Cryostat Fabrication on Site
However impressive the figures, the finalization of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat was, first and foremost, the product of a convergence of competencies, creativity and dedication. "The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ one-team spirit eventually absorbed all the complexities of the project." said °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Construction Domain Youngeek Jung.
In a 5,000-square-metre workshop on site, the Indian Domestic Agency oversaw the assembly of the sections of the cryostat—a huge vacuum containment vessel that is also the single largest component of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ machine.
Completely surrounding the vacuum vessel and superconducting magnets, the 29 x 29 metre cryostat has two important roles to play—providing a vacuum environment to critical "cold" components (the magnets operating at 4.5 K and thermal shield operating at 80 K), and contributing structural reinforcement by supporting the mass of the machine and transferring horizontal and rotational forces to the radial walls.
The cryostat is a fully welded single wall stainless steel structure with a flat bottom, a rounded lid and wall thicknesses that range from 25 to 200 millimetres. A number of large openings provide access to vacuum vessel ports at three levels; others allow access for coolant pipework, cryo and current feedlines, and remote handling. Advanced welding techniques such as automated, all-position narrow groove gas tungsten arc welding were specially developed for the fabrication of this challenging component.
Manufacturing took place in two stages: the fabrication of 54 segments in India, and their subsequent assembly at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ into four large sections (base, lower cylinder, upper cylinder, top lid). The four sections will finally be installed and welded in the Tokamak Pit.
Assembly at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ
Cryostat segments fabricated in India were progressively shipped between 2015 and 2021 to the Cryostat Workshop on site.
Beginning with the cryostat base—the first cryostat section needed in the Tokamak assembly sequence—and ending with the cryostat lid, the sections were assembled and welded on large assembly frames. These frames acted both as support platforms during the welding activities and as support fixtures that interface with the transport vehicles when the time came to move the completed components out of the workshop.
Using optical metrology techniques and strict dimensional control, operators carefully aligned the segments to be welded. A small team of highly specialized technicians—working singly or in teams (one above, one below)—filled the gaps between each segment with weld material. Given the importance of high vacuum in the cryostat, each weld was verified through a variety of leak detection techniques.
In helium leak detection, one-metre sections of the weld to be verified were "enclosed" within leak-tight boxes positioned on opposite surfaces. Helium injected on one side of the weld is detected—if it has filtered through a crack—by a mass spectrometer on the other side, thereby signalling a leak that must be repaired by grinding out the faulty weld and replacing it.
Three other quality assurance techniques were used: radiographic and ultrasonic testing to detect the presence of flaws that could challenge the structural integrity of the welds, and liquid penetrant testing (LPT) for surface checks.
In total, the Indian Domestic Agency estimates that one kilometre of full penetration weld joints were carried out to exacting standards for the sub-assemblies in the site workshop, to be followed by several hundred metres of weld joints to assemble the cryostat sections in the Tokamak pit.
It took approximately three years (2016 to 2019) to finalize the on-site assembly and welding operations for the cryostat base—a 1,250-tonne component formed from a tier 1 "disk" and a tier 2 vertical ring and pedestal.
The less-complex lower cylinder (375 tonnes) was assembled in two years, and completed in 2019, while the upper cylinder and top lid were completed in 2020 and 2022 respectively. The top lid is considered the most complex of the sections because of its 3D profile.
In May 2020, the 1,250-tonne cryostat base was transferred to the Assembly Hall, lifted by overhead crane, and inserted into the bottom of the Tokamak assembly pit. The lower cryostat went next, in August 2020. The two bottom cryostat sections were fully welded together by Indian Domestic Agency contractors operating directly inside of the pit. The upper cylinder and top lid will remain in storage until they are needed in the assembly sequence.
Cryostat Assembly facts:
- Section assembly: 2016-2022
- Number of segments fabricated in India: 54
- Sections assembled on site: cryostat base, lower cylinder, upper cylinder, top lid
- Length of weld joints for in-workshop assembly (four sections): ~ 1,015 m
- Length of weld lines (passages): 50 km
- Welding wire: 1,500 km (17 tonnes)
- Length of weld joints for in-pit assembly: ~ 390 m
- Diameter of sections: 30 metres
- Weight of each section: base: 1,250 tonnes; lower cylinder: 375 tonnes; upper cylinder: 430 tonnes; lid: 665 tonnes
- Completed sections: lower cylinder, March 2019; cryostat base, June 2019; cryostat upper cylinder, March 2020; cryostat lid, March 2022
- Installed in Tokamak pit: cryostat base, May 2020; cryostat lower cylinder, August 2020
- Procurement responsibility: India
Photo Gallery
Stored outdoors
2023-09-27 - A drone flies over the top lid of the cryostat, which is stored on the platform under layers of protective covering. Photo: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/EJF Riche
Huge
2023-04-06 - As it sat at the far end of the Cryostat Workshop, the top lid certainly felt like a large component. But as it slowly came out of the building amidst the roar of the power packs, it seemed to have dramatically grown in size. The 30-metre-in-diameter, 10-metre-tall load dwarfed everything around it.
900 tonnes of dead weight
2023-04-06 - A heavy duty, 50-centimetre-thick reinforced slab was recently constructed to accommodate the combined load of the top lid, support frame and transport platforms in the last phase of the operation. At approximately 900 tonnes, their total weight is equivalent to that of three Airbus A380s.
6 self-propelled modular transporters
2023-04-06 - Six self-propelled modular transport platforms, each equipped with a 500 HP power pack, worked in unison to move the cryostat top lid (665 tonnes) and its massive support frame.
An unusual vision
2023-04-06 - On its way to the storage location, some 50 metres away from the Cryostat Workshop, the flying saucer-shaped component passes the Cleaning Facility and adjacent Assembly Hall, whose architectural design add a futuristic touch to the scene.
Coordination is the key
2023-04-06 - Success was achieved through the close collaboration the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, global logistics provider DAHER, and transport platform operator Mammoet. The company Cegelec played an important role in designing systems and processes to synchronize the movements of the six individual transport platforms, and risk manager Apave was responsible for the overall safety of the transfer.
Team huddle
2023-04-06 - Coordination and anticipation are key for a successful, smooth and safe operation. As the transport trailer power packs warm up, a last briefing brings together the operators and responsible officers from the dozen companies and organizations involved in the top lid transfer.
Ready to move
2023-04-01 - The Open Doors Day on 1 April was the last occasion to see the cryostat top lid in the Cryostat Workshop; it will be moved to outdoor storage next week.
Cryostat lid storage location
2023-02-20 - In the foreground, an octagonal concrete platform that has been reinforced for the weight of the cryostat top lid and its platform (almost 1,000 tonnes, combined).
Top lid wrapping
2023-02-20 - The top lid needs to be protected for outdoor storage. After two layers of volatile corrosion inhibitor (VCI) material were applied, a thick cover (1.5 tonnes) is being added to ensure appropriate protection. More at: /newsline/-/3844
Monitoring closely
2023-02-15 - Three cameras inside of the wrapping will allow the cryostat team to monitor the state of the component for the duration of its storage outdoors.
In person and through video link...
2022-03-24 - Gathered in the Cryostat Workshop on site or present virtually through a video connection with India, the designers, manufacturers, machining experts, metrology specialists and welders involved in the realization of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat bore testimony to the magnitude and complexity of the international venture.
"Final closing piece"
2022-03-24 - °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Head of Construction Youngeek Jung speaks at a ceremony on 24 March 2022 in the Cryostat Workshop. Speaking of the completed cryostat lid, which has been prepared for storage, he said, "When it next appears, it will be the final closing piece of the largest fusion machine humans have ever dared to build."
Lid completed
2022-03-10 - Approximately one year after work started on the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat top lid, the team has completed the 665-tonne component. Only some cleaning and final verification checks remain.
The most complex of the sections
2022-03-10 - The top lid is also the most structurally complex of the four sections that make up the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat. Curved in three directions like a skull cap, it is strengthened by an array of stiffeners and ribs. Here, from left to right: Dipen Shah, from Indian manufacturer Larsen & Toubro; Guillaume Vitupier, leader of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat group; and Girish Kumar Gupta, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat engineer.
Thanks to ...
2022-03-10 - The steel elements were manufactured by Larsen & Toubro (India) for the Indian Domestic Agency. Welding and assembly were carried out in the Cryostat Workshop by MAN Energy Solutions (Germany). The 665-tonne component will be stored outdoors from October 2022 on in order to make room in this workshop for other machine assembly activities.
Six years of activity come to a close
2022-03-08 - Final checks before the component is handed over to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization late March. The finalization of the top lid concludes six years of work in the Cryostat Workshop for the assembly and welding of the four large °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat sections.
50% of welding finalized
2021-09-22 - Every radial joint must be leak tested on both surfaces of the steel plate (top and underside), a process that takes about two days. 50% of cryostat lid welding has now been finalized.
Like a fire-breathing dragon
2021-09-22 - This plasma-jet cutting tool is performing precise machining on the cryostat lid. The ultra hot (30 000 °C) hydrogen-nitrogen-argon plasma slices through steel like butter.
Plasma cutting tool
2021-09-22 - Precisely aligned, the nozzle of the robot's cutting head delivers a super heated jet of hydrogen-nitrogen-argon plasma.
Top lid welding kicks off
2021-06-07 - The alignment of the twelve 30-degree segments has been confirmed and all preparatory activities completed. The four- to five-month campaign to weld the cryostat top lid begins on 7 June 2021.
First "arc"
2021-06-07 - Two welders from MAN Energy Solutions (subcontractor to India's Larsen & Toubro) work in parallel on opposite sides of the component's "skin" to create the ''first arc'' of the welding campaign.
Top lid taking shape
2021-03-24 - The 665-tonne top lid section is taking shape in the Cryostat Workshop. MAN Energy Solutions (sub-contractor to India's Larsen & Toubro) is in charge of welding. Photo: © Christian Luenig (www.arbeitsblende.de)
Top lid enters stage
2021-03-23 - The top lid will be formed from: 12 lid segments, one centre cylinder and one centre cover. In this photo, welding is performed by a specialist from MAN Energy Solutions (sub-contractor to the Indian firm Larsen & Toubro). © Christian Luenig (www.arbeitsblende.de)
7 segments assembled
2021-03-02 - Seven of 12 segments have been assembled on the work platform—enough for us to appreciate the size and shape of the cryostat top lid.
Top lid segments unveiled
2021-02-09 - Perfectly aligned on the workshop floor, the major elements of the cryostat top lid will soon be positioned inside the supporting frame in the background of this photograph (the central cylinder is hidden by the frame).
12 plus 2
2021-02-09 - Specialists from MAN Energy Solutions (contractor to Larsen & Toubro, cryostat manufacturer) are finalizing the installation of the support frame, prior to starting on assembly and welding. The top lid is composed of 12 triangular segments, plus a central disk and a central lid.
Top lid: start of assembly
2021-02-02 - All of the segents of the cryostat top lid have reached °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ and the Indian Domestic Agency teams in the Cryostat Workshop can begin assembly and welding.
Segments arriving
2021-01-14 - Inside of the Cryostat Workshop, the latest top lid elements to arrive are unpacked.
Final lid segments arriving
2021-01-11 - The last segments of the 665-tonne cryostat lid (including the central disk) have arrived in France.
In the pit
2020-10-15 - Standing inside the Tokamak pit, where the welding of the cryostat lower cylinder to the cryostat base has started. A metrology instrument is visible on the tall pole at left.
Waiting its turn
2020-10-09 - Protected from humidity and the weather, the upper cylinder waits for its turn in the Tokamak pit. © Les Nouveaux Médias/SNC ENGAGE
Two-sided welding
2020-10-07 - Technicians from MAN Energy Solutions (contractor to Larsen & Toubro, the enterprise chosen by the Indian Domestic Agency to manufacture the cryostat) work by pair on the in-pit welding of the cryostat.
The work to come
2020-09-24 - The top lid will be assembled from 12 triangular segments and a central disk.
New segments arrive
2020-09-24 - The first five segments of the cryostat top lid arrived from India this week.
Lift off
2020-08-31 - The 375-tonne component is lifted by overhead crane and delivered to the Tokamak pit on the opposite side of the building.
Successful transfer
2020-08-22 - On 22 August 2020, the lower cylinder travelled the short distance from the Cryostat Workshop to the Assembly Hall.
Second cryostat section ready for insertion
2020-08-22 - The lower cylinder, which had been cocooned on the platform, is now ready for transfer into the Assembly Hall. After some light preparatory activities, it will be ready for assembly into the machine pit.
Top lid elements, ready to ship
2020-06-30 - In India, Larsen & Toubro has finalized all of the elements of the top lid (12 triangular segments plus a central disk). The segments will soon ship to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ for assembly in the Cryostat Workshop.
650-tonne lid, temporarily assembled
2020-06-30 - The segments of the top lid were put together at Larsen & Toubro's Hazira factory for verification, and then disassembled and packed for shipment. This brings cryostat manufacturing to an end for the Indian firm, which signed a contract back in 2012.
Base installed
2020-05-28 - Part one of the cryostat, the 1,250 base, was inserted into the machine assembly pit on 26 May 2020. The operation went as smoothly as planned.
Preparing the base for lifting
2020-05-06 - Standing inside the "dish" of the cryostat base, these employees are involved in the preparations for the "big lift," when the overhead cranes raise this 1,250-load high overhead and then travel to the Tokamak pit. As a preparatory activity, the base will be raised a few centimetres in the week to come.
Not empty for long
2020-04-24 - After the cryostat base and upper cylinder were removed from the Cryostat Workshop in mid-April, the building was empty for one week. Now, one of the machine's 18 toroidal field coils—#12, supplied by the Japanese Domestic Agency—has been moved in so that construction teams can unwrap the component and prepare it for handling and pre-assembly activities.
Leaving home
2020-04-17 - The cryostat base was assembled and welded in the Cryostat Workshop between September 2016 and early 2019. After site acceptance tests, responsibility for the component was transferred to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization for pre-installation works such as the welding of cooling water bellows and skirt supports. Today is the first time the cryostat base will be leaving "home."
Safe in the Assembly Hall
2020-04-17 - The 192 wheels of the self-propelled modular transporter carried the 1,250-base carefully and successfully into the Assembly Hall. After unwrapping and preparatory works, the overhead cranes will enter into action. They were sized for this load—°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's heaviest.
Moved next door
2020-04-17 - On Friday 17 April, the heaviest piece of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ machine—the cryostat base—is transferred into the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Assembly Hall. There, it will be prepared for the May 2020 transfer to the Tokamak Pit, where 18 ball-and-socket joints ("bearings") are waiting to receive its weight.
Second section leaves workshop
2020-04-15 - The double doors of the Cryostat Workshop are open and teams are getting ready to remove the upper cylinder to storage. Its removal will allow the cryostat base to be moved out at the end of this week.
Ready for the weather
2020-04-15 - Further layers of plastic material will be added once the component is settled into the storage area. The synthetic skin that is formed seals the upper cylinder hermetically and protects it from weather, moisture and dust.
Third completed cryostat section
2020-04-15 - The cryostat upper cylinder, assembled in the Cryostat Workshop from 12 segments manufactured in India. It took less than one year to complete.
On many wheels and axles
2020-04-15 - The 430-tonne upper cylinder is cocooned and ready for storage outdoors. The component is transported out of the workshop by self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT).
Sisters
2020-04-15 - Not far from the Cryostat Workshop, two cryostat sections are now stored—the lower cylinder (right, 375 tonnes) and the upper cylinder (left, 430 tonnes).
Upper cylinder assembly accomplished
2020-02-21 - Work on the upper cylinder is complete. The 430-tonne component will soon be cocooned and moved to storage outside the building.
Cleaning operation
2020-02-21 - Before cocooning the component, more than 2,500 square metres of stainless steel must be cleaned using cloth, demineralized water, a standard solvent and ... a lot of elbow grease.
Destination for the base
2020-02-13 - The last activities are underway at the bottom of the Tokamak pit to prepare for the arrival of the 1,250-tonne cryostat base. In the picture, we can distinguish three bearings (ball-and-socket joints) covered in plastic, and the different interface points along the wall.
Cryostat base: grand opening soon
2020-02-13 - The huge cryostat base section will descend from above, supported by the overhead cranes as it is lowered 30 metres to the bottom of the pit.
Last manufacturing tasks in India
2019-11-25 - At the Larsen & Toubro factory in Hazira, India, the elements of the top lid of the cryostat lid are in fabrication. These "pieces" make up the last of four main cryostat sectors (base, lower cylinder, upper cylinder, top lid). They will be shipped to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ for assembly in the Cryostat Workshop.
Upper cylinder advances
2019-10-22 - The assembly of the 430-tonne upper cylinder is underway in India's on-site Cryostat Workshop. Contractors Larsen & Toubro (fabrication and assembly) and MAN Energy Solutions (welding) are in charge of carrying out the assembly activities. Photo: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/EJF Riche
Last details before the big day
2019-10-22 - The completed cryostat base is being prepped for handling and insertion into the Tokamak pit, a spectacular operation that is scheduled for early April 2020. Photo: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/EJF Riche
Inside of the completed base
2019-07-23 - This group is standing inside of the 1,250-tonne base, which will be the first major component installed in the Tokamak Pit next year.
60% complete
2019-07-23 - On 23 July 2019, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Director-General Bernard Bigot, India's Ambassador to France Vinay Mohan Kwatra, and the former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India, Anil Kakodkar, symbolically smash a bottle of French champagne on a large chunk of steel representing the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat. Sixty percent of manufacturing has been completed, and the base and lower cylinder have been accepted by the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization.
Celebrating together
2019-07-23 - The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Director-General is pictured with Praveen Bhatt, Joint General Manager for Larsen & Toubro; India's Ambassador to France, His Excellency Vinay Mohan Kwatra; and °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ's Prabhat Kumar, Deputy to the Site Construction Director.
Gathered for a special celebration
2019-07-23 - A small ceremony in the Cryostat Workshop is held for representatives of all involved parties: the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ India, Larsen & Toubro, and MAN Energy Solutions. In the background, work has begun on the upper cylinder.
The hands-on team from Larsen & Toubro
2019-07-23 - Over its 80 years of existence, Larsen & Toubro Ltd. has built solar and nuclear plants, ports and airports, supertankers and submarines and played a key role is putting into Mars orbit the Mangalyaan space probe. Still, there are challenges in the fabrication of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat that the company had never faced. This young team is at the centre of the cryostat project, including Project Manager Patel Chiarg (third from left).
Capitalizing on lessons learned
2019-07-04 - The assembly and welding of the upper cylinder will follow more or less the pattern of work of the lower cylinder. Lessons learned are already bearing fruit: it took less than two weeks to install the first three segments (out of six) of upper cylinder tier one onto the frame.
Final verifications
2019-07-04 - A specialist from Indian Domestic Agency contractor MAN Energy Solutions is performing a final dimensional inspection on the "holes" that will receive the bolts of the toroidal field coil and vacuum vessel gravity supports. Match up must be close to perfect.
Wraps off
2019-07-04 - Work on the cryostat base has ended. The 1,250-tonne component, which resembles a soup dish, or an upside down hat, will remain in the Cryostat Workshop until required in the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ machine assembly sequence.
Work starts on upper cylinder
2019-07-04 - Several of the upper cylinder's first-tier segments have already been unwrapped and installed on the assembly platform.
Interfacing with the crown
2019-07-04 - This is where the cryostat base will interface with the concrete support crown of the Tokamak Pit and the bioshield inner walls. The protruding steel piece at the centre-right of the image is one of 18 "toroidal lugs" that will lock into the bioshield.
Fore, mid and aft
2019-07-04 - In the foreground, metrologists are completing a survey of the "skirt" of the base; in the middle of the Workshop, segments of the upper cylinder, freshly arrived from India; and in the background, the assembly platform for the upper cylinder.
Work to start to assemble the upper cylinder
2019-07-02 - The assembly platform is in place for the upper cylinder and the first segments have arrived.
Twin underway on the inside
2019-06-19 - Nearly as wide as the building itself this "piece" of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ—the cryostat lower cylinder—was moved outside of the Cryostat Workshop so that its near twin—the upper cylinder—can be aligned and welded. Photo: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/EJF Riche
All lined up
2019-06-18 - These segments have arrived from Larsen & Toubro, India, for the assembly of the upper cylinder. Photo: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/EJF Riche
Upside-down hat
2019-06-18 - The base of the cryostat is shaped like an upside-down hat. The pedestal ring will be supported by the concrete crown at the bottom of the Tokamak Pit and, in turn, the ring will support the rest of the machine. Photo: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/EJF Riche
Under wrap
2019-06-13 - The lower cylinder, as seen from one of the worksite cranes. It has been safely "cocooned" and stored outside of the Cryostat Workshop to wait for its turn in the machine assembly sequence.
Welcome: upper cylinder segments
2019-05-24 - The first upper cylinder segments (tier one) have arrived in the on-site workshop. They were fabricated by Larsen & Toubro in Hazira, India, and shipped by the Indian Domestic Agency.
Unwrapping the new arrivals
2019-05-23 - Through the open doors of the workshop, we see the first unwrapped segment of the upper cylinder (tier one). In the background is the cryostat base.
Upper cylinder: settling into its new home
2019-05-18 - Contractors continue to apply plastic to the cocoon of the lower cylinder. Already, though, it is well protected from the weather.
How to make a giant thermos
2019-05-18 - The Cryostat Workshop was part of the site tour offered to participants of the 14th edition of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Open Doors Day event. Saroj Kumar Jha, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Project Associate from India, provides explanations to the first group of visitors.
Finalizing the cryostat base
2019-04-30 - Final machining works are underway on the cryostat base. Pictured are the interface holes that have been machined in the base for one toroidal field gravity support.
Like clockwork
2019-04-15 - Participating in the transfer operation were members of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization construction teams, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ logistics provider DAHER, transportation specialist Sarens, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ India and its contractor Larsen & Toubro, the European Domestic Agency and its contractor ENGAGE, and MOMENTUM—the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Construction Management-as-Agent contractor.
Lower cylinder transfer
2019-04-15 - On 15 April, the lower cylinder is moved out of the Cryostat Workshop to exterior storage area 73 (out of the picture frame, further to the left), where it will remain until it is time to enter the Cleaning Facility (right) for integration into the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ machine pit.
Coordination for success
2019-04-15 - Anil Kumar Bhardwaj, Cryostat Group Leader, and Patrick Petit, In-Cryostat Assembly Section Leader, watch over the transfer operation. The 12-metre tall, nearly 30-metre-wide component is one of the largest "pieces" of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ machine. It will be stored on the construction platform until required in the assembly sequence.
Careful now
2019-04-15 - Shims are adjusted under every "foot" before the assembly platform is lowered to the ground and the SPMTs are removed. With the successful transfer of the lower cylinder out of the Cryostat Workshop space has been created for the assembly of a new frame to receive the elements of the cryostat upper cylinder, which ship this month from India and are expected in May on site.
Just a short distance to travel
2019-04-15 - The 375-tonne component left the building on its assembly platform, propelled by four multi-axle SPMTs (self propelled modular transporters). Everything went smoothly.
192 wheels
2019-04-12 - A few days before the transfer, transporters were delivered and assembled. Their configuration under the 375-tonne component has been carefully planned.
"Mothballing"
2019-04-05 - Layers of synthetic thermoplastic material are "melted" together through the application of sprayable glue. The technique, called "mothballing," is designed and implemented by Cocoon Holland, a specialist in weatherproof storage solutions.
A cocoon for the cryostat
2019-04-02 - An all-weather protection system is being installed around the lower cylinder, which will move out to storage on the platform in April.
Controlled environment
2019-04-02 - Inside of the cocoon, the enclosed air will be kept constantly circulating and humidity will be maintained at a steady 38 percent—conditions that prevent the formation of corrosion or mould.
Laser mapping
2019-03-14 - The 375-tonne lower cylinder will soon be enveloped in a protective cocoon that will insulate it from dust and humidity. In the meantime, metrology specialists are using 3D laser-scanning techniques to map selected areas where the component will interface with other systems (here, a port for the neutral beam injection system). Based on the precise topography of the "as built" component, the interfaces can be reverse-engineered to fit as precisely as possible.
Windows to the machine
2019-03-14 - The openings in the cryostat correspond to openings in the vacuum vessel. They will permit auxiliary systems (heating, fuelling, cryogenics, diagnostics, vacuum ...) to reach the machine.
Work continues on cryostat base
2019-03-14 - The three parts of the base—lower sandwich structure, vertical shells, and top pedestal ring—are aligned and the last welding activities are underway. The base section should be finalized in July but, contrary to the lower cylinder, the 1,250-tonne base will remain inside the building to be equipped, under the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization's responsibility, with different ancillary elements (stoppers for the gravity supports, shims, bellows, etc.).
Standing tall
2019-03-14 - Representatives of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization, which designed the cryostat and will integrate it into the machine; of the Indian Domestic Agency responsible for its procurement; of Larsen & Toubro which forged the segments; of the German company MAN Energy Solutions which performed assembly and welding gathered on 14 March to mark the completion of the lower cylinder.
Only a veil
2019-03-14 - Scaffolding around the 10-metre-tall, 30-metre-in-diameter lower cylinder has been removed and only a veil remains. Look closely at the size of the group in the centre.
Lower cylinder: surveyed from every angle
2019-03-02 - Metrologists perform the first "as-built" survey of a finalized °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ component.
Lower cylinder: DONE
2019-02-27 - The final tests have been carried out and the 375-tonne can officially be called "completed." Scaffolding will be removed in March.
Well done
2019-02-27 - On 27 February, guests from the Indian Domestic Agency (responsible for procuring the cryostat) and from Indian contractor Larsen & Toubro (L&T) joined the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Director-General, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization staff, and on-site welding specialists from MAN Energy Solutions (subcontractor to L&T) to celebrate the completion of the component.
Back to the base
2018-12-10 - Back in August, the vertical shells had already been trial fitted on the bottom sandwich structure, inspected, and then disassembled for adjustment. One by one, the six segments are being re-positioned for final assembly.
Base: final assembly stages
2018-12-10 - The components of the cryostat base—the 20-metre-in-diameter bottom disk, side shells, and 30-metre-in-diameter pedestal ring—are positioned for final assembly in the Cryostat Workshop. After welding, tests and final machining, site acceptance tests will be carried out in April 2019.
Welding: the name of the game
2018-12-10 - In total, the Indian Domestic Agency estimates that one kilometre of full penetration weld joints will have to be carried out to exacting standards on the four sections of the cryostat in the site workshop, followed by several hundred metres of weld joints to assemble the cryostat sections in the Tokamak Pit. The cryostat chamber must be completely leak free in order to achieve high vacuum within its large volume (8,500 m³).
A generous volume
2018-12-10 - The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Tokamak and superconducting magents will all be contained within the generous volume of the cryostat. The lower cylinder is a ten-metre-tall component that will sit on the cryostat base. The upper cylinder will in turn fit perfectly on the lower cylinder and the entire assembly will be topped off with a lid.
Moving out next year
2018-12-10 - Upon its completion the lower cylinder will be moved out of the Cryostat Workshop to protected storage on site. That will free the assembly platform for the next activity—the assembly of the upper cylinder from steel segments shipped by India.
As we enter 2019 ...
2018-12-10 - The first welding activities on the cryostat base kicked off in 2016. Today the lower tier has been finalized, the pedestal ring is suspended above and, in between, teams are trial fitting the vertical wall segments.
Lower cylinder : ready in March
2018-12-10 - The lower cylinder of the cryostat is well advanced. The last seam welds should be completed in one month, and site acceptance tests are scheduled for March.
A peek into the Cryostat Workshop
2018-11-13 - The lower cylinder of the cryostat is seen through the open doors of the workshop.
Destined for the cryostat
2018-10-24 - Doric or ionic? Neither. What looks like broken columns from a Greek temple are in fact steel ingots, cooling on a bed of black sand inside the Larsen & Toubro foundry in Hazira, India. Weighing 6 to 200 metric tonnes, they are the raw material for the fabrication of cryostat segments.
Last verification
2018-10-23 - Final dimensional inspection is being conducted on an upper cylinder sector for the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat. Seven segments are packed and ready for dispatch; another two are undergoing finishing works and inspections.
Inside Medium Fabrication Shop #4
2018-10-23 - On their way back from lunch, workers at Larsen & Toubro's Hazira faility pass by ongoing works for the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat inside Medium Fabrication Shop #4.
Visiting Larsen & Toubro
2018-10-23 - On 23 October Director-General Bernard Bigot visits Larsen & Toubro's Hazira facility, where the segments of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat are produced.
Drawing to a close
2018-10-23 - A formidable industrial venture that began in 2015 is nearing its end. At the Larsen & Tourbo Hazira manufacturing complex, work is underway on the two last orders the company is filling for the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat: segments of the 430-tonne upper cylinder and 665-tonne top lid.
2018-10-23 - Despite Larsen & Toubro's extensive experience in manufacturing for the nuclear and space industries, new processes and techniques had to be specifically developed for the welding of the cryostat segments. Pictured here: the welding of two segments for the top lid.
A prototype sector for the lid
2018-10-23 - The 655-tonne top lid will be the last of four cryostat sectors to leave the Larsen & Toubro factory (in segments). Before series manufacturing began, a prototype segment was manufactured in order to check potential profile distortions. All 12 top lid segments will be ready for dispatch in the summer of 2019.
Packing is done
2018-10-23 - These tier-two upper cylinder segments are being packed and conditioned for the long journey to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ site. In the on-site Cryostat Workshop, Larsen & Toubro contractors will weld tier-one segments first, then position tier-two segments on top. Upper cylinder segments will begin arriving at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ in March 2019.
Reinforced zone
2018-09-10 - The asphalt in front of the Cryostat Workshop has been reinforced in order to receive the 375-tonne lower cylinder. Once completed this cryostat component will be stored in this exterior area under a protective "cocoon."
A runway for the cryostat
2018-08-10 - A section of runway-worthy tarmac has been completed in front of the Cryostat Workshop, with four times the load-bearing capacity of regular pavement. Other areas will receive the same treatment soon—for example, the road in front of the Cleaning Facility over which all components will pass.
Flying over the base by drone
2018-07-24 - Looking down on the dish-like cryostat base. The lower disk and upper rim are in place, but the vertical side walls were removed for adjustment after inspection.
Lower cylinder
2018-07-24 - 30 metres in diameter, 10 metres in height, 375 tonnes ... and 200 metres of circular and vertical welds. Photo: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/EJF Riche
Disassembled for now
2018-07-24 - The tier-two base pieces were assembled, measured and disassembled for adjustment. Photo: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/EJF Riche
Inspection underway
2018-07-18 - It took approximately four weeks to verify half of the vacuum welds of the lower cylinder. Different specific ultrasonic examination probes are being used by Larsen & Toubro specialists to cover various angles and depth ranges.
On the other side of the shop
2018-07-18 - The 10-metre-tall lower cylinder has been completely assembled and contractors are verifying the welds. This section will be moved out of the facility next year to make room for the assembly of the upper cylinder.
Adjusting
2018-07-18 - Following inspection, the wall segments were disassembled and adjustments are being made with a high-performance plasma torch.
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ—a challenge for science photography
2018-04-23 - During his most recent visit to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ, German photographer Christian Luenig covered the ongoing work on the cryostat. He captured the lower cylinder and base section with their enormous dimensions using a technique called tone mapping which combines multiple exposures with particular contrast and colour adjustments. "Like every visit to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ construction site, it was a real challenge," says Luenig. To see his work on °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ and fusion go to: www.arbeitsblende.de/
©°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/Christian Luenig
Scaffolding
2018-03-27 - Scaffolding is set up on along the inner and outer walls of the lower cylinder, in order to weld from each side simultaneously. ©°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/Christian Luenig
Who is responsible?
2018-03-27 - On the 10-metre-tall upper cylinder two banners are hung: Larsen & Toubro (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ India contractor for manufacturing design, fabrication and assembly) and MAN Diesel & Turbo, Germany (Larsen & Toubro sub-contractor for on-site welding).
©°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/Christian Luenig
Lower cylinder: an artist's view
2018-03-27 - ©°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/Christian Luenig
Lower cylinder, assembled
2018-03-27 - ©°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/Christian Luenig
Welders in action
2018-03-27 - ©°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/Christian Luenig
Good luck!
2018-02-21 - A ceremony is held in the Cryostat Workshop on 21 February to mark the start of welding on the second tier of the lower cylinder. The team is seen here inside the circle of the component breaking a coconut—an Indian tradition to bring good fortune to a new endeavour.
Looking up
2018-02-21 - Standing in the centre of the cryostat lower cylinder, looking up toward the beams of the gantry crane.
New phase for lower cylinder
2018-02-21 - Welding has started on tier two of the lower cylinder. The completed component will measure 10 metres in height and weigh 375 tonnes.
Make way for the neutral beam
2018-02-07 - More than 200 penetrations, some as large as four metres in width, pierce the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat. The one pictured here is for the neutral beam injection system, one of the heating systems that will bring the plasma to the required fusion temperature.
Inside the soup plate
2018-02-07 - The base section of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat resembles a deep soup plate. For the moment however, only the base (where two workers are standing) and the rim are in place. The vertical "walls" to connect the two will be inserted at a later stage in order to provide more flexibility for adjustments.
The size of the pieces
2018-02-07 - Nothing gives a better sense of the size of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ machine than the ongoing works in the Cryostat Workshop, where the the lower cylinder and base section of the cryostat are being assembled and welded under the responsibility of Indian contractor Larsen & Toubro.
Alone in the arena
2018-01-30 - Stacked one upon the other, the two tiers of the cryostat's lower cylinder form a spectacular arena. Ten metres high and 30 metres in diameter, it dwarfs the lone Larsen & Toubro worker standing in the middle. Tier two segments are presently being aligned prior to welding operations. Work should be completed on this 375-tonne cryostat section this summer.
Pedestal welding
2018-01-30 - Twenty-five percent of the pedestal welding is complete. These technicians are watching the progression of the welding robot as it completes a run.
Unpacked in the workshop
2017-12-06 - The first tier-two segments of the lower cylinder have been unpacked in the Cryostat Workshop. These 5-metre-tall segments will be installed on top of the tier-one segments, making a 10-metre-tall component.
Ten metres tall
2017-11-27 - Second-tier elements have been installed and the lower cylinder now measures 10 metres in height. In the foreground are elements stored for the base of the cryostat.
Work begins on the upper part of the base
2017-11-16 - In November, a traditional "coconut ceremony" heralds the start of welding operations on the base section tier two—a 750-tonne sub-component whose pedestal will support the combined mass of the Tokamak and cryostat (23,000 tonnes).
Impressive work, frequent visitors
2017-11-10 - Small groups of visitors to the Cryostat Workshop can be taken out onto tier one of the cryostat base (covered in purple). From there they have a good view on the work to come: welding the tier-two segments, including the heavy rim (shown above their heads here).
Open on an October day
2017-10-17 - Looking out an open door in the Cryostat Workshop.
Act II for the cryostat base
2017-10-12 - Welding on the first part of the cryostat base (seen here wrapped in purple) has been successfully completed. Seen directly above, from the inside, is the rim of the six tier two segments that have been carefully aligned.
Upper rim of the base
2017-10-12 - The upper rim of the cryostat base has been installed over the completed lower disk. Work is underway to carefully align the segments.
A pedestal for the machine
2017-10-12 - When machine assembly is completed, it won't be a worker sitting here, but the Tokamak itself. These pedestal rings (part of tier two of the cryostat base) will support over 20,000 tonnes of dead weight, including the other cryostat sections, the vacuum vessel and magnets. Pictured here, a technician from Larsen & Toubro contractor MAN is taking precise measurements to align the segments of the base section (tier two).
A giant ring
2017-10-12 - In the Cryostat Workshop on site, two sections of the cryostat are now under assembly. Here, the team stands inside the ring of the lower cylinder, tier one (30 metres in diameter). An initial pass of the welding tools has all segments now joined; the second tier segments—en route now from India—will top the first, creating a 10-metre-high structure.
Lower cylinder: waiting for tier two
2017-10-12 - The lower cylinder will weigh 375 tonnes and measure 10 metres in height when tier two is added to tier one. Indian contractor Larsen & Toubro is responsible for the manufacturing design, fabrication and assembly of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat.
The heaviest component
2017-10-12 - The six segments of the cryostat base, tier two, have been removed from storage and positioned on pillars above tier one for alignment and welding. The completed cryostat base will create the heaviest single component of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ machine ... and one that the Assembly Hall cranes have been sized for.
Seen in profile
2017-10-11 - The upper part of the cryostat base is seen here in profile, with its wide rim and its interior curved structure.
A lot of weld material
2017-08-29 - A close-up of the weld gap between two lower cylinder segments. If the camera were to zoom out, we'd see that this V-shape gap is 5 metres high and that there are six welds to realize in total.
A mega component
2017-08-29 - Tier one of the cryostat lower cylinder is now assembled and readied for welding. Standing on the scaffolding of the sub-component, which is 30 metres in diameter, workers appear tiny. (Look closely!)
Being exact
2017-08-29 - In order to reach the required precision in positioning the segments, the most sophisticated technologies alternate with the most basic tools. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat engineer Guillaume Vitupier is seen here next to the manual screw jacks used to fine-tune the segments' alignment.
Hard to see
2017-08-23 - Hidden behind all of the scaffolding is the lower cylinder of the cryostat, tier one. A second tier will bring the lower cylinder's height to 10 metres. Photo: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/EJF Riche
Wow!
2017-08-21 - This group of visitors throws the size of the cryostat lower cylinder into perspective ...
Seen from the outside
2017-08-21 - In this 6,000-square-metre building, Larsen & Toubro (contractor to the Indian Domestic Agency) is charged with the fabrication of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat. Work is underway now on the first two segments, the base and the lower cylinder. Photo: °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization/EJF Riche
Open sesame!
2017-08-17 - The 30-metre doors to the Workshop are open, giving us an original angle on work underway on the lower cylinder (tier one). The finish component will exit these doors.
Carefully now ...
2017-07-07 - Workers from MAN Diesel and Turbo, the German contractor responsible for assembly and welding, carefully manoeuvre one of the six 60-tonne lower cylinder segments into position on the assembly frame. The second-tier segments will come later, creating a 10-metre-tall component.
Dedicated handling tools
2017-07-07 - For Larsen & Toubro, the Indian contractor responsible for the fabrication of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ cryostat, carrying out its contract means not only machining the pieces in India, but also creating a dedicated assembly facility on the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ site and equipping it with specialized handling tools and assembly platforms. Pictured: the lift beam and clamps for positioning the thin-walled segments of the lower cylinder.
Laser and level
2017-07-07 - Tolerance control in the assembly of the 60-tonne segments is achieved using sophisticated laser alignment and metrology equipment ... and also a standard spirit level.
A manhole in a thin wall
2017-07-07 - Relative to the size of the segment, the 50-millimetre thick stainless steel plate appears rather thin. Under the openings in this photo is a an access door that will be used for inspection and maintenance inside the cryostat before the beginning of nuclear operations.
A steel ring pierced with openings
2017-07-07 - A tall steel ring pierced with dozens of openings—some perfectly circular, some rectangular with rounded angles, a few as high and wide as a cathedral door. This is tier one of the cryostat lower cylinder.
A crowded place
2017-07-07 - Cryostat base section at one end, lower cylinder at the other, and storage in between. The 110-metre-long Cryostat Workshop is a crowded and busy place with work progressing in parallel on two main cryostat sections.
Big Foot
2017-07-07 - The assembly platforms are raised so that welders can have access to the underside of the components.
A perfect fit
2017-07-04 - The 60-degree segments of the lower cylinder (tier one) are installed on a tall assembly frame.
Glowing
2017-07-03 - The early sunlight leaves red highlights on the steel components.
Making things just right
2017-07-03 - An optical metrology device is used to verify the alignment of the 60-degree tier 1 segments.
Second assembly frame going up
2017-06-20 - In the Cryostat Workshop, a 10-metre-tall assembly platform is being installed to receive the segments of the lower cylinder.
Working from below
2017-06-13 - A welder from MAN Diesel & Turbo, Germany, works on the underside of the cryostat base.
Resting horizontally, for now
2017-06-09 - Seen resting horizontally, one of the segments of the lower cylinder (tier two) in the Indian factory. Each large opening corresponds to an equivalent opening in the vacuum vessel.
Preparing other segments
2017-06-08 - Back in India, in the Hazira factory of Larsen & Toubro, work is underway on the tier-two segments of the lower cylinder.
Preparing to assemble the next cryostat section
2017-06-01 - In one half of the workshop welding and testing is underway on the base of the cryostat. Now, in the other half, technicians are constructing the assembly platform that will be used for the next segment—the lower cylinder.
Off with the covers
2017-06-01 - For the first time, we see one of the lower cylinder segments without its cover.
Welding the pie
2017-04-27 - Welding is underway on bottom plates that will "close" the base section, tier one. Each of the six ''pie-shaped'' segments of the base has three bottom plates.
Completed disk
2017-04-27 - Seen from above, the completed tier one base section (20 metres in diameter) on its assembly/transport frame.
Standing in wait
2017-04-27 - The elements of lower cylinder tier 1 are stored on, or next to, a second assembly platform. Fabrication is underway in India on the second tier segments..
Arrival in workshop
2017-04-05 - All six segments of the cryostat lower cylinder (tier 1) are now stored in the Cryostat Workshop.
Checking each step in the process
2017-04-04 - The elements of the cryostat machined in India—large and small—are assembled in the on-site workshop by Indian Domestic Agency contractors.
Inside the workshop
2017-04-04 - Behind the technicians a few of the lower cylinder elements are visible, covered in red tarp.
A steel canopy
2017-04-04 - Our photograph went under the cryostat base to snap this shot.
Four more to come
2017-03-13 - Four other lower cylinder segments await transport in Fos-sur-Mer, after arriving from India.
Indian ambassador visits Cryostat Workshop
2017-03-10 - His Excellency Mohan Kumar (second from right), India's Ambassador to France and the Principality of Monaco, makes a stop in the Cryostat Workshop during a visit to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ on 10 March.
Next steps for the cryostat
2017-03-10 - Segments of the cryostat lower cylinder are stored in the Cryostat Workshop.
Another assembly platform to be installed in Workshop
2017-02-28 - Once all six segments of the lower cylinder have arrived and passed inspection, they will be installed on the lower cylinder fabrication frame—the second in the Workshop—to be assembled and welded.
Second assembly frame
2017-02-28 - While welding and testing activities continue on the base of the cryostat, a second assembly platform has been shipped to the Cryostat Workshop for the start of activities on the lower cylinder.
First lower cylinder segments
2017-02-28 - On 28 February, the first element of the lower cylinder arrived on site in the Cryostat Workshop. Five others are stored at the French port of Fos-sur-Mer and will arrive in the weeks to come.
Giant Erector set
2017-02-24 - Cryostat base segments (tier 2) are stored in the Cryostat Workshop until needed for assembly.
Long seams
2017-01-11 - Submerged arc welding is used to close a seven-metre seam on the top plate of the cryostat base. Six of these welds have been completed.
Radiographic testing underway
2016-12-19 - Radiographic testing is underway in the Cryostat Workshop on the first cryostat welds. Here, workers implement lead shielding panels before a testing series begins.
Result quality verified
2016-12-16 - Checking the density of the radiographic testing films.
First films
2016-12-16 - Having a first look at the radiographic testing films.
Test equipment verified
2016-11-22 - Some of the radiographic test equipment is verified before work gets underway. Radiographic testing detects the presence of flaws that could challenge the structural integrity of the welds.
A welding robot
2016-11-07 - Eyes riveted to their control screen, welders from the German firm MAN Diesel & Turbo, contractor to Larsen & Toubro, closely monitor the quality of the welds as a welding robot progresses along the gap between two pedestal plates. The gap is approximately 20 millimetres wide and 200 millimetres deep and requires dozens of "passes" to be filled.
Helium leak testing
2016-11-07 - Specialists in leak detection test the first welds of the cryostat base (tier 1). Metre by metre, each weld will be verified.
Checking for defects
2016-11-07 - In helium leak testing, helium injected into the leak tight box below one metre of weld will be detectable on the other side by mass spectrometer—if a crack exists.
All base pieces have reached the Cryostat Workshop
2016-10-21 - The last segments of the cryostat base—three 120-tonne components for tier-2—were delivered in October.
9,000 km later
2016-10-21 - Loaded at the port of Hazira, on the west coast of India, the last cryostat segments travelled 9,000 km to reach °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ.
A ceremony to perform first
2016-09-08 - Cryostat welding gets off to an auspicious start as °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Director-General Bernard Bigot performs the coconut ceremony that calls on the protection of Ganesh, "Remover of Obstacles."
A multifunctional platform
2016-09-08 - Welding activities kicked off once the different cryostat segments were positioned and aligned on this giant platform. Once the cryostat base is completely assembled, the platform will serve as a transporter.
One you see one you don't
2016-09-08 - Welders work in pairs. For every welder above the 50 millimetre gap that has to be filled by welding there is another one below.
See one, but there may be two!
2016-09-08 - Often the gap between two segments is filled simultaneously by welders working above and below. The minimum weld thickness for the base section is 25 mm.
Welding begins!
2016-09-08 - A ceremony on 8 September marks the beginning of cryostat welding activities. Behind the crowd, a welder awaits on the first tier of the cryostat base.
Preparing for assembly
2016-07-27 - Dimensional checks are carried out on the three cryostat segments already installed on the assembly platform.
Aligning the pieces
2016-07-27 - Six 50-tonne triangular segments form tier 1 of the cryostat base. They are positioned on the assembly frame in the Cryostat Workshop in preparation for welding activities.
First lifts
2016-07-25 - The first elements of the cryostat base are transported by gantry crane on to the assembly platform. Welding activities are scheduled to start in September.
The frame is ready, welding can begin
2016-07-08 - This 34-metre-wide frame will serve as a support platform while the cryostat base segments are welded together. It will also serve as a transport platform when the completed base section travels out of the workshop.
Last of four
2016-06-24 - The cryostat top lid is the last of four cryostat sections to be produced on site in the Cryostat Workshop. It should be completed by the end of 2021. © Christian Luenig (www.arbeitsblende.de)
More in June
2016-06-24 - Three more base section segments have arrived on site. The 60-degree, 120-tonne sections form half of Tier 2 of the cryostat base.
Frame to be assembled
2016-06-16 - 30 x 30 metre steel frames will be used as assembly platforms and transporters for the completed cryostat sections. They first frame segments arrived in June.
Assembly frame arrives in batches
2016-06-16 - Welding activities will take place on large steel frames that act first as assembly platforms and later as support fixtures that interface with the transport vehicles. The frames are arriving in pieces from India for assembly in the Cryostat Workshop.
Full shipment received
2015-12-18 - Some 460 tonnes of components are now stored in the Cryostat Workshop: six 19-tonne shells and six 60° base sections.
Unloaded, delivered, unwrapped...
2015-12-11 - Shaped like so many slices of pie, these three 60° segments are the first pieces of the cryostat to arrive on site.
Final photo opportunity
2015-12-10 - Behind the group is the final section of the cryostat: the 665-tonne top lid, considered to be the most complex of the cryostat sections due to its 3D profile.
With the help of the gantry crane
2015-12-10 - On 10 December 2015, the first cryostat segments were unloaded in the Cryostat Workshop. Each segment weighs close to 50 tonnes.
Part of the cryostat base
2015-12-10 - Procured by India and manufactured at Larsen & Toubro Ltd's Hazira plant, the six 60-degree segments will form Tier 1 (460 tonnes) of the cryostat base (1,250 tonnes).
Plenty of storage space
2015-12-10 - The segments will be stored in the Cryostat Workshop until welding operations begin in the summer of 2016.
