Expected in early May
Another 440-tonne sector of the vacuum vessel is travelling to ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. It will be the sixth (of nine) to reach the worksite.
Some of the comings and goings of components through the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ gates are routine; others are spectacular. Vacuum vessel sectors contained in their protective housing fall into the latter category and in just a few weeks, the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Organization will be receiving another one—sector #4 from the European Domestic Agency.
The sectors do not arrive in numerical order. After sectors #6, #7, #8, and #1 from Korea, and sector #5 from Europe, sector #4 will be the sixth large sub-element of the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ vacuum vessel to reach the ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ site. At ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, once they have been unpacked and controlled, a number of sub-assembly operations are carried out—for example, the integration of some diagnostic components. Then in turn, when space exists in one of the large standing tools in the Assembly Hall, the real creation of a vacuum vessel "sector module" can begin. Thermal shield panels are rotated over the sector surfaces and attached, and two D-shaped toroidal field coils are mounted. Only then can the assembly be transferred to the tokamak pit.
An example of that spectacular operation took place just a few weeks ago and must be repeated eight other times.