ITER

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The major international fusion programmes - Europe, Japan, Russian Federation - co-operate in the ITER project for the planning of an International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The ITER is intended to demonstrate that it is physically and technically possible to simulate on earth the energy generation of the sun and to obtain energy by nuclear fusion. ITER is intended to create long-term energy-delivering plasma for the first time. The currently unique scientific co-operation was initiated in 1985. The planning work commenced in spring 1988 with the Max-Planck Institute for Plasma Physics as the host laboratory. About 240 persons from all over the world were involved in the detailed planning which begun in July 1992. In 1998, the final report was passed to the four ITER partners. Following the approval of the report, a sufficient planning base was available from a scientific and technical point of view to decide on construction of the plant. In 1998 the USA withdrew from the project. The remaining partners decided to review the ITER draft with a view to cost saving. The cost-reduced draft was approved in January 2000. The planning work based on the preliminary draft is to be completed by mid-2001. Approximately ten years after the planning permission ITER would be able to generate the first plasma. The ITER is planned as a fusion plant of the Tokamak type; its data are (as of 2000):

- Total radius:	10.7 metres,
- Height:	15 metres,
- Plasma radius:	6.2 metres,
- Plasma volume:	837 cubic metres,
- Magnetic field:	5,3 teslas,
- Maximum plasma flow:	15 megaamperes,
- Heating output:	73 megawatts,
- Fusion output:	500 megawatts,
- Medium temperature:	100 million degrees,
- Burning period:	> 400 seconds.

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