UK Fusion Programme
Lead Research Organisation:
EURATOM/CCFE
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
Merrifield J
(2007)
Intermittency, dissipation, and scaling in two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
in Physics of Plasmas
Meyer H
(2008)
Active control of the H-mode transition on MAST
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Meyer H
(2009)
Overview of physics results from MAST
in Nuclear Fusion
Mlynár J
(2006)
Progress in neutron diagnostics at JET
in Czechoslovak Journal of Physics
Mrovec M
(2007)
Bond-order potential for simulations of extended defects in tungsten
in Physical Review B
Murari A
(2006)
Real-time recovery of the electron density from interferometric measurements affected by fringe jumps
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Murari A
(2006)
Fuzzy logic and support vector machine approaches to regime identification in JET
in IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science
Murari A
(2006)
New diagnostic techniques and technologies at JET (invited)
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Negus C
(2006)
Enhanced core charge exchange recombination spectroscopy system on Joint European Torus
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Neu R
(2007)
Investigation of tungsten coatings on graphite and CFC
in Physica Scripta
Newton S
(2007)
Collisional bulk ion transport and poloidal rotation driven by neutral beam injection
in Physics of Plasmas
Nguyen-Manh D
(2006)
Multi-scale modelling of materials for fusion power plants
in Computational Materials Science
Nguyen-Manh D
(2006)
Multi-scale modelling of defect behavior in bcc transition metals and iron alloys for future fusion power plants
in Materials Science and Engineering: A
NGUYENMANH D
(2007)
Environmental dependence of bonding: A challenge for modelling of intermetallics and fusion materials
in Progress in Materials Science
Nicholls RJ
(2006)
Simulated electron energy loss spectra from a C70 crystal.
in Micron (Oxford, England : 1993)
O'Mullane M
(2006)
Atomic modeling and instrumentation for measurement and analysis of emission in preparation for the ITER-like wall in JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Ovsyannikov D
(2006)
Mathematical methods of plasma vertical stabilization in modern tokamaks
in Nuclear Fusion
Pampin R
(2006)
PPCS thermal analysis of bounding accident scenarios using improved computational modelling
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Pinches S
(2006)
Observation and modelling of fast ion loss in JET and ASDEX Upgrade
in Nuclear Fusion
Pitts R
(2007)
ELM transport in the JET scrape-off layer
in Nuclear Fusion
Reimerdes H
(2006)
Cross-machine comparison of resonant field amplification and resistive wall mode stabilization by plasma rotation
in Physics of Plasmas
Rozhansky V
(2006)
Modelling of radial electric field profile for different divertor configurations
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Rubel M
(2006)
Mirror test for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor at the JET tokamak: An overview of the program
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Saarelma S
(2007)
MHD stability analysis of ELMs in MAST
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Salmi A
(2006)
JET experiments to assess the clamping of the fast ion energy distribution during ICRF heating due to finite Larmor radius effects
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion