GEMS-ENGINEERING.COM - Completed projects

Completed projects

The ITER device, currently under construction in the south of France, will study the potential of controlled nuclear fusion to provide energy for mankind. In order to study the behaviour of this device, a set of monitoring systems (referred to as Diagnostics) is required. These Diagnostics will provide the information required to understand the performance of the device.

GEMS Engineering is deeply involved in and fully devoted to the success of the ITER project. As a result, our main reference works are in connection with ITER, and - more closely - to its diagnostic systems.

Manufacturing and delivery of in-sleeve supports for 55.C4 + 55.G8 diagnostic subsytems

In-sleeve support for 55.C4 + 55.G8 diagnostic subsytems.

We have manufactured - according to strictest ITER requirements - two in-sleeve supports for 55.C4 + 55.G8 diagnostic subsytems. This included the construction of two stainless steel in-sleeve support structures for 55.C4 +55.G8 transmission lines. The transmission lines cross the Tokamak building external walls at B1 level. The support and the transmission lines are installed by inserting the support through the rectangular sleeve pre-installed in the open and back filled.

The transmission lines comprise four rectangular stainless steel pipes with 200x100mm section, running from tokamak to diagnostic building.

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Components installed!

[28 June 2022] After the delivery of the two stainless steel structures, manufactured by GEMS Engineering, the first ever Hungarian ITER components have finally been installed into the machine. These structures are part of two key diagnostic systems of the machine - the divertor Thompon scattering and the erosion deposition monitor. From these two the EDM is the first diagnostic system of ITER which is being designed and will be manufactured completely by Hungarian companies.

Alignment jigs for mounting the outer vessel steady state sensors of the ITER fusion reactor

Induction heating of the bolt samples. A total of 15000 thermal cycles were performed between 100 and 200 °C

GEMS Engineering Ltd. has become the first ever Hungarian private company, that has supplied components to be used for the assembly of the ITER fusion reactor.

The ITER machine will be used for scientific-technological purposes, to help the engineers and scientists know how the fusion plasma behaves at large scales. For this reason, one of the most important components of this huge machine are the small magnetic diagnostic sensors which will need to be perfectly mounted to have accurate signals from them before, during, and after the plasma pulses. GEMS Engineering Ltd. won the contract for the design and manufacturing of jigs for the alignment of the tangential and normal outer vessel steady state magnetic sensors in three sectors (2, 5 and 8). GEMS produced 10 pieces of jigs which would be used to accurately set-up all the 60 sensors. These jigs will “only” be used for aligning the sensors and they will be removed thereafter, in order not to contaminate the components that remain attached to the vacuum vessel. During the manufacturing, exclusively certified stainless steel and bronze raw materials were allowed to be used.

Latest news

Jigs for the alignment of the tangential and normal outer vessel steady state magnetic sensors

Project completed!

[11 January 2022] The jigs were shipped to the ITER Organization to Cadarache, France in mid-January 2022 and they will be used for mounting of the sensors from April onwards.

[learn more about project]

Tests of locking mechanisms for ITER

Induction heating of the bolt samples. A total of 15000 thermal cycles were performed between 100 and 200 °C

Different kinds of fasteners are used in ITER for the fixation of functional and structural in-vessel diagnostic components. The fasteners should retain initial tightening preload in vacuum under neutronic irradiation, thermal cycling and vibrations. These conditions can lead to incidental unscrewing of some bolts and nuts if they are not locked properly. They shall be equipped with some locking features which in most cases shall be remote handling compatible. One of the candidates on a role of a locking mechanism is Spiralock type thread. Custom designed so called First Wall Samples (CuCrZr) with M16 fine thread and standard M8 bolts (316L) were the subject of our studies. ITER-like thermal cycling alternating with vibration tests were applied to the components. Fasteners' loosening was monitored via periodic torque audits. For comparison with the Spiralock thread, tests with normal metric threads were also performed under the same experimental conditions.