HiCrIS Full Design & Build

The following summary is not intended as a complete or definitive specification of the requirement. A purpose of this engagement is to seek information from the market to help refine our understanding and aid the development of a future specification. The Hi-CrIS project is being developed under the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme. STEP plasma will be confined by electromagnets based on high temperature superconductors (SC). These magnetic components will form a substantial part of the STEP Prototype Powerplant (SPP) and represent ~25% of the total cost. With such a substantial element of the SPP being represented by the magnetic components, it is critical to have confidence in the lifetime predictions of the down-selected magnets. To achieve this, investigations of down-selected superconductor (SC) material samples are required under operational conditions: i.e., when SCs are simultaneously irradiated with fusion spectrum neutrons and gammas whilst at their cryogenic operating temperatures, carrying its rated current, and subject to strain and high applied fields (“fusion in-situ conditions”). STEP has an implementation plan for characterising Rare-earth Barium Copper Oxide (REBCO) for use in its magnetic field coils. This plan involves several key activities which, together, will provide sufficient experimental data to thoroughly examine the properties of a REBCO Coated Conductor (CC) and allow its use in each of STEP’s magnetic field coils to be justified (or not). Running several CCs through this process will then identify which CCs constitute the best choices for each magnetic coil. STEPs Hi-CrIS Test Rig will enable REBCO CCs samples to be subjected to STEP relevant neutron fluences, at cryogenic temperatures, so that the evolution of their superconducting properties can be determined and evaluated. The data will then be used in conjunction with STEP’s other characterisation activities to allow predictions about STEP’s performance in fusion in-situ conditions to be made and judged based on STEP’s requirements in terms of magnetic lifetime. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at:

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