform the plasma experiment. The system accounts for 28% of the direct ITER capital costs and requires a long manufacturing period (6 years and 6 months). The strand for the superconducting conductor is the first procurement component in the ITER. This paper explains the present design and status of the ITER project and its superconducting coils.