NBTF Padua

1. Context

Within the ITER Organization program, the Neutral Beam Test Facility (NBTF) at Consorzio RFX in Padua represents one of the most advanced European projects dedicated to nuclear fusion research.

The project involves the development of a high-voltage DC power supply system up to 1 MV, designed to operate under extreme conditions and meet the highest international standards in terms of reliability, precision, and performance.

2. Objective: setting new standards

To design and integrate a HV DC system up to 1 MV capable of:

• ensuring electrical stability under critical operating conditions
• guaranteeing mechanical precision on complex and high-mass components
• maintaining strict insulation and safety standards
• fully integrating international design and on-site execution

3. Challenge

The project complexity was expressed on multiple levels:

• handling components weighing up to 80 tons in high-precision environments
• millimetric tolerances on interconnected mechanical and electrical systems
• strict insulation requirements for ultra-high voltage operation (up to 1 MV DC)
• operation under tightly controlled environmental conditions
• simultaneous coordination of multiple international partners with complementary expertise

The main challenge was not only technical, but also ensuring full continuity and coherence across design, manufacturing, and installation phases.

4. Solution

The project was delivered through a structured and continuous collaboration between Consorzio RFX, QST/JADA, Hitachi, and Synecom, based on a fully integrated execution model.

The approach included:

• shared engineering and continuous alignment between international partners
• integrated management of design and construction criticalities
• coordinated execution through parallel workflows to optimize timing and reduce interference
• continuous technical interface between design and field installation

Synecom played a key integration role between engineering design and field execution, managing:

• installation and integration of high-voltage systems
• DC generators up to 1 MV
• high-voltage transmission lines
• filtering systems and isolation transformers
• testing and validation equipment

5.  Implementation

Activities were organized through a parallel execution strategy with strong cross-partner coordination.

Key operational phases included:

• progressive installation of HV systems
• high-precision 3D alignment of transmission lines
• on-site modular assembly of DC generators
• installation of the 1 MV isolation transformer with millimetric adjustments
• strict environmental control to preserve insulation performance

Execution was continuously supported by technical alignment meetings and structured communication flows across all stakeholders.

6. Quality & Testing

A fully integrated quality control system was applied throughout all phases:

• systematic dimensional inspections
• high-voltage insulation verification tests
• continuity and leak tests on critical components

A fully integrated quality control system was applied throughout all phases:

• voltage holding tests
• no-load tests
• short-circuit tests
• simulated load tests

The system was fully validated under real operating conditions, confirming compliance with all NBTF performance requirements.

7. Results

• Successful implementation and integration of a 1 MV HV DC system
• Compliance with mechanical and electrical tolerances in highly complex conditions
• Full functional validation through operational testing
• Reduced execution time through parallel workflow management
• High level of integration among international partners

The final outcome is a high-complexity infrastructure fully operational for the advanced NBTF testing phase.

8. Strategic Value

The project demonstrates how nuclear fusion infrastructure requires a deeply integrated collaboration model, where continuity between design, engineering, and execution becomes a critical success factor.

The synergy between Consorzio RFX, QST/JADA, Hitachi, and Synecom enabled the transformation of an extreme engineering challenge into a reference infrastructure for fusion research, contributing to international knowledge and competence development.