Calculation and superimposition of electro-magnetic loads on the ITER blanket: Analysis strategy and initial results

The paper summarizes the proposed strategy for electro-magnetic (EM) load analysis of the components in large-scale electro-physical devices and describes an example of its application for the evaluation of forces and torques acting on the modular blanket of the tokamak ITER during plasma transients. It relies on the mutually complementing utilization of the newly developed method for operative and systematic estimates of the EM loads and related parameters over a wide range of conditions with traditional finite-element transient EM analyses on integrated models for select cases. The new method exploits possibilities to simplify the mathematical model determined by the particular considered problem and system. It assumes a reducing of the complex problem to a composition of specific local, global and composite ones, which makes this low-cost method operative, flexible and well supportive for the development through all its phases as a predictive mode analysis, also to search the advanced configurations of conducting components and for their design optimization. The flexibility and computational efficiency of a combination of the two methods ensure that the EM loads can be calculated in time to support the blanket design and analysis activities to the next milestones, the Preliminary Design Review scheduled for late 2011 and the Final Design Review a year later. The first results of detailed transient analyses on integrated models for select cases are discussed.

► We present the new “synthetic” strategy of electro-magnetic (EM) loads analysis adopted for ITER.
► The proposed approach resolves issues with traditional EM analyses for large magnetic systems.
► The developed advanced support method is based on specifically simplified mathematical model.
► It assumes decomposition of the problem to several specific studies requiring much simpler models.
► The assessed loads on ITER blanket attachments are reported as an example of using new technique.