Development and testing of in-vessel equilibrium pick-up coils for ITER

A new concept of magnetic pick-up coil has been developed, aimed at reducing radiation induced thermoelectric effects which could affect the quality of the signals of the magnetic diagnostic for ITER. A winding made of a ceramic-coated conductor and impregnated with ceramic filler is proposed as an alternative to the Mineral Insulated Cable, presently indicated in ITER reference design. Some prototypes of the new in-vessel pick-up coils have been designed, built and tested, to assess the thermoelectric characteristics of the coils.