UK Fusion Programme
Lead Research Organisation:
CCFE/UKAEA
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
Tartari U
(2006)
Critical issues highlighted by collective Thomson scattering below electron cyclotron resonance in FTU
in Nuclear Fusion
Borba D
(2006)
Confinement transitions (H-mode) in JET inner wall limiter plasmas
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Bilyková O
(2006)
COMPASS-D magnetic equilibria with lh and NBI current drive
in Czechoslovak Journal of Physics
Newton S
(2007)
Collisional bulk ion transport and poloidal rotation driven by neutral beam injection
in Physics of Plasmas
McClements K
(2006)
Collective electric field effects on the confinement of fast ions in tokamaks
in Physics of Plasmas
Hacquin S
(2006)
Characterization of Alfvén cascades on the JET tokamak using a multi-channel O-mode reflectometer diagnostic
in Nuclear Fusion
Dendy R
(2006)
Characterization and interpretation of strongly nonlinear phenomena in fusion, space and astrophysical plasmas
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Hirai T
(2007)
Characterization and heat flux testing of beryllium coatings on Inconel for JET ITER-like wall project
in Physica Scripta
Hawkes N
(2006)
Calibration and operational experience with the JET motional Stark effect diagnostic
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Mrovec M
(2007)
Bond-order potential for simulations of extended defects in tungsten
in Physical Review B
Allan N
(2006)
Beyond the point defect limit: Simulation methods for solid solutions and highly disordered systems
in Computational Materials Science
Lungu C
(2007)
Beryllium coatings on metals for marker tiles at JET: development of process and characterization of layers
in Physica Scripta
CAWKWELL M
(2007)
Atomistic study of athermal cross-slip and its impact on the mechanical properties of iridium
in Acta Materialia
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
AOKI M
(2007)
Atom-based bond-order potentials for modelling mechanical properties of metals
in Progress in Materials Science
Coccorese V
(2006)
Assessment of new ex-vessel magnetic measurements in JET
in Review of Scientific Instruments
Sircombe N
(2006)
Aspects of electron acoustic wave physics in laser backscatter from plasmas
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Dudarev SL
(2006)
Angular-dependent matrix potentials for fast molecular-dynamics simulations of transition metals.
in Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal
Dnestrovskij Y
(2007)
Analysis of pressure profiles and transport simulations of MAST discharges
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Marinoni A
(2006)
Analysis and modelling of power modulation experiments in JET plasmas with internal transport barriers
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Batista A
(2006)
An FPGA-based multi-rate interpolator with real-time rate change for a JET test-bench system
in IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science
Sharapov S
(2006)
Alfvén cascades in JET discharges with NBI-heating
in Nuclear Fusion
Meyer H
(2008)
Active control of the H-mode transition on MAST
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Cottrell G
(2013)
A survey of plasma facing materials for fusion power plants
in Materials Science and Technology