A major milestone has been achieved in the Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology (CRAFT) project, as the toroidal field (TF) coil case has been successfully completed and delivered in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province.

The TF coil case is the main load-bearing structural component of the toroidal field magnet and plays a crucial role in the magnet system. It is primarily designed to protect the TF coil windings, while supporting and securing other superconducting magnets, such as the poloidal field coils.

Made of cryogenic austenitic stainless steels 316LN and 316LMn, the component measures 21 meters by 12 meters and weighs 400 tonnes, making it the largest toroidal field coil case in the world – 1.2 times the size and twice the weight of the corresponding component used in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

The successful delivery marks an important step toward the commercialization of fusion energy, with related technologies expected to benefit aerospace, energy equipment and marine engineering.

(Cover: An aerial view of the CRAFT park in Hefei, Anhui Province, east China, May 27, 2023. /VCG)