A Review of Fusion and Tokamak Research Towards Steady-State Operation: A JAEA Contribution

Kikuchi, M.

doi:10.3390/en3111741

Cited by 21 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 147 publications

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“…By providing a means to transfer the heat generated from the fusion reaction to the conventional steam power plant, the fusion energy can be converted to electrical energy [ 5 ]. Presently, the fusion energy conversion technology is in its initial stages and requires substantial research and development in order to achieve sustainable fusion process thereby paving a path for the development of commercially viable fusion reactors in future.…”

Section: Nuclear Fusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forced flow cryogenic cooling in fusion devices: A review

Vaghela

Lakhera

Sarkar

2021

Heliyon

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The constantly increasing energy consumption along with the depleting fossil fuel resources as well as owing to the fact that the nuclear fission not being an intrinsically safe method of energy generation, it has become necessary to look for other solutions to fulfil the future energy demands. Nuclear fusion, the source of energy for billions of stars, has attracted the attention of scientists and engineers despite a lot of technical challenges in the replication of the fusion process in laboratories. For fusion to take place in a device, one of the major challenges faced is the strong magnetic confinement of the plasma using large superconducting (SC) magnets, which need efficient cryogenic cooling techniques to maintain the required low temperatures for the superconducting state. In order to maintain the compactness, the SC magnets generally employ Cable in Conduit Conductor (CICC) windings, carrying high current densities, which are cooled by the forced flow of helium at ~4 K temperature to maintain the required superconducting temperatures. The construction of CICC aims to maintain the superconductivity state by optimization of various parameters such as thermal stability, the ratio of normal conductor to SC material, mechanical strength, low hydraulic impedance, current density, magnetic field, etc. The cryogenic thermal stability of the CICC is of prime importance for safe, stable and reliable operation of SC magnets. The prediction of thermal and hydraulic behavior of the CICC in large SC magnets is difficult due to the complex geometry involved, the variation in fluid properties, various heat in-flux incidences over the long length of CICC and a complex heat transport phenomenon. Another application which utilizes a forced flow cryogenic cooling in the fusion devices is a cryo-adsorption pump for creating clean and high vacuum with large pumping speed. This paper presents an overview of the forced flow cryogenic cooling schemes in fusion devices along with a systematic review of the thermal and hydraulic studies related to CICC and cryo-adsorption pump, thereby highlighting the challenges and opportunities for further improvement in their design and performance.

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Section: Nuclear Fusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forced flow cryogenic cooling in fusion devices: A review

Vaghela

Lakhera

Sarkar

2021

Heliyon

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“…After the nuclear fusion reaction of hydrogen was identified as the source of solar energy in the 1920s [29], scientists began to study controlled thermonuclear fusion for sustainable energy production in the 1950s [30]. The tokamak is a device that magnetically confines hightemperature plasmas essential for steady thermonuclear reactions [31], and now it is the most dominant and actively studied device for nuclear fusion research [32]. Tokamaks are composed of strong magnets for confining plasmas, several wall-components in a vacuum vessel for protection, heating devices, and diagnostic devices, which require knowledge across diverse fields: plasma physics, numerical simulations, diagnostics, material science, and engineering [31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring national capability over big science’s multidisciplinarity: A case study of nuclear fusion research

2019

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In the era of big science, countries allocate big research and development budgets to large scientific facilities that boost collaboration and research capability. A nuclear fusion device called the “tokamak” is a source of great interest for many countries because it ideally generates sustainable energy expected to solve the energy crisis in the future. Here, to explore the scientific effects of tokamaks, we map a country’s research capability in nuclear fusion research with normalized revealed comparative advantage on five topical clusters—material, plasma, device, diagnostics, and simulation—detected through a dynamic topic model. Our approach captures not only the growth of China, India, and the Republic of Korea but also the decline of Canada, Japan, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Time points of their rise and fall are related to tokamak operation, highlighting the importance of large facilities in big science. The gravity model points out that two countries collaborate less in device, diagnostics, and plasma research if they have comparative advantages in different topics. This relation is a unique feature of nuclear fusion compared to other science fields. Our results can be used and extended when building national policies for big science.

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“…Nuclear fusion is the natural phenomenon producing energy in the Sun and other stars in the rest of the Universe. The possibility to reproduce this process on Earth, in a controlled way, would introduce a new energy source with several potential benefits [1,2]. A power plant based on fusion would provide more energy for a given weight of fuel than any fuel-consuming energy source currently in use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the plasma is ionized and it is a good current conductor, it can reach a current of some megamperes. Thanks to the Joule effect complemented by the use of external heating sources such as radiofrequency (at ion or electron cyclotron resonance frequencies) or neutral beam injection, the plasma temperature can reach values sufficient for the occurrence of fusion reaction [1]. The CS is used to generate a magnetic flux in order to sustain the current inside the hot plasma.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Installation, Commissioning and Tests of Four Fast Switching Units of up to 20 kA for the JT-60SA Nuclear Fusion Experiment

Lampasi

Burini²,

Taddia³

et al. 2018

Energies

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The nuclear fusion project JT-60SA is presently under construction in Naka (Japan) as a joint collaboration between Europe and Japan, within the framework of the Broader Approach Agreement. According to such agreement, the various JT-60SA systems are supplied by European and Japanese institutions. In particular, the Italian Agency ENEA was in charge for the procurement of the four Switching Network Units (SNUs) for the JT-60SA Central Solenoid (CS). The main SNU function is to interrupt a DC current up to 20 kA in a short time (less than 1 ms) in order to produce an overvoltage of up to 5 kV, crucial to generate and sustain the fusion plasma. The SNU design, manufacturing and factory test activities have been completed in 2016. After the delivery in Naka, the four SNUs have been installed and successfully commissioned in 2017. After an overview on the main technical characteristics of the SNUs and the key aspects of their design, this paper describes the activities performed on-site, highlighting the results obtained during the final acceptance tests and comparing them with the design simulation and the factory test results.

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A Review of Fusion and Tokamak Research Towards Steady-State Operation: A JAEA Contribution

Cited by 21 publications

References 147 publications

Forced flow cryogenic cooling in fusion devices: A review

Forced flow cryogenic cooling in fusion devices: A review

Measuring national capability over big science’s multidisciplinarity: A case study of nuclear fusion research

Installation, Commissioning and Tests of Four Fast Switching Units of up to 20 kA for the JT-60SA Nuclear Fusion Experiment

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