Key Components of the ITER Magnet Feeders

Abstract

Now that ITER is entering construction, many of its systems are in the final stages of design and analysis. Among them the 31 feeders, which will be supplied in-kind by the Chinese ITER partner. The feeders supply the electrical power and cryogens through the warm-cold barrier to the ITER superconducting magnet systems. They are complex systems with their independent cryostats and thermal shields, densely packed with many components, such as the current feeds, the cryogenic valves and High-Voltage (HV) instrumentation hardware. Some of the feeder components are particularly critical and have been designed with great care. Among them the High-Temperature Superconductor (HTS) current leads, designed for unprecedented currents, the 30 kV class, Paschen-hard HV insulation and the bus bar support system, designed to react the multi-ton Lorentz-forces from the bus bars at minimal heat load. This paper discusses the design challenges for these (and other) key components of the ITER magnet feeders.