ITER(International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), is an international cooperation development which aims for proving the possibility of electricity generation by nuclear fusion. Scientists always paid attention to the potential that nuclear fusion has. Because of its efficiency and safety, it was considered as a promising alternative for the prevailing energy generation methods(Thermal, nuclear fission, etc…). Even though it is not coming to our lives because of lacking in technology, active research is being progressed and ITER is one of them.
South Korea has been running its own experimental reactor called KSTAR which provided lots of data about thermonuclear reactor manufacturing. The superconductor material that is planned to be used in ITER, Nb3Sn(Niobium-tin), is chosen because KSTAR used that material for the superconductor timber. Plasma controller coil is planned to be placed inside the vacuum vessel which also adapted the
After KSTAR’s significant contribution to the manufacturing of the ITER, South Korea recently made another significant contribution to ITER which is the manufacturing of the first poloidal segment of vacuum vessel, sector #6. This is the first sector completed among the nine sectors of the vacuum vessel which is a significant part of ITER because it can keep the high vacuum condition which is necessary for the maintaining of the plasma state in which the nuclear fusion takes place. Hyundai Heavy Industry is now in charge of four sectors among the nine sectors of the vacuum vessel whilst EU is in charge of the other five sectors. The manufacturing requires the most difficult technical challenges for the perfect vacuum state. Therefore, it requires consideration of uncertainty within only a few millimetres. If the remaining three sectors, which Hyundai is responsible for, are manufactured successfully, the engineering industry of South Korea will be greatly appreciated by the global society.
