In the quest to harness the power of the sun here on Earth, scientists at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Their latest research, published in the journal Nuclear Fusion, delves into the intricate dance of plasma physics and the challenges of sustaining stable operation in the ITER tokamak, a critical step towards commercial fusion power.
The ITER project, an international collaboration aiming to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion power, faces a significant hurdle in its initial stages. The machine will use hydrogen or helium plasma discharges to avoid neutron production, but these plasmas require more power to reach the desired operational mode than their deuterium counterparts. This is where the work of Dr. E. Tholerus from UKAEA comes into play.
Tholerus and his team have been using the JINTRAC integrated modelling suite to simulate these plasma scenarios, providing a virtual testing ground for ITER’s operations. “We found that the originally planned 20 MW of ECRH power might not be enough to sustain stable type-I ELMy H-mode operation in hydrogen plasmas,” Tholerus explains. “Our simulations suggest that 30 MW could be required.”
However, there’s a glimmer of hope. Past experiments have shown that adding a small fraction of helium to hydrogen plasmas can significantly reduce the power threshold needed to reach the desired operational mode. If these results hold true for ITER, the project could still achieve stable operation with the originally planned power.
The implications of this research are profound. Fusion power promises a nearly limitless source of clean energy, but the path to commercialization is fraught with technical challenges. By better understanding and mitigating these hurdles, Tholerus and his team are helping to pave the way for a future where fusion power plants could be a reality.
The findings, published in Nuclear Fusion (formerly known as Nuclear Fusion), underscore the importance of integrated modelling and experimentation in advancing fusion research. As ITER moves closer to its first plasma, insights like these will be invaluable in ensuring the project’s success and, ultimately, shaping the future of the energy sector.
