The 32nd edition of the world’s largest Symposium on Fusion Technology, SOFT 2022, was held from September 18th to 23rd at Dubrovnik, Croatia. All the most relevant stakeholders in the fusion technology field presented their work and views for the occasion, discussing the challenges, opportunities and innovations in the use of fusion technology as the primary clean energy source of the future. Esteyco, as one of the most relevant European engineering companies in the sector, has participated in the event through the submission of two dedicated papers and their presentation in the poster and oral sessions held during the conference.

On the poster sessions, Esteyco presented the works on the feasibility evaluation and pre-conceptual design of the ITER Tokamak Systems Monitor (TSM), which will be the software suite in charge of monitoring and assessing the response of the fusion reactor during its operation. The TSM will provide a near real-time integrated view of the overall hydraulic, thermal, structural and electromagnetic behavior of the reactor based on the measurements of several thousands of sensors that will be fitted in the main Tokamak systems.

The second contribution was made in the form of a technical talk presented by Luis Maqueda, Analyst Leader in Esteyco Mechanics. The presentation was dedicated to the most relevant improvements achieved in the Helium-Cooled Ceramic Breeder TBM design in the past two years. The Test Blanket Modules (TBM) are the prototype versions of breeding blankets that will be tested in ITER. Their purpose is to demonstrate the feasibility of generating and extracting tritium in a fusion nuclear environment, which is essential for the future commercial reactors. Esteyco is responsible for the design of the European Helium-Cooled concept in the context of a framework contract with Fusion for Energy (F4E), responsible for the EU’s contribution to the ITER project.