FUSION Q ua r t e r ly n e w s & v i e w s o n t h e p r o g r e s s i n f u s i o n r e s e a r c h
JET TAKES OFF! EUROPE’S LARGEST FUSION EXPERIMENT RESTARTED Last moduLe of WendeLstein 7-X mounted Keeping the pLasma in pLace With microWaves outstanding scientists honoured
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EUROPEAN FUSION DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
FUSION IN EUROPE | Contents |
Contents
FUSION IN EUROPE № 3 | 2011
Moving Forward
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Fusion software used for wind turbines
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EFDA A year of important achievement
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Modelling the missing links
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EFDA ITER Physics Work Programme 2012/2013
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Associates Last Module of Wendelstein 7-X mounted
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Keeping the plasma in place with Microwaves
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Fast action thanks to expertise
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Fusion software used for wind turbines
JETInsight
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The pillar of JET retires
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The Joint European Torus
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JET takes off!
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The pillar of JET retires
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The father of JET and ITER commemorated
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JET guestbook
Community
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People Outstanding scientists honoured
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New Heads of Research Unit appointed
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In dialogue Camp of brilliant brains
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Get your hands on, run experiments, try things out
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Home-made neutrons
Miscellaneous 22
Newsflash
Camp of brilliant brains Title pictures: EFDA, IdeenExpo GmbH
Imprint
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FUSION IN EUROPE ISSN 1818-5355
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© Francesco Romanelli (EFDA Leader) 2011. This newsletter or parts of it may not be reproduced without permission. Text, pictures and layout, except where noted, courtesy of the EFDA Parties. The EFDA Parties are the European Commission and the Associates of the European Fusion Programme which is co-ordinated and managed by the Commission. Neither the Commission, the Associates nor anyone acting on their behalf is responsible for any damage resulting from the use of information contained in this publication.
| Moving Forward | EFDA |
a year of IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENTS in october, the efDa steering committee conďŹ rmed francesco romanelli as efDa leader until the end of 2013. he looks back at a year full of challenges and yet important milestones reached.
Dear reader the year 2011 has seen a number of important achievements in the EFDA programme. The JET Enhancement Programme 2 shutdown and restart were successfully completed. Now the exploitation of the ITER-Like-Wall has begun. The Power Plant Physics and Technology (PPP&T) Department was set up and the most urgent activities were launched. A new, more goal oriented way of implementation of the coordinated activities in the ITER Physics Department is being put in place. I would like to take this occasion to thank all those who have devoted their effort to the success of these activities. At the end of 2010 an Independent Panel was set up by the European Commission to assess the potential JET contributions to ITER and the Strategic Orientation of the Fusion Programme. The Panel recognises JET as vital for the success of ITER and strongly recommends the full exploitation of the ITER-Like-Wall and its operation with tritium. The perspective of extended collaborations with the other international partners, recommended by the Panel, will be an important point in agenda for 2012. The PPP&T Department was set up in record time and it starts to implement the 2012 Work Programme. The goal is to define the R&D priorities for the next European research framework programme, Horizon 2020, by the end of 2013. The response of the EFDA Associates has been enthusiastic and I hope that the new Im plementing Agreement will start soon. The Independent Panel review has made a number of recommendations in this area, some of which are already built in the medium term plan of EFDA.
The ITER Physics area is in a period of substantial renewal. A review of the Integrated Tokamak Modelling activities under EFDA recommended to further strengthen it by including more physics development work and model validation on experimental devices, building on the ITM Task Force experience. The 2012/13 activities in the various topical areas will be implemented through specific projects that have been defined through the collective effort of the Topical Group Chairs and Task Force Leaders. In its review of the strategic orientation of the fusion programme the Independent Panel expressed its strong support to the development of fusion as an energy source. It also recommended a profound restructuring of the fusion related work in Europe to ensure the success of ITER and progress towards the goal of electricity production in the 2050 time frame. I believe that the organisation of the fusion programme in Horizon 2020 should ensure a long term perspective of activities, adequate resources on the programmatic priorities with light implementation procedures and the preservation of the identity of each Associate around its points of excellence. EFDA has already started to move in this direction. With the support of the Associates we should use the period 2012/13 as an opportunity to make the necessary adaptations to the challenges of the ITER era while preserving those aspects that ensured the strength of the programme. I take this opportunity to give you my best wishes of a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
FRANCESCO ROMANELLI
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FUSION in europe | Moving Forward | EFDA |
Modelling the missing links the application of the first integrated simulation tools to fusion machines marks a milestone for the efDa integrated tokamak Modelling task force. at its annual meeting in garching, the task force introduced the prototype tools to a wider community of modellers.
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Force Leader Gloria Falchetto, “While participants adapt ur tools are like LEGO® bricks. They plug their modules to the ITM infrastructure and integrate into each other and allow a modeller to build them into the ETS, they share experiences and many isa physics simulation according to his or her sues are solved much more quickly this way.“ The ETS needs”. Denis Kalupin, EFDA Responsible Officer for the has been released internally to ITM members for verifiIntegrated Tokamak Modelling (ITM) Task Force, sums cation and optimisaup what his work is all about. ITM tion. A first public verdevelops a set of generic modelling “The ITM Task Force has progressed substantially sion will be out next tools, which simulate the behaviour in the last seven years. In some areas it has proyear. A subroutine of of plasmas in any fusion machine duced tools that are used today by the EFDA the ETS, the equilibor for any specific problem. “Some Associates. Now it is time to take stock of this exrium reconstruction modules run very fast for quick and perience in order to strengthen the competitiveness and stability simulation rough simulations and others zoom chain is already availinto details in space or time. For of European modellers towards ITER through a able for general use. each problem, scientists would normore efficient organisation of these activities.” The chain allows the mally have to adapt different nuEFDA-LEADER FRANCESCO ROMANELLI setup of a magnetic field merical codes and couple them toconfiguration and the gether by designing an individual determination of the plasma stability. It has produced interface. Within the ITM environment this switch befirst physics results for ASDEX Upgrade and ITER distween fast, simple solutions and slower, more sophisticharges. The equilibrium reconstruction module is alcated ones is extremely easy.” ready in use at Tore Supra and JET.
First physics results.
Plasma modellers from all over Europe contribute to the development and validation of the ITM plasma simulator. Its major component is the European Transport Solver (ETS), which will allow scientists to simulate transport processes in a tokamak plasma within a unique modular package. The Task Force organises regular “code camps”, where developers meet for two weeks of concentrated work. “Each code camp brings us a big step further” explains ITM Task
Automated protection for ITER. The meeting also addressed the coupling of modules describing the edge and core of the plasma, synergetic effects between the various heating sources and issues regarding the plasma control. Lively discussion surrounded the standardisation of interfaces in order to include diagnostic signals for the plasma control systems into the plasma simulator. This will develop the ETS towards one of the ultimate needs of ITER, which is a transport simulator linked to the plant control system. Wayne Houl berg, Head of the ITER Integrated Modelling Expert Group, explains: “We are pushing ITER to the limits, where we get maximum performance and still operate safely. The simulation will have to tell us automatically whether the control systems can maintain the parameters needed for the planned plasma pulse.” contact: Gloria Falchetto, gloria.falchetto@cea.fr
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| Moving Forward | EFDA |
EFDA ITER Physics Work Programme 2012/2013
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he ITER Physics second general planning meeting was held in Garching on October 27 and 28 to revisit the details of the EFDA Physics Programme until 2013. More than 60 participants – EFDA Responsible Officers, the Leaderships of the involved EFDA Task Forces and Topical Groups as well as members of the Associates – discussed the deliverables expected from the Associates. Representatives from ITER and Fusion for Energy attended the meeting to confirm the relevance of the Physics Programme to ITER’s needs. The main novelty of the 2012/2013 Work Programme in the ITER Physics area is a shift from being oriented around topics (MHD, Transport, Plasma-Wall Interation, Heating and Fuelling, Diagnostics) to being structured in Projects that address the most urgent R&D needs of ITER. The programme will be conducted within eleven research areas, each of which addresses
cross-topic issues covered by the involved EFDA Topical Groups and Task Forces. EFDA will primarily support projects which significantly benefit from coordination through EFDA and projects that can only be carried out efficiently through the combined efforts of several Associates. The programme also includes the development, installation or upgrade of diagnostics which will improve the capability of European machines. This will, for instance mean a significant advance in the field of understanding the nature of the electron heat transport. A number of installations are planned for different machines, enabling scientists to investigate an area where little experimental knowledge is available. contact: Duarte Borba and Boris Weyssow, EFDA Boris.Weyssow@efda.org
The 2012/2013 Work Programme Prediction of Material Migration and Mixed Material Formation
Involved EFDA Topical Groups and Task Forces
Shaping and Controlling Performance Limiting Instabilities
Plasma Stability and Control
Fuel Retention and Removal Plasma Rotation Electron Heat Transport and Multi-Scale Physics Pedestal Instabilities (ELMs), Mitigation and Heat loads Disruptions, Prediction, Avoidance, Mitigation and Consequences
Transport Diagnostic Heat & Current Drive and Fuel
Physics of the Pedestal and H-mode Fast Particles
Plasma Wall Interaction
Particle Transport, Fuelling and Inner Fuel Cycle Modelling Operation with Metallic Plasma-Facing Components, including High Power ICRH
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FUSION in europe | Moving Forward | Associates |
Last module of Wendelstein 7-X mounted Happy faces in Greifswald after a nerve-wracking week, which began on 10 November, the day the last magnet module of Wendelstein 7-X was to be assembled. A crane was to insert the 100 ton segment together with a 15 ton outer shell into the vessel ring. TV crews had set-up their cameras and journalists had their notepads ready, and then the remote control of the crane failed.
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But, less than one week later, on November 16th, the module was finally put in place. At the end of December the upper shell of the outer vessel will be mounted onto this module. Before that, the five modules will be joined together: the cryo pipes, the bus and instrumentation systems will be connected, the central rings will be bolted, and the plasma
| Moving Forward | Associates |
and outer vessels will be welded. It all sounds easier than it actually is: the challenge throughout the assembly of W 7-X has always been mounting multi-ton components with sub millimetre precision. “The completion of the torus is a very important milestone for Wendelstein 7-X. It took only three hours to conduct the challenging lifting process of the last completed magnet module onto the machine base. We are proud of our assembly team, which has done a marvellous job. This success belongs to the entire Wendelstein 7-X
project and to our various collaborators and industrial partners. We now have in front of us a number of demanding work packages, but we are confident that the completion date mid 2014 can be kept.� Thomas Klinger, Scientific Director of the Wendelstein 7-X project more information: https://www.ipp.mpg.de/ippcms/eng/pr/forschung/w7x/index.html (Picture: IPP, Tino Schulz)
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FUSION in europe | Moving Forward | Associates |
Keeping the P L A S M A in place with M I C ROWAV E S ist and ipp have developed a new method for controlling the plasma position and have successfully tested it on asDeX upgrade. efDa supported the work as one of its high priority tasks.
The new solution uses dedicated algorithms and estia better reward for the team and for myself than the eeping the plasma in mations of the feeling of complete achievement that followed those place is crucial for boundary density tense few seconds when plasma position control protecting the reactor to determine the was successfully handed to reflectometry for the first wall of a fusion device. position of the time ever. “ Today, real-time feedback plasma boundary systems use magnetic meain real time. IST JORGE SANTOS, PROJECT PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, IST surements to determine and experts conducted control the plasma position. However, the fast neutrons a feasibility study of the method for IPP’s tokamak ASand radiation emitted by deuterium-tritium (D-T) plasDEX Upgrade and subsequently designed and assembled mas may affect the magnetic sensors. The measurements the reflectometry system and the real time data processare likely to develop errors and these would grow with ing solutions. The whole system was then connected to the duration of the plasma pulse. Because ITER and futhe ASDEX Upgrade control system. ture fusion devices operate D-T plasmas with very long pulses, alternative meFirst tests in July showed thods to control the that the outer plasma raplasma position need to dius could be determined be developed. with the required accuracy “We were only given two shots to test the sysof one centimetre and the Reflecting microwaves plasma position was suctem. And this was our only chance, as the off the plasma is a wellcessfully controlled. IST campaign ended that month. But then it proven technique for deand IPP are now optimisworked right away and the session leader termining the radial dising the algorithm. Further gave us two more shots because he could not tribution of the plasma upgrades under considerbelieve what he saw in the data. “ density. However, its apation include a second miplication for measuring crowave reflectometer loMANFRED ZILKER, IPP the plasma position cated opposite to the without the issues assopresent one, to simultaneciated with magnetic diagnostics has been started only ously control the inner and recently. Portuguese scientists from IST and German outer plasma radius. scientists from IPP have a long standing collaboration in the area of microwave diagnostics. Within the framework of an EFDA priority support task, they now develcontact: oped a method to control the plasma position using miHartmut Zohm, IPP, hartmut.zohm@mgp.ipp.de crowave reflectometry. Maria Manso, IST, mmanso@ipfn.ist.utl.pt
"After a few years of intense work, I could not imagine
K
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| Moving Forward | Associates |
Fast action thanks to expertise within only three months the KfKi-rMKi successfully designed and installed a prototype system for Beam emission spectroscopy on the Korean experiment Kstar. now the project has received additional funds to build a fully developed system.
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cientists at the Hungarian Associate KFKI-RMKI are experts in Beam Emission Spectroscopy, a technique for investigating plasma turbulence. In 2010, together with the Korean National Fusion Research Institute, they received a starting grant to evaluate the prospects of such a system for the Korean tokamak KSTAR and to develop a conceptual design for it. The project was supported through a fund for joint scientific actions, set up by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Korea Research Council of Fundamental Science and Technology. Beam Emission Spectroscopy (BES) measures light emitted from the neutral particle beams which are injected into the plasma for heating or diagnostics. Along the way, the particles collide with plasma particles, get excited and emit light. The intensity variations of these emissions reflect the local density fluctuations, from which plasma turbulence can be measured. Turbulence causes the plasma to lose heat and particles and is therefore one of the most scrutinised effects in fusion science. The challenge for BES diagnostics lies in the very low light levels, which require extremely sensitive detectors.
was to end in early September and the next one would not start for another year. Within three months, the team designed, built and installed a trail BES system on KSTAR. Luckily, a test sample of the detector was available at Admintech Kft and RMKI could design an affordable optical system based on off-the-shelf components.
15 years of experience
Unusual cabin baggage
KFKI-RMKI has been developing BES diagnostics for 15 years and installed such systems on various tokamaks in Europe. Together with its spin-off company Admintech Kft, the Associate developed a highly sensitive detector. It greatly enhances the capability of BES systems and was installed on MAST in 2010. A similar detection system is currently being installed on JET. Based on an existing BES code, the team from Budapest University of Technology and Economics developed a simulation model for the KSTAR system. The calculations of the expected light intensity, spectrum, spatial resolution and other parameters were discussed in April 2011 and the team concluded that the system would offer good measurement possibilities. Timing however, presented a challenge: KSTAR’s experimental campaign
(Photo: KFKI-RMKI)
In July, Project Leader Sándor Zoletnik and a design engineer hand-carried the heavy 60 kilogram system to Korea. With the help of the Korean project leader Yong Un Nam, the system was installed in the port and connected to the control computer within one week. Experiments started in the first days of August and the system operated throughout the remaining campaign. First analysis showed that the measurements fitted the model calculations. Because RMKI had developed analysis software for previous BES experiments, scientists could immediately begin to use the data to study plasma phenomena. In July 2011 the project received resources for one more year to build a final BES diagnostic for KSTAR. contact: Sándor Zoletnik, zoletnik@rmki.kfki.hu
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FUSION in europe | Moving Forward | Associates |
Fusion software used for wind turbines
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software framework for real time control systems is being evaluated for use in floating wind turbines. The framework MARTe is a toolbox of qualified software modules for the construction of real time applications which is used at several European fusion devices. Scientists at the Portugese Euratom/IST Association developed it for the JET vertical stabilization system, which keeps the plasma in its vertical position by applying corrective magnetic fields in real time. One of MARTe’s strengths is the fact that it easily connects to simulation programs and provides a simple way to validate any systems for which a simulation model is available.
Because of this flexibility, IST’s Centre of Marine Technology and Engineering recognised MARTe as potential solution for a real time control system in floating wind turbines. These turbines are being investigated for use in offshore wind parks where the ocean is too deep to mount devices in the seafloor – as it is the case along much of the Portuguese Atlantic coast. However, floating wind turbines behave like pendulums and the interaction between wind, turbine and waves can cause resonances. To avoid these, control systems must adjust the pitch angle of the rotor blades according to wind speed and wave height in real time. IST has won a three-year research contract to validate and design a real time control system for floating wind turbines based on the MARTe framework. contact: MARTe(Multi-threaded Application Real-Time executor): Horácio Fernandes, IST: hf@ipfn.ist.utl.pt Floating wind turbines: Nuno Fonseca, IST, nunofonseca@ist.utl.pt The floating wind turbine Hywind (Photo: Trude Refsahl / Statoil)
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| JETInsight |
THE JOINT EUROPEAN TORUS, JET Europe’s largest fusion device
The JET vessel in May 2011, featuring the complete ITER-Like Wall (Picture: EFDA)
EFDA provides the work platform to exploit JET in an efficient and focused way. More than 40 European fusion laboratories collectively contribute to the JET scientific programme and develop the hardware of the machine further. The tokamak is located at the Culham Science Centre near Oxford in the UK. It is funded by EURATOM, by the European Associates, and by UK’s fusion Associate, the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) as host. CCFE operates the JET facilities including carrying out the maintenance and refurbishment work required to realise the given scientific goals.
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FUSION in europe | JETInsight |
JET T A K E S OFF! Scientists and engineers start up the “new� JET machine. Scientists following the first plasma attempt after the 2009-2011 shutdown.
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ust before the end of August JET was ready for operation and so the torus hall was locked up to attempt for plasma. Achieving stable plasma operation in the past immediately after a long shut down has never completely been straight-forward and the operations team was expecting a few attempts might have to be made. However, to their delight, the first pulse for 22 months ran at the initial attempt, at 18.30 on 24th August. Plasma was created and controlled for 15 seconds, reaching a very respectable current of 1.1 mega amperes. After only a few days of commissioning by the engineers, the machine was handed over to the scientists so that experiments could begin. The initial phase tested the behaviour of the new wall in ohmic configuration, in which the only heating of the plasma comes from the current flowing in it. The total ohmic heating power is only about one megawatt and limits the plasma temperature to a few tens of millions of degrees. That might seem hot by every-day standards, but for JET it represents a careful and considered period of operation. Early experiments studied the migration of beryllium from some of the plasma facing tiles and measured the amount of fuel retained in the tiles. Many people are eager to find out how much the fuel retention has been reduced compared with similar experiments done with the old carbon tiles. Some experimentalists have also been studying the spectrum of light emitted by the plasma to learn about the role of impurities from the new tiles. In parallel with operating the machine for ten shifts per week, other staff continued to install more new systems during nights and weekends. The priority was to have the new camera-based protection system in place, to monitor the wall temperature.
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The second phase of commissioning thoroughly tested the updated algorithms used to control the plasma position and plasma current. Another new feature is an enhancement to the power supplies of the coils, which allows the plasma to touch the divertor earlier in a pulse than was previously possible. This system is now commissioned and in use. After the installation of a camera with partial coverage of the radio frequency antennae, the first additional heating system was brought into operation. The heating power and pulse lengths have been slowly increased, while the camera operators watched the antennae for unexpected hot spots. The protection system has been successfully commissioned for powers of several megawatts. JET's main additional heating comes from the Neutral Beam Injection system, whose power supplies and beam sources have been considerably enhanced. Bringing the system back into operation has taken a little longer than planned, but beams have been produced and conditioned successfully by aiming them at a target inside the Neutral Injection Box. The beams will initially be run carefully in short bursts until the computer models, which predict how the in-vessel components heat up, are verified. Only then will full power beams be injected. Each of these steps brings the machine closer to producing new physics that will be relevant for ITER. The current routine of interspersing commissioning sessions with experimental work is expected to continue until the end of the year. Nick Balshaw, CCFE follow Jet’s restart: http://tinyurl.com/jet-in-close-up
| JETInsight |
THE PILLAR OF JET RETIRES Michael watkins leaves Jet after 38 years.
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n 27th september, efDa cordially farewelled Michael watkins. Michael came to culham 38 years ago, the year the Jet design started, and has worked with all of the Jet Directors, from hans-otto wüster to the current efDa leader and Jet leader francesco romanelli. he was involved in the scientific growth of Jet, first as a researcher and then as scientific assistant to Jet Directors paul-henri rebut, Martin Keilhacker and Jean Jacquinot. in 1999, under efDa associate leader for Jet Jérôme paméla, Michael played a key role in managing the transition from the Jet Joint undertaking to Jet under efDa. he was head of the pro gramme Department and head of inter national relations until becoming senior advisor to the efDa leader when efDa was re-organised earlier this year.
Michael, what do you recall as your most exciting times at JET? There were so many, and of different kinds. Technically, the first highlight was JET’s construction being completed on time and on budget. Then, JET operated well above its design parameters, and also with a divertor to exhaust fuel and power. Scientifically, the observation of the Hmode was a highlight: JET was still under construction when the H-mode was discovered on ASDEX and it was difficult to say whether it would be found on JET. The beryllium in-vessel components, introduced 25 years ago after controversial discussions, paved the way for the present ITER-Like-Wall of beryllium and tungsten. A major event was the use of the deuterium-tritium, or D-T, fusion reactor fuel. JET demonstrated the world’s first controlled release of D-T fusion power in 1991 and, in 1997, set two world records, producing 16 megawatts of fusion power and 22 megajoules of fusion energy. Organisationally, JET underwent a complete change from the JET Joint Undertaking to JET under EFDA. The way in which we did research had to be altered totally. Instead of having all staff on site, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, and today CCFE, now operates the JET Facilities and researchers from throughout Europe come to JET to carry out experiments. Organising that was very demanding. We started developing the programme with the EFDA Associates towards the end of 1999. It was a great relief when the first JET Restart under EFDA was completed and researchers arrived for the first experiments on 31 May 2000.
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FUSION in europe | JETInsight | If you look at the organisational change in hindsight, what are your conclusions? First, I must stress the similarities between the JET Joint Undertaking and JET under EFDA. Among these are JET’s international character, its focus on the issues for the next tokamak, ITER, and its constant obligation to demonstrate its unique relevance in order to secure a programme extension. But there are differences. For example, researchers who participate in the experimental programme are on-site for only about two months per year, on average. To manage this and to retain researchers’ focus on JET when they return to their home laboratories can be a challenge. However, this is compensated by the two-fold increase in the number of researchers working on the programme and the profound knowledge which they bring from their home laboratories.
So could one say that JET comprises the best of Europe? Yes, you could very much say that.
You said that there were also cultural highlights. Which are these? You played a key role in that transition – what was your biggest challenge? My main area was the JET experimental programme. The fact that researchers would come to JET just when they were needed for the experiments meant that we had to plan the programme in detail a long time in advance. Proposals for experiments were submitted by the EFDA Associates, rationalised against the agreed objectives and set in a logical sequence. The experimental programme had then to be staffed. Fusion researchers cover more than 60 skills and a different blend of these is needed for each experiment. We interacted closely with the Associates to identify the researchers who would come and when they could come, and match these to the experimental programme. Three years ago, we introduced general planning meetings, which made the process more collaborative and efficient. There, representatives of the Associates present their ideas for experiments and researchers, who work along similar lines, then cluster together to develop proposals.
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It is the very nature of JET that people from different backgrounds work together as a single team with the same aim. It’s this approach that leads to success and this must be the case also if the world-wide fusion programme is to realise the potential of fusion. A specific cultural highlight in working together internationally was instigated by EFDA-JET 10 years ago: the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) identified the high priority research needs for ITER but there was no mechanism for consolidating wishes into commitments. As IEA Large Tokamak Implementing Agreement Chair, EFDA-JET established annual meetings in which the ITPA Chairs made clear which experiments were needed and the tokamak Programme Leaders committed to certain experiments and agreed on which would be done collaboratively. Another cultural highlight is EFDA-JET’s involvement with EIROforum, a partnership of the European International Research Organisations CERN, EFDA-JET, EMBL, ESA, ESO, ESRF, EU.XFEL and ILL. Experiences and good practices are shared, policy papers
| JETInsight | prepared, and actions undertaken to improve the research environment. Open access to facilities and results is one such practice of major importance for publicly-funded research and one that is at the very heart of EFDA.
How long do you think JET could or should contribute to fusion research? With the recent upgrades, JET will be even closer to ITER conditions and ready to address issues that have yet to be resolved completely. We’ve seen the H-mode and improved H-mode translate to JET, but other effects do not and are unlikely to translate to ITER. In my view, JET must operate again with D-T and with ELM-control coils to capitalise on the understanding that will be gained from the ITER-Like-Wall and increased heating power. The demonstration of a fully integrated scenario at high performance and in D-T would be a major step forward, strengthening the scientific foundations of ITER. This opportunity must not be missed.
Could JET serve as a blueprint for ITER with respect to international collaboration? Yes, I believe so. JET has always been a truly international project. At present, the 300 European researchers involved in JET experiments are complemented by more than 100 from the US, Japan, the Russian Federation, China, Korea, Brazil, India and Kazakhstan. Going forward by integrating fully the world-wide fusion community into the JET programme would bring scientific, technical, organisational and cultural benefits to the ITER Members as they prepare for ITER operation.
Michael, thank you very much for sharing with us your highly interesting insights into JET history and its possible future. We wish you all the very best for your future.
The father of JET and ITER commemorated On November 21, a celebration was held at JET to commemorate the life and work of Donato Palumbo, involving personal recollections from former colleagues, friends and family.
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n 1958, in the heady times following the declassification of fusion research, theoretical physicist Donato Palumbo was asked to set up a European fusion program within Euratom. He was not enthusiastic because he thought the task was too hard, but took the job anyway. Little did he know that this task would engage him for the next thirty years, and his influence would propel Europe to the forefront of fusion research. “Without him, there would be no European Fusion Programme.” said Catherine Cezarsky, Chair of the Consultative Committee for Euratom – Fusion (CCE-FU). Umberto Finzi, the European Commission’s Coordinator for Energy and the Environment echoed these sentiments “Palumbo had scientific skills, but also a lot of political skills and diplomatic sensitivity, which made possible JET, and is making possible ITER at the world level.”
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FUSION in europe | JETInsight |
20 YEARS OF FUSION POWER
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celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the preliminary tritium experiment – the first generation of fusion power ever – followed the palumbo commemoration. More than fifty staff attended in person, and a number of associations connected via video to hear
an inspirational talk by the session leader for the first pte experiments, alan gibson. Dr gibson recreated the euphoric mood of the time with excerpts from the Jet log, personal stories and media reports from the time, such as one naming Jet staff as “our fusion heroes!” impromptu recollections from people who were there in 1991 concluded the afternoon, and the crowd spilled into the foyer for afternoon tea optimistic about future tritium experiments.
EFDA Leader Francesco Romanelli presents a plaque to Donato Palumbo’s son Carlo.
One of Professor Palumbo’s many innovations was to design a unique relationship between the fusion laboratories and the Commission, in the form of Associations with a shared funding model and preferential support for projects. In addition, he understood the need for a large joint venture following the successful results of the Russian tokamak T3 in 1968. Thus he set up JET as a joint undertaking between the Commission and the Euratom member states. Former ITER director Robert Aymar stressed the importance of Palumbo’s structure: “The fusion programme was protected from pressure from governments and not directly managed by the Commission". To mastermind such an agreement in the “intricate environment” of the European politics was an achievement.
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“He was a master of bargaining” said Catherine Cesarsky. During the official opening of JET in 1984, Professor Palumbo was famously asked by Queen Elizabeth how he had managed to achieve an agreement for JET. “By disobeying orders” was his reply. This response did not endear him to administrators, who threatened to fire him if he repeated the stunt. Professor Palumbo was undaunted, as he was no stranger to conflict; he recalled at times encountering “considerable difficulty, even hostility”. However his colleagues recalled that his “unflinching confidence was a great help to keep the mo rale high.” Romano Toschi, former director of NET, recalled Palumbo’s confidence throughout the early eighties. Palumbo established a design team to work on an experiment to follow JET, known as NET. After the Gorbachev-Reagan meeting put fusion back on the international agenda in 1985, Palumbo’s perseverance came to fruition; the expertise developed by the NET team put them at the forefront of design for the future device, now named ITER. Reflecting on Donato Palumbo’s legacy, EFDA Leader Francesco Romanelli called for similar dedication, vision and courage today. “We need to adapt our organisation to the challenges of the ITER era. We need again the longer term view of Palumbo, and courage in all of us to take the necessary steps.” Phil Dooley, EFDA
| JETInsight |
JET GUESTbOOK Some of the nearly 1400 persons who paid a visit to JET from July through November:
■ More than 200 members /representative of european industry came for tours and discussions. ■ nearly 300 school students and their teachers visited the facilities. ■ More than 250 university students and nearly 200 scientists from various disciplines attended tours, seminars or summer schools at Jet/ccfe.
■ On 25 October, JET was pleased to welcome eight high-level representatives of Siemens AG. Dr Reinhold Achatz, the Head of Siemens’ global research organisation Corporate Research and Technologies (CT), Professor Hubertus von Dewitz, representative of Siemens’ Chief Technology Office, CT experts for new technologies and concepts as well as members of the board of Siemens Industry UK, joined Dr Lorne Horton, Head of the
EFDA JET Department and Dr Liz Surrey, Head of Beamline Physics at CCFE for a tour of Europe’s largest fusion experiment. Throughout 2011, JET has welcomed various high tech engineering companies and conglomerates, which demonstrates the continuing interest in the range of technologies being developed at JET. “As a strong player in the field of conventional and sustainable energy solutions, Siemens is interested in fusion as a potential future energy source. I am engaged in the European Fusion Industry Innovation Forum with the aim to intensify the links between fusion research and industry, to foster the education of experts who will build future fusion power plants and to contribute to the definition of a demonstration power plant, which EFDA carries out in dialogue with industry. Just like the Apollo space programme triggered innovations, which brought immense progress to society, technologies developed by fusion research will be highly interesting for other fields of application. Heat resistant materials based on tungsten, are just one such example. They generate considerable interest in numerous applications, for instance in gas turbines.” Hubertus von Dewitz, Siemens Chief Technology Office
■ Nine Dutch science journalists visited JET on 1 November, accompanied by representatives of the Dutch EURATOM-Association. The visit was organised by the FOM Institute for Plasma Physics in order to advertise fusion in general and the newly upgraded JET facility in particular. EFDA-Leader Francesco Romanelli welcomed the group and presented the history of fusion and the new capabilities of JET. Tony Donné, Head of Research Unit of the Association Euratom-FOM, followed up with a talk about how Dutch fusion research lines up with the JET and the ITER programmes. Then the group had a tour of the torus hall and surrounding areas. Highlights were on-site talks about the upgraded neutral beams, remote handling and diagnostics, the new ITER-Like-Wall, and the JET control room. A net-
working lunch, including Dutch staff working at JET, rounded up the event and gave the visitors the chance to make interview appointments with the JET staff. Gieljan de Vries, MSc, FOM
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FUSION in europe | Community | People |
Outstanding scientists honoured at its annual conference, held from June 27 – July 1 2011, the plasma physics Division of the european physical society continued its promotion of excellence in research by rewarding researchers who have achieved outstanding scientific or technological results. The 2011 divisional Hannes Alfvén Prize was awarded to Patrick Diamond from the University of California and the National Fusion Research Institute in Korea, to Akira Hasegawa from Osaka University, Japan, and to Kunioki Mima, from the Graduate School for the Creation of New Photonics Industries at Kamamatsu, Japan, for “laying the foundations of modern numerical transport simulations and key contributions on self-generated zonal flows and flow shear decorrelation mechanisms which form the basis of modern turbulence in plasmas.” The energy and particle transport associated with plasma turbulences is an important parameter for the confinement of a fusion plasma. Diamond, Hasegawa and Mima substantially advanced the development
From left: Keishi Sakamoto, Alexander Litvak and Manfred Thumm
The 2011 Plasma Physics Innovation Prize is awarded to Alexander Litvak from the Institute of Applied Physics of Russian Academy of Sciences, to Keishi Sakamoto from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency
From left: Kunioki Mima, Akira Hasegawa, Patrick Diamond and Carlos Hidalgo
of simulations to predict turbulent transport. Their results have already been partly confirmed in tokamak and stellarator experiments and provide the basis for further developing prediction of transport in future fusion devices. and to Manfred Kaspar Andreas Thumm from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , Germany for “for outstanding contributions to the realisation of a high power gyrotron for multi-megawatt long-pulse electron cyclotron heating and current drive on magnetic confinement plasma devices“. Electron-cyclotron resonance is a modern and efficient method for plasma heating and current drive. The systems are based on gyrotrons – very powerful microwave sources, which generate radiation at megawatt power levels and in long-pulse regimes. The teams led by Litvak, Sakamoto and Thumm contributed substantially to the theoretical and experimental research and innovation on high power, long pulse gyrotrons.
The EPS PhD Research Award is a key element to recognise the exceptional quality of work carried out by young scientists. In 2011 the judging committee gave awards to Stefan Kneip, Imperial College, UK, for the investigation of laser generation of x-rays, including the study of electron acceleration in the bubble regime and experimental demonstration of self-guiding.
From left: Julian Schulze, Mierk Schwabe and Stefan Kneip
Julian Schulze, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, for his research on electron heating in capacitively coupled radio frequency discharges, including contributions on electrical asymmetry effects affecting ion energy distribution.
Mierk Schwabe, Max-Planck Institute for Extraterres trial Physics, Germany, for her research on dynamical effects in complex plasmas studying phenomena ordinarily described by fluid dynamics at the level of individual particles.
Carlos Hidalgo, Chair EPS Plasma Physics Division
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more information: http://plasma.ciemat.es/awards.shtml
| Community | People |
New Heads of Research Unit appointed
Swedish Association EURATOM-VR GÖRAN ERICSSON Professor Göran Ericsson “As Head of Research is the leader of the fusion Unit of the Association neutron diagnostic group at the Department of Physics EURATOM-VR, I hope and Astronomy, Uppsala to promote a closer col- University, Sweden. He oblaboration between the tained his PhD in high engroups of the Swedish ergy physics at Uppsala University in 1988. He conuniversity-based tinued with a two-year Association and also post-doc at the University strengthen the success- of Lund, Sweden, working on instrumentation, experful participation of the imentation and simulations VR Association in for heavy ion experiments. EFDA with a special From 1991, Professor Ericview to ITER” sson worked for two years as Senior Research Engineer in the carbon-14 dating group at the Uppsala University Tandem accelerator lab. In 1993 he was appointed a research fellowship within the newly formed fusion neutron diagnostic group at Uppsala University, and became Group Leader in 2007. Ericsson has taught energyrelated courses at Uppsala University and supervised a large number of Diploma theses and PhD students. He has been Deputy Dean of department and serves in the advisory body of one of the Civil Engineering teaching programs at Uppsala University. Professor Ericsson has served on the Swedish Advisory Committee for fusion during the 2000’s and in the EFDA-STAC since 2010. In July 2011 he was appointed Head of the Swedish Research Unit Euratom-VR.
Association EURATOM-Belgian State BERNARD KNAEPEN Bernard Knaepen has been a Professor in the “As Head of Research Physics Department at Université Libre de Unit at ULB, I plan to Bruxelles (ULB) since focus the activities of 2006. He graduated from this institute in the group on the mod1995 and obtained his eling of liquid metal PhD in 1999 on the flows under strong subject of gauge anomalies in quantum magnetic fields, such field theory. Just after as those encountered finishing his PhD, he visited the Department in prototype fusion of Applied Mathemablankets, and on the tics and Theoretical Physics of Cambridge study of particle transUniversity (UK) for six port in magnohydromonths and became dynamic turbulence.” interested in fluid dynamics and plasma turbulence. During his post-doc at Stanford University (USA) in 2002-2003, he specialized in liquid-metal magnohydrodynamic turbulence and numerical simulations which are now his main topics of research. He established these research areas at ULB after receiving a European Young Investigator Award from the European Science Foundation in 2005. Professor Knaepen is also interested in high school physics teaching as he currently is responsible for the physics didactic programme for masters students at his university.
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FUSION in europe | Community | In dialogue |
Camp of brilliant brains
The 23rd European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Helsinki JET is pleased to welcome this year’s prize winner, Azza Faiad, from Egypt. The 16 year-old impressed the jury with her project named: “Production of hydrocarbon fuel by catalytic cracking of high density polyethylene wastes”. Azza investigated the potential use of waste plastics as a fuel source, testing a variety of catalytic converters.
S
ometimes even the rich English language does not provide enough vocabulary. Esteemed representatives of renowned institutions used in their speeches words such as “bright”, “talented”, and “enthusiastic” tirelessly. However, these are insufficient words to describe the the young scientists presenting their work at the European Union Contest for Young Scientist”, EUCYS for short. The perseverance and seriousness with which these 16 to 20 year old students pursue their projects is astonishing. This generation of highly motivated young researchers has no shyness, no hesitation to travel 1,000 miles or more from their home city to present their project in a foreign language. Morten Lennholm, a scientist at JET attended EUCYS to deliver a talk about the science in JET. He had the chance to visit many stands. He was extremely impressed “I was thinking back, when I was their age, I would not have had the initiative and the motivation to do the job they have done”.
The award ceremony took place at Helsinki University festival hall, a marvellous Empire style building. After the prizes were handed out, one could see the relief on all the faces, and the disappointment on those who hadn’t won a prize. However, it was a pleasure to exchange information with the next generation of researchers. And it somehow comforting that these clever scientists turned back into young people, laughing and flirting, enjoying their scientific adventure, their life, the opposite sex and the prospects of their promising future. Petra Nieckchen, EFDA more information: http://eucys2011.tek.fi/ Watch an interview with azza: http://tinyurl.com/azzafaidad
EUCYS has a long history. Initiated in 1968, it was reborn in 1989 when the European Commission donated the first cash prizes under its patronage. Over the years more and more organisations have shown interest in encouraging the next generation and donated prizes. Since 2000 the EIROforum members offer a week’s stay in their organisation. More recently industry have been realising the great opportunity this camp of brilliant brains presents for picking out potential employees. The prizes awarded by the EIROs are an invaluable opportunity for the promising students to meet ‘real’ scientists, to give a presentation on their project and, importantly, to start networking. (Picture: P. Nieckchen, EFDA)
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| Community | In dialogue
Get your hands on, run experiments, try things out
„Y
our ideas create change!“ is the motto of Germany’s large science and technology event IdeenExpo. The Expo targets children, teenagers and young adults, and presents career and educational options in scientific and technical occupations. In this way, IdeenExpo aims to combat the emerging shortage of skilled personnel in these areas. Between 27 August and 4 September, the Expo welcomed 310,000 visitors, most of whom were school classes. IPP together with Augsburg University contributed to the event with a hands-on station where visitors could try experiments on their own. The station raised so much interest that soon the presenters nearly lost their voices.
Large interest for Fusion: IPP PhD student Christian Wimmer on the right, Lower-Saxony’s science minister Professor Johanna Wanka second from left. (Picture: IdeenExpo GmbH)
Many teachers took the opportunity to inform themselves about fusion or enquire for potential visits to IPP. IdeenExpo usually draws a large number of high ranking politicians and this year welcomed German president Christian Wulff and several federal ministers. Julia Sieber, IPP
Home-made neutrons Milan Ripa from IPP Prague recounts how he helped a high school student to build a fusor.
I
t all began with a single question: „Is it possible to generate an electric current directly from a plasma?“. Thus wrote high school student Peter Svihra from Martin, Slovakia to IPP Prague. As usual, I sent the answer. More emails followed. One year later Peter asked me to review his “We report „Thermonuclear Fusion“ and were glad we made I began to give him advise on his studies. Peter and his schoolmathe second place. The first since then, several fusors have been tes, Birivan Nabova and Michal prize was a trip to CERN. But built by students and other non-sciRa˘cko were taking part in the we were more interested in the entists. Slovak student competition The Slovak fusor trio reached “CASCADE projects 2011”, orCOMPASS tokamak than in the final of the CASCADE competiganised by the University of Zithe Large Hadron Collider!” tion and eventually won second place. lina. The application included The prize was a trip to Prague, where presentation and experimental PETER SVIHRA Peter visited the COMPASS tokamak and work and the three students decided met Petr Hoffer from IPP Prague, who would to build a fusor machine. also like to build a fusor device. A fusor is a spherical accelerator, which
“shoots” hydrogen nuclei into the sphere’s centre fast enough to fuse. In 2006, a US high school student built one of the first fusors as a neutron source, and
The author thanks Jan Mlynar, IPP Prague, for assisting with the translation
explore the fusor community: http://www.fusor.net.
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FUSION IN EUROPE | NewsFlash |
NEWSFLASH European Doctoral College on Fusion attracts great interest On 7 November, the Erasmus Mundus International Doctoral College in Fusion Science and Engineering opened the application process. The published list of more than 25 proposed topics for eight doctoral scholarships, which start next year, generated immediate interest: Within eleven days, 18 students had already started the online application process. The first PhD programmes will start in September 2012. The thesis topics cover fields of physics and engineering which address the major remaining challenges on the quest for fusion power and are therefore seen as vital elements of today’s education of future fusion experts: Subjects include: Tokamak physics and technology for ITER and beyond; Stellarator and reversed field pinch research; Plasma-Wall interaction and materials research; Plasma theory and computational physics; Diagnostics and plasma control. Funded with about five million Euros, the programme runs over five years and supports 40 PhD students in total. Every year, it grants eight doctoral scholarships, which last for three years. The programme offers a wide diversity of research opportunities through its consortium of 19 European partner institutions from eight European countries, the ITER Organization and nine associated partners from China, Japan, Russia and the USA. The deadline for online applications is 15 January, 2012. More information: http://www.em-fusion-dc.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS 20th Plasma-Surface Interaction Conference In Aachen, Germany, from 20 May until 25 May 2012 Registration is open now! Further information plus posters and flyers to download: www.fz-juelich.de/psi2012
ESCAMPIG 2012 XXI Europhysics Conference on the Atomic and Molecular Physics of Ionized Gases Viana do Castelo, Portugal 10–14 July 2012 Deadlines for Abstract Submission: February 24th, 2012; Early Registration: April 16th, 2012 More information: http://escampig2012.ist.utl.pt
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28 european countries signed an agreement to work on an energy source for the future: EFDA provides the framework, JET, the Joint European Torus, is the shared experiment, fusion energy is the goal.
Austrian Academy of Sciences AUSTRIA
B E LG I U M
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences B U LG A R I A
University of Cyprus CYPRUS
Institute of Plasma Physics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic CZECH REPUBLIC
University of Tartu E S TO N I A
Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation FINLAND
Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique FRANCE
GERMANY
GERMANY
EURATOM Hellenic Republic GREECE
Hungarian Academy of Sciences HUNGARY
Dublin University IRELAND
Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l’energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile I TA LY
Ministère de l’Energie LU X E M B U R G
University of Malta M A LTA
Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion POLAND
Instituto Superior Técnico PORTUGAL
Ministry of Education and Research ROMANIA
Comenius University S LO VA K I A
Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology S LO V E N I A
Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas S PA I N
Swedish Research Council SWEDEN
Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas SWITZERLAND
FOM – Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter THE NETHERLANDS
UNITED KINGDOM
Association EURATOM – University of Latvia L AT V I A
DENMARK
Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik GERMANY
Lithuanian Energy Institute LITHUANIA
Our partners:
FRANCE
F4E, S PA I N
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EUROPEAN FUSION DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
ISSN 1818-5355