JT-60SA cryostat vessel body now on-site in Japan

After a sea journey which lasted around 40 days from Aviles, Spain, to the Japanese port of Hitachi, JT-60SA’s cryostat vessel body is now at the Naka site. The 12 sectors arrived together with an 11 metres long lifting beam, an ad hoc manufactured lifting frame, other lifting equipment and the spare steel material. 
The cryostat vessel body works as a large containment vessel which will enclose all core JT-60SA components. It consists of 4 individual upper sectors (with a height of around 4 metres) and 8 individual lower sectors (with a height of about 7 metres) which have each been separately positioned and precisely adjusted to form a cylindrical shape which measures about 14 metres in diameter. The cryostat vessel body will provide a thermal insulation and vacuum around the magnet components within the machine in order to ensure that they stay at the cryogenic temperature necessary (at 4 Kelvin) for their superconducting functions.  
Made up of 36 packages and two lifting devices, together weighing a total of 322 tonnes, the delivery from Europe to Japan was carried out by French company DAHER on behalf of F4E. All delivery pieces were inspected following arrival in Hitachi and as no damage was identified, the packages were released for road transportation to Naka.

“We are both happy and proud that this vital piece of JT-60SA has now arrived safely on-site and several months ahead of its final assembly date”, says Antonino Cardella, F4E’s Technical Officer who supervised the whole transport operation for Europe’s. “This is the successful result of hard work and excellent team-work between F4E, CIEMAT and our European partners, as well as our Japanese colleagues”.