The ITER Pre-Compression Rings - A First in Cryogenic Composite Technology

The ITER Pre-Compression Rings represent one of the heaviest composite structures ever manufactured as a single piece and the largest - the outer diameter will be above 5.5 meters - intended for use in a cryogenic environment. With a cross section of 337 mm x 288 mm, each item will weigh more than 3,000 kg. A development program, based on filament wound and dry wound S2 glass unidirectional fibers, the latter processed by VARTM, was completed on one fifth scale rings, and these materials and techniques were shown to be satisfactory. The paper describes how a technology applied to build up primary structures of European launchers is being accommodated to produce the ITER Pre-Compression Rings, fulfilling its extremely challenging requirements. In addition, we will describe how the structural analysis is correlated with the test results of scaled down rings, as well as how the pre-compression rings' manufacturing process will be qualified.