Compact Fusion: Two Developments That May Open a Route to Faster, Cheaper Pilot Plants and Reactors
Event details
| Date | 28.04.2015 |
| Hour | 10:30 › 11:30 |
| Speaker | Dr. A.E. Costley & Dr. A. Sykes, Tokamak Energy Ltd, Culham Science Center, Abingdon, UK |
| Location |
PPB 019
|
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Two recent developments may open a faster route to fusion power based on relatively small devices. A re-examination of the ITER confinement data-bases has shown that for steady state tokamaks the fusion gain, Qfus, depends only weakly on device size implying that, at least from a physics perspective, a high fusion performance can be obtained in relatively small devices. This study has also shown that if the scaling of the energy confinement time is independent of beta, as demonstrated in individual device experiments, then the fusion power needed for high Qfus is considerably reduced, typically by factors of three to four. Smaller devices have less space for shielding, especially on the high field side, but if the magnets can be made using high-temperature superconductors (HTS) then less space is needed. HTS magnets can in principle be more compact as the HTS can carry higher currents under stronger magnetic fields than low temperature superconductors; and, as cooling is more efficient at higher temperatures, less shielding is required to limit neutron heating of the magnet. A second development addresses this aspect. A spherical tokamak utilizing magnets made with high temperature superconductors has been constructed and is in operation – pulses of 24 hrs duration have been demonstrated – thereby demonstrating that such conductors can be used for tokamak construction. Taken together these developments potentially open a faster route to conditions when burning plasma physics effects (Qfus > 5) can be explored experimentally, and/or relevant technologies can be developed and demonstrated in relatively small devices, thereby reducing the time for the full realisation of fusion power. The details of both developments are presented in this talk and how they may work in combination is described.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
Organizer
- Prof. P. Ricci
Contact
- Prof. P. Ricci