Speaker
Description
Remountable joints for large scale superconducting magnets are of considerable interest, particularly for fusion, as they open the possibility of new advantageous maintenance regimes. Developing this low maturity technology to the point of deployment on full scale tokamak magnets requires a host of specialised hardware test campaigns that inform design choices and prove out components under operation and maintenance regimes. To fulfil this need for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) and the wider fusion community, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is developing and building a user facility for testing of remountable magnet joints and subsystems under representative conditions. This work explains the rationale for the test facilities before providing an overview of the development process and capabilities of the existing rigs. Planned upgrades to the rigs, as well as completely new rigs are discussed. Based on these activities, UKAEA will provide the infrastructure to develop the STEP remountable joints in line with the programme’s proposed technology roadmap. In addition, the wider fusion and magnet community will benefit from the existence of an R&D hub, accessible to researchers external to UKAEA.
