UK Fusion Programme 2008-2010
Lead Research Organisation:
CCFE/UKAEA
Department Name: Culham Centre for Fusion Energy
Abstract
Fusion is the main energy source of the universe; it is the process that powers the sun and the stars. If it can be harnessed economically on earth, it has the potential to be an important component of the portfolio of measures needed to ensure a secure, environmentally responsible, supply of energy, at a time when fossil fuels will be becoming increasingly expensive. There is increasing realisation of this potential as reflected by the launch of the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, being built in France, which will be the first fusion device to achieve energy gain and sustained burn.In a fusion reaction, large amounts of energy are released when the nuclei of two light atoms fuse together at extremely high temperatures to create a nucleus of a larger atom. In the most promising way to achieve these conditions on earth, strong magnetic fields in a tokamak configuration are used to control and confine the high temperature plasma.UKAEA's Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire is one of the world's leading fusion research centres, and 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. International co-operation is strong with the focus on the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor (ITER). EURATOM part-funds all national programmes in Europe including the UK's.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, utilising parallel- and super-computing facilities, supports the experimental programmes and contributes to the research and development of fusion materials and to studies of conceptual fusion power stations. The UK leads the research and development of two ITER specialist (diagnostic and heating) systems, and participates in several others 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 technology are pursued strongly, where the research overlaps with fusion R&D, and increasingly there are fusion researchers in universities with whom UKAEA works.The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the European Commission fund, provide advice and monitor the UK fusion programme (some of the European funding / for work on ITER systems - is now channelled through the new Fusion for Energy Agency in Barcelona). The Fusion Advisory Board (FAB) advises EPSRC and UKAEA on the programme and on the longer-term strategy for fusion research at Culham; FAB receives reports from the MAST Programme Advisory Committee, a sub-group on ITER and industry, and an annual UK Fusion Materials Forum.
Organisations
Publications
De Vries P
(2009)
Identity physics experiment on internal transport barriers in JT-60U and JET
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Phillips G
(2009)
Engineering of diagnostic equatorial port plugs for ITER
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Tardini G
(2009)
Angular momentum studies with NBI modulation in JET
in Nuclear Fusion
Eich T
(2009)
On the asymmetries of ELM divertor power deposition in JET and ASDEX Upgrade
in Journal of Nuclear Materials
Coad J
(2009)
Testing of tungsten coatings in JET for the ITER-like wall
in Journal of Nuclear Materials
M Nightingale (Author)
(2009)
RF and mechanical design of the ITER Ion Cyclotron Resonance Frequency antenna
Robbins E
(2009)
The use of virtual reality and intelligent database systems for procedure planning, visualisation, and real-time component tracking in remote handling operations
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Bonheure G
(2009)
A novel method for trace tritium transport studies
in Nuclear Fusion
K K Kirov (Author)
(2009)
LH wave absorption and current drive studies by application of modulated LHCD at JET
Cordey J
(2009)
An error analysis of dimensionless confinement scaling experiments
in Nuclear Fusion
Duffy D
(2009)
Electronic effects in radiation damage simulations
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
Delchambre E
(2009)
Effect of micrometric hot spots on surface temperature measurement and flux calculation in the middle and long infrared
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Lescure C
(2009)
Measurement of disruption forces in JET using fiber-optic sensors
Van Eester D
(2009)
JET ( 3 He)-D scenarios relying on RF heating: survey of selected recent experiments
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Field A
(2009)
Comparison of measured poloidal rotation in MAST spherical tokamak plasmas with neo-classical predictions
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
V Parail (Author)
(2009)
Integrated modelling for ITER in EU
Militello F
(2009)
Error field penetration in the presence of diamagnetic effects
in Nuclear Fusion
Chiesa S
(2009)
Free energy of a ? 110 ? dumbbell interstitial defect in bcc Fe: Harmonic and anharmonic contributions
in Physical Review B
Chapman I
(2009)
Stability of the resistive wall mode in JET
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
LI G
(2009)
Local structure variations in Al89La6Ni5 metallic glass
in Acta Materialia
Parail V
(2009)
Integrated modelling of ITER reference scenarios
in Nuclear Fusion
R J Buttery (Author)
(2009)
Sensitivity of tearing mode beta limits to rotation and current profile
C D Challis (Author)
(2009)
Identity experiments in the hybrid regime on DIII-D and JET
Arnoux G
(2009)
Heat loads on plasma facing components during disruptions on JET
in Nuclear Fusion
Turnyanskiy M
(2009)
Study of the fast ion confinement and current profile control on MAST
in Nuclear Fusion
Rapp J
(2009)
Temperature effect on hydrocarbon deposition on molybdenum mirrors under ITER-relevant long-term plasma operation
in Physica Scripta
Homfray D
(2009)
Overview of MAST Neutral Beam System performance
M Romanelli (Co-Author)
(2009)
Test-particle simulations of impurity transport in tokamak plasmas
De Temmerman G
(2009)
Interactions of diamond surfaces with fusion relevant plasmas
in Physica Scripta
Riccardo V
(2009)
Operational limits for the ITER-like wall in JET
in Physica Scripta
Kurki-Suonio T
(2009)
ASCOT simulations of fast ion power loads to the plasma-facing components in ITER
in Nuclear Fusion
Schmidt A
(2009)
First demonstration of non-destructive tests on tungsten-coated JET divertor CFC tiles in the electron beam facility JUDITH-2
in Physica Scripta
Alonso J
(2009)
Fast visible imaging of ELM-wall interactions on JET
in Journal of Nuclear Materials
Firdaouss M
(2009)
Power deposition modelling of the ITER-like wall beryllium tiles at JET
in Journal of Nuclear Materials
Neto A
(2009)
Linux real-time framework for fusion devices
in Fusion Engineering and Design
Ham C
(2009)
Rotational stabilization of the resistive wall mode by coupling to a dissipative rational surface
in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Voitsekhovitch I
(2009)
Non-inductive current drive and transport in high ß N plasmas in JET
in Nuclear Fusion
Bekris N
(2009)
Assessment of the flash-lamp photon-cleaning detritiation method tested at JET
in Journal of Nuclear Materials
AYED N
(2009)
Alfvén eigenmodes in magnetic X-point configurations with strong longitudinal fields
in Journal of Plasma Physics
Crowley B
(2009)
A Langmuir probe system incorporating the Boyd-Twiddy method for EEDF measurement applied to an inductively coupled plasma source
in Plasma Sources Science and Technology
M Nightingale (Author)
(2009)
Development of the JET ion cyclotron resonance frequency heating system in support of ITER
S D Pinches (Co-Author)
(2009)
Interaction between fast particles and magnetohydrodynamical waves in the presence of toroidal flow
D Ward (Author)
(2009)
Economic consequences of fusion materials development
Fitzgerald S
(2009)
Shape of prismatic dislocation loops in anisotropic a -Fe
in Philosophical Magazine Letters
Coelho R
(2009)
Real-time data processing and magnetic field pitch angle estimation of the JET motional Stark effect diagnostic based on Kalman filtering.
in The Review of scientific instruments
Liu Y
(2009)
Progress in physics and control of the resistive wall mode in advanced tokamaks
in Physics of Plasmas
Marmar E
(2009)
Overview of the Alcator C-Mod Research Program
in Nuclear Fusion
Description | Fusion research is focused on ITER (the international experiment being built in France) followed by a demonstration power station (DEMO). The Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) is a world-leading fusion research centre. Some highlights from the last two years are summarised below (many the result of collaborations with universities and overseas laboratories). Additional information is in Annual Reports (http://www.ccfe.ac.uk/annual_reports.aspx). Reacting plasmas: The UK programme, funded by EPSRC and EURATOM, is focused on the MAST experiment. Physics studies benefited from high power heating systems and improvements to diagnostics. A major upgrade to the system to measure temperature and density profiles (part funded by York University) was completed and provides unmatched spatial resolution. Important progress from both MAST, and the linked Theory and Modelling programme, has been made in several key areas directly relevant to optimising ITER performance:- energy confinement, enabling more reliable prediction of plasma performance in future devices; control of potentially damaging instabilities; improved understanding of performance limiting core and edge plasma instabilities; gas injection to mitigate the effects of rapid plasma terminations (disruptions), etc. CCFE has contributed to the European JET programme, with notable achievements including operation at high power and current, and substantial progress in scenarios that are suitable for steady state operation in ITER. The EPSRC grant pays the UK contribution to JET operation. Materials: Work included: development of techniques for modelling iron-chromium alloys in the high-temperature limit; modelling of steels and tungsten to compare with experimental data from Oxford University; Ion Beam Analysis measurements of erosion, deposition and hydrogen-isotope retention in tiles removed from the JET tokamak. ITER Systems: CCFE has secured lead roles in two major grants to develop ITER heating systems, and leads a consortium to bid for the LIDAR temperature and density measurement system. CCFE has smaller roles in several other areas. Optimised power plants: Work has concentrated on a detailed assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of pulsed and steady-state DEMOs. Several clear advantages in a steady-state device were identified, however the potential simplification in a pulsed device (greatly reduced need for current drive) is a significant counter-advantage. Conceptual design studies of a spherical tokamak Component Test Facility have continued. A big challenge for any fusion system is dealing with the large exhaust power from burning plasmas. One novel promising option, for both DEMO and CTF, which will be part of the MAST upgrade, is the "Super-X" expanded divertor. Major upgrade to MAST: the design has been developed. The purpose is to give higher performance, longer pulse plasmas allowing definitive tests of the physics of an ST-based CTF, and more exacting studies of ITER physics. In late 2009, RCUK reviewed UK fusion research and following this EPSRC approved funding for the upgrade. In addition CCFE has promoted industry involvement in fusion and significantly assisted UK companies in winning ITER business, increased university involvement (e.g. PhDs), and developed its skills-base for an increased emphasis on technology as recommended by the RCUK review. |
Exploitation Route | In addition CCFE has promoted industry involvement in fusion and significantly assisted UK companies in winning ITER business, increased university involvement (e.g. PhDs), and developed its skills-base for an increased emphasis on technology as recommended by the RCUK review. |
Sectors | Energy |
URL | http://www.ccfe.ac.uk/annual_reports.aspx |
Description | As well as its long term task, developing fusion power, CCFE has promoted industry involvement in fusion. |
First Year Of Impact | 2008 |
Sector | Energy |
Impact Types | Economic |