UK Fusion Programme
Lead Research Organisation:
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
Department Name: Culham Centre for Fusion Energy
Abstract
Fusion is the energy-releasing process that powers the sun and other stars. If it can be harnessed economically on earth it would be an essentially limitless source of safe, environmentally responsible energy. Fusion energy is therefore strongly mission-orientated. The most promising method uses strong magnetic fields in a tokamak configuration to allow a high temperature deuterium-tritium plasma to be generated while minimising contact with the surrounding material surfaces.The UK contributes to fusion research in two ways: (i) through the UK's own programme focused on the spherical tokamak experiment MAST, and (ii) by contributing to the Joint European Torus (JET) programme. The MAST and JET facilities are situated at Culham Science Centre. International co-operation is strong with the focus on the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor (ITER), which will be the first fusion device to achieve energy gain and sustained burn.Experimental programmes on the MAST and JET tokamaks are performed to help resolve and refine understanding of key physics issues for ITER. In addition, experimental programmes on MAST focus on testing the potential of the spherical tokamak as a more compact option for future fusion devices. A strong theory and modelling group supports the experimental programmes and contributes to the research and development of fusion materials and to studies of conceptual fusion power stations. Expansion of the research and development of ITER specialist (i.e. diagnostic and heating) systems, focuses on securing major roles for the UK in the provision of two or three of these large complex projects.The results of the research are presented in reports and publications, and at conferences, expert groups and specialist committees. Collaborations with researchers in other areas of science and technologies are pursued strongly, where the research overlaps with fusion R&D.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Christopher Llewellyn-Smith (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Maier H
(2007)
Tungsten and beryllium armour development for the JET ITER-like wall project
in Nuclear Fusion
Dnestrovskij Y
(2006)
Self-consistency of pressure profiles in tokamaks
in Nuclear Fusion
De Vries P
(2008)
Effect of toroidal field ripple on plasma rotation in JET
in Nuclear Fusion
Pinches S
(2006)
Observation and modelling of fast ion loss in JET and ASDEX Upgrade
in Nuclear Fusion
McDonald D
(2007)
Recent progress on the development and analysis of the ITPA global H-mode confinement database
in Nuclear Fusion
Eriksson L
(2006)
On ion cyclotron current drive for sawtooth control
in Nuclear Fusion
Meyer H
(2009)
Overview of physics results from MAST
in Nuclear Fusion
Crowley B
(2006)
Measurement of the electron energy distribution function by a Langmuir probe in an ITER-like hydrogen negative ion source
in Nuclear Fusion
Stammers K
(2006)
The calibration of the MAST neutron yield monitors
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Dudarev S
(2007)
Driven mobility of self-interstitial defects under electron irradiation
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
Zhou Z
(2006)
Simulations of weak-beam diffraction contrast images of dislocation loops by the many-beam Howie-Basinski equations
in Philosophical Magazine
Kirk M
(2006)
Diffuse elastic scattering of electrons by individual nanometer-sized dislocation loops
in Philosophical Magazine
Lungu C
(2007)
Beryllium coatings on metals for marker tiles at JET: development of process and characterization of layers
in Physica Scripta
Matthews G
(2007)
Overview of the ITER-like wall project
in Physica Scripta
Loarte A
(2007)
Transient heat loads in current fusion experiments, extrapolation to ITER and consequences for its operation
in Physica Scripta
Hirai T
(2007)
Characterization and heat flux testing of beryllium coatings on Inconel for JET ITER-like wall project
in Physica Scripta
Neu R
(2007)
Investigation of tungsten coatings on graphite and CFC
in Physica Scripta
Mrovec M
(2007)
Bond-order potential for simulations of extended defects in tungsten
in Physical Review B
Lavrentiev M
(2007)
Monte Carlo study of thermodynamic properties and clustering in the bcc Fe-Cr system
in Physical Review B
Kirk A
(2006)
Evolution of filament structures during edge-localized modes in the MAST Tokamak.
in Physical review letters
Boswell C
(2006)
Observation and explanation of the JET chirping mode
in Physics Letters A
Smith H
(2006)
Runaway electrons and the evolution of the plasma current in tokamak disruptions
in Physics of Plasmas
Gates D
(2006)
Effect of plasma shaping on performance in the National Spherical Torus Experiment
in Physics of Plasmas
Helander P
(2006)
Tokamak current driven by poloidally asymmetric fueling
in Physics of Plasmas
Kramer G
(2006)
Interpretation of core localized Alfvén eigenmodes in DIII-D and Joint European Torus reversed magnetic shear plasmas
in Physics of Plasmas