UK Fusion Programme
Lead Research Organisation:
CCFE/UKAEA
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.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Christopher Llewellyn-Smith (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Storrs J
(2006)
Real-time optical plasma edge detection and position control on MAST
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Koubiti M
(2006)
Density Diagnostic Using Stark Broadening of He I Spectral Line Emission from Rydberg Levels
in Contributions to Plasma Physics
Santala M
(2006)
Proton-triton nuclear reaction in ICRF heated plasmas in JET
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Shibaev S
(2006)
MAST data acquisition system
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Gates D
(2006)
Effect of plasma shaping on performance in the National Spherical Torus Experiment
in Physics of Plasmas
Counsell G
(2006)
Tritium retention in next step devices and the requirements for mitigation and removal techniques
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Kirk M
(2006)
Diffuse elastic scattering of electrons by individual nanometer-sized dislocation loops
in Philosophical Magazine
Mlynár J
(2006)
Progress in neutron diagnostics at JET
in Czechoslovak Journal of Physics
Murari A
(2006)
Real-time recovery of the electron density from interferometric measurements affected by fringe jumps
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Bilyková O
(2006)
COMPASS-D magnetic equilibria with lh and NBI current drive
in Czechoslovak Journal of Physics
Sharapov S
(2006)
Alfvén cascades in JET discharges with NBI-heating
in Nuclear Fusion
Scannell R
(2006)
Enhanced edge Thomson scattering on MAST
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Allan N
(2006)
Beyond the point defect limit: Simulation methods for solid solutions and highly disordered systems
in Computational Materials Science
Jennison M
(2006)
Development review of transient recorders with onboard isolation on JET
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Kirk A
(2006)
Filament structures at the plasma edge on MAST
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Jones T
(2006)
Prediction of neutron source, tritium production and activation for long-pulse operation of the ITER neutral beam test facility
in Nuclear Fusion
Loarte A
(2007)
Transient heat loads in current fusion experiments, extrapolation to ITER and consequences for its operation
in Physica Scripta
Pitts R
(2007)
ELM transport in the JET scrape-off layer
in Nuclear Fusion
NGUYENMANH D
(2007)
Environmental dependence of bonding: A challenge for modelling of intermetallics and fusion materials
in Progress in Materials Science
Newton S
(2007)
Collisional bulk ion transport and poloidal rotation driven by neutral beam injection
in Physics of Plasmas
Lungu C
(2007)
Beryllium coatings on metals for marker tiles at JET: development of process and characterization of layers
in Physica Scripta
Mrovec M
(2007)
Bond-order potential for simulations of extended defects in tungsten
in Physical Review B
Dnestrovskij Y
(2007)
Analysis of pressure profiles and transport simulations of MAST discharges
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Lavrentiev M
(2007)
Monte Carlo study of thermodynamic properties and clustering in the bcc Fe-Cr system
in Physical Review B
Neu R
(2007)
Investigation of tungsten coatings on graphite and CFC
in Physica Scripta