CREATING A SMALL SUN ON EARTH

SPIDERTHE MOST POWERFUL NEGATIVE ION BEAM SOURCE IN THE WORLD

SPIDER – THE MOST POWERFUL NEGATIVE ION BEAM SOURCE IN THE WORLD1

Aerial view of the ITER Tokamak building, where thefusion device will be installed. ITER Construction site,Cadarache, April 2018. „ SNC Engage

The entry points of the ITERNeutral Beam Injectors on thesecond floor of the Bioshield,Tokamak Complex.

SPIDER – THE MOST POWERFUL NEGATIVE ION BEAM SOURCE IN THE WORLD 2

SPIDERa test facility for ITER

Energy is essential for our economic growth and social well-being. It helps usreduce inequalities and avoid conflict when we have enough supply. As we increasein numbers we need more of it but we must make sure it is clean. Lowering ourdependency on fossil fuels to fight climate change is one of the biggest challengesfacing mankind. For this reason, now more than ever, we need a sustainable energymix where fusion can play a role in the future.

ITER is the biggest experiment to test the potentialof fusion energy. China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea,Russia and the USA, are working together to deliverthe most advanced fusion reactor in history.Thousands of scientists, engineers,companies andlaboratories around the world are involved in thisone-of-a kind project, which is under constructionin Cadarache, south of France.

SPIDER (Source for the Production of Ions ofDeuterium Extracted from a Radio frequency plasma)is the most powerful negative ion beam source in theworld. It will operate in the ITER Neutral Beam TestFacility, hosted by Consorzio RFX in Padua.

The goal of SPIDER is to achieve the highperformance levels of the ion source that will beused in ITER. Its contribution is essential towardsthe development of the powerful heating systemsneeded to reach approximately 150 million ˚Callowing the fusion reaction to occur.

The SPIDER facility is the result of a uniqueinternational collaboration between Italy andConsorzio RFX (ENEA, CNR, INFN, University ofPadua, Acciaierie Venete SpA); Fusion for Energy (F4E)and ITER India managing respectively Europe’s andIndia’s contribution to ITER, and ITER Organization,leading the design and oversight, and ultimatelyoperating the ITER device, where the innovationproduced in Padua will see its fullest expression.

The expertise that we will acquire through SPIDERis essential for the realisation of fusion energy.SPIDER will will help us create a small sun on Earth.

Aerial view of ITER Neutral BeamTest Facility, Consorzio RFX,Area of CNR, Padua, Italy.

SPIDER – THE MOST POWERFUL NEGATIVE ION BEAM SOURCE IN THE WORLD3

How SPIDERwill pave the way to fusion energy

The materials that are used in the fusion reaction are deuterium, which can beextracted from seawater, guaranteeing a supply for thousands of years, and tritiumwhich is not available readily but can be created from lithium, which is abundantin the crust of the earth. Deuterium and tritium are heated at extremely hightemperatures in order to fuse and release virtually unlimited energy. The power-horses of the ITER heating systems are two neutral beam injectors, with a third oneas an optional upgrade during operation.

The SPIDER beam source will help scientists todevelop the ion source, one of the critical elementsneeded for the operation of the ITER NeutralBeam Injectors.

A few metres away from SPIDER, another experimentknown as MITICA (Megavolt ITER Injector andConcept Advancement) will develop and test aprototype of the Neutral Beam Injector.

Although neutral beam injection is routinely used forheating the gas in fusion devices, the size ofITER poses a set of challenges: particle beams haveto be more powerful and individual particles have totravel faster to penetrate far into the core of theITER plasma. For this reason, negative ion basedinjectors are developed. The negative ions, whencreated, will be accelerated at 1 MV, a speed that noother neutral beam system has achieved. Onceaccelerated, they will be neutralised before they areinjected into the ITER machine to heat the plasma.

This is the first full-scale ITER ion source, capable ofrunning pulses of up to 3 600 seconds at maximumpower with hydrogen or deuterium. The 6 MWbeam generated for one hour by 1280 powerfulbeamlets is equivalent to the energy required byroughly 1 000 medium apartments in one day.

The realisation and exploitation of the ITER NeutralBeam Test Facility is recognised as a necessary step tomake the operation of the ITER heating neutral beaminjectors efficient and reliable. The knowledge acquiredwill help us to deliver the plasma temperaturesneeded in ITER and potentially in DEMO, thedemonstration fusion power plant that will follow.

Installation ofSPIDERVacuum Vessel.

SPIDER HighVoltage Deck.

SPIDER – THE MOST POWERFUL NEGATIVE ION BEAM SOURCE IN THE WORLD 4

SPIDER

SPIDER – THE MOST POWERFUL NEGATIVE ION BEAM SOURCE IN THE WORLD5

ITER Neutral BeamTest Facility –a tour of the site

SPIDER beam source installedinside the vacuum the vessel with

its vacuum system. The beam source is connected to

the power supply through thetransmission line

(provided by Europe).Beam Dump in the vessel

(provided by India).

Power Supplies System containing:High Voltage Deck

Ion Source and Extraction PowerSupply (provided by Europe),

Acceleration Grid Power Supply(provided by India).

The cooling system of the ITERNeutral Beam Test Facility

(provided by Europe).

MITICA

SPIDER – THE MOST POWERFUL NEGATIVE ION BEAM SOURCE IN THE WORLD 6

MITICA vessel containing the fullscale Neutral Beam Injector

prototype (provided by Europe).

Gas storage tank for MITICACryoplant (provided by Europe).

1 MV gas insulated transmissionline (provided by Japan).

MITICA 1 MV High Voltage Deckcontaining the Ion Source and

Extraction Power Supply(provided by Europe).

On the right, the InsulatingTransformer (provided by Japan).

Five 200 KV DC generator, partof the MITICA AcceleratorPower Supply (provided by

Europe and Japan).

SPIDER – THE MOST POWERFUL NEGATIVE ION BEAM SOURCE IN THE WORLD7

“SPIDER is theresult ofcollaborationbetween technicalteams, companiesand laboratories

that worked for years to get here. Itfelt like putting together a miniITER. In fact, this is the first fullyintegrated ITER system deployingsuccessfully various technologies.Europe has made importanttechnical and financial contributionsto SPIDER because it will help usdevelop the powerful heatingsystems to achieve the superhotplasma of the biggest fusion device.”

Tullio BonicelliNeutral Beam & Electron CyclotronPower Supplies and SourcesProject ManagerFusion for Energy

“I’m very proudthat a firstimportantmilestone has beenreached with theSPIDER operation.

Since the beginning, we’ve beenaware of the Neutral Beam TestFacility’s strategic role and felt theresponsibility to guarantee its successwithin the timeline requested byITER. The international team involvedin this project, placing in Padua itscompetences and resources, isconscious of the crucial goal and isstrongly committed in reaching it.”

Vanni ToigoNeutral Beam Test FacilityProject ManagerConsorzio RFX

“The exemplaryframeworkprovided throughthe ITER project,has ensured therealisation of

SPIDER integration. This facility willlead the research for thedevelopment of the ITER NeutralBeam Injector systems. India conveysits best wishes for the inaugurationof SPIDER, and complimentsConsorzio RFX, the other ITERParties and the Neutral BeamProgramme Committee, for theirefforts in ensuring its successfulintegration and operation.”

Arun K. ChakrabortyDiagnostics Neutral BeamProject ManagerITER India

“The start ofSPIDER initiates usalong the path indemonstrating oneof the mostpowerful heating

systems needed for ITER, whereheating capabilities will exceed thesun core temperatures. WithSPIDER we will develop the ionsource that will one day powerITER. Thanks to the perseveranceand creativity of the scientific andindustrial teams of RFX, Europe,India and the ITER Organization,together, we are moving one stepcloser to generating an artificial sunon Earth to the benefit of all futuregenerations. It is a proud occasionfor all who have played a role in thisimportant milestone.”

Deirdre BoilsonHead of Heating& Current Drive Division ITER Organization

F4E components 34 M EUR

Consorzio RFX 25 M EURinfrastructure

ITER INDIA 3 M EURcomponents

F4E 30 M EUR

Consorzio RFX 32 M EUR

ITER IO 14 M EUR

Third Parties 3 M EUR

SPIDER – THE MOST POWERFUL NEGATIVE ION BEAM SOURCE IN THE WORLD 8

SPIDERan extraordinary international partnership

The most powerful negative ion beam source in the world is the result of collaborationbetween several Parties:

Italy andConsorzio RFXhave provided the facility,the industrial base, andmost of the personnel.Consorzio RFX isresponsible for thescientific exploitationof the experiment.

Fusion for Energy(F4E), has procured,financed and overviewedmost of the componentsby drawing on theexpertise of Europeanindustry and researchorganisations.

ITER India hascontributed in terms ofequipment.

ITER Organization,as the chief client forSPIDER, has led itsdesign and oversight,aiming to apply theknowhow that will begenerated to the ITERmachine.

SPIDER Components andConstruction (2012-2018)

R&D for ITER Neutral BeamTest Facility (2012-2018)

62MillionEUR

20Main

Contractors

100Sub

Contractors

SPIDER – THE MOST POWERFUL NEGATIVE ION BEAM SOURCE IN THE WORLD9

SPIDERconnecting research, business and technology

To push forward our knowledge boundaries in order to acquire further technicalexpertise in the field of fusion energy, SPIDER promoted the collaboration betweenthe R&D and business sectors. The former was responsible for designing the equipmentthat it will have to operate; the latter was entrusted with the manufacturing of itscomponents. By working together this experiment has come to life and has earnedConsorzio RFX the prestigious status of an ITER facility.

SPIDER has generated a wave of economic activityby involving directly at least 20 companies, themajority being small-medium enterprises, from theareas of power supplies, electronics, vacuumtechnology, cryogenics, mechanical engineering andconstruction. The value of contracts signed in thefields of manufacturing and construction is in the

range of 62 M EUR, without taking into account thedirect and indirect investment in R&D. Throughtheir participation, companies gained insight intoITER and were given the incentive to grow andemploy, re-train and retain workforces. Theirassociation to this technologically-advanced testbed is part of their legacy.

“Thales is very proud to havedelivered the SPIDER beam sourceand to have contributed to theheating sources that will be used toraise the temperature of the ITERplasma. The finalisation of this

component has been possible thanks to the highcompetency and motivation of the teams, because insuch “state of the art” project, the difficulties we mayface are unknown. SPIDER has been a success andThales is very thankful to its partners Galvano-T,Cecom, Zanon and to F4E, Consorzio RFX and ITEROrganization for the great spirit of collaboration inwhich this project has been achieved.”

Charles-Antoine GoffinThales DefSI and Transformation Director

SPIDER – THE MOST POWERFUL NEGATIVE ION BEAM SOURCE IN THE WORLD 10

“Contributing tothe SPIDER facility,as part of theITER project, hasbeen an excitingchallenge. It

motivated us to offer all ourtechnical and project managementskills. It has been a very demandingjob making everyone in ourcompany proud to be part of it.”

Giuseppe TaddiaOCEM PE General Manager

“Because of ourcollaboration withF4E we had theopportunity todeliver a large-scale plant and

address technical challenges with ateam of experienced people, inorder to harness fusion – a newsustainable energy.”

Giorgio BiginelliDelta-Ti-impianti CEO

“ECIL is proud tohave collaboratedwith ITER-Indiaand is happy thatthe SPIDER, whoseAcceleration Grid

Power Supply was delivered by ECIL, is being inaugurated foroperation at Neutron Beam TestFacility (NBTF).”

Debashis DasChairman and Managing Director,Electronics Corporation of India Limited

“It has been achallengingexperience todeliver novelmulti-secondarytransformers for

SP-AGPS at the SPIDER facility, westretched our limits to satisfy thedemand.”

Jitendra Mamtora Chairman and Director, Transformersand Rectifiers (India) Limited

“This project hasmeant a lot for us,not only in termsof business but alsoin terms of passion,prestige and know-

how. We're very proud to have beenpart of it.”

Fabio MunarettoGemmo Livio & Figli srl

“Our involvementin SPIDER has beena great experiencewith emphasis onlearning anddelivering the

supply of Amtech converters for theAcceleration Grid Power Supply. Ourequipment was successfully integratedachieving the desirable performance.”

Piyush Patel Managing Director, Amtech Electronics(India) Ltd

“Thanks to theinvolvement ofAngelantoni TestTechnologies inthe ITER project,our company was

able to improve its technical andmanagement knowhow. We havebeen given fresh businessopportunities and the possibility todevelop new partnerships.”

Mauro MargheritaAngelantoni Test TechnologiesGeneral Manager

“We are reallyproud to havecontributed tosuch an innovativeand strategicproject for the

development of safe, clean andalmost unlimited energy.Collaborating with F4E has beenvery interesting as well as a greatopportunity for technical growth.”

Giovanni FaoroCOELME Project Manager for SPIDERHigh Voltage Deck & Transmission Line

“The cooperationwith RFX for therealisation of theSPIDER projecthas been a greatopportunity for

our technical growth. Thisexperience confirmed once againour propensity to research and thedevelopment of new solutions.”

Luigi BerleseTreesse General Manager

“Working withITER-India forSPIDER leveledour strongexpertise in hightech components

up to the large scale of ITER.”

Christian EckardtPVA TePla Manager Research Devices

SPIDER

For further information

Consorzio RFXwww.igi.cnr.itE-mail: relazioniesterne@igi.cnr.it

F4Ewww.f4e.europa.euE-mail: info@f4e.europa.eu

ITER INDIAwww.iter-india.org

ITER Organizationwww.iter.orgE-mail: itercommunications@iter.org