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Overview of the european fusion programme
Fusion Engineering and Design 8 (1989) 3-7 North-Holland, Amsterdam
OVERVIEW
OF THE EUROPEAN
FUSION PROGRAMME
Ch. MAISONNIER Director
of the Fusion
Programme,
Commission
of the European
Communities,
B-1049
Brussels,
Belgium
and R. TOSCHI Leader
of the NET-Team,
D-8046
Garching.
Fed. Rep. Germany
An overview of the European Fusion Programme is given and its near-term and long-term strategies are outlined. With the long-term energy problem worldwide as background, the role of thermonuclear fusion research is discussed in the context of energy sources having the potential to supply a substantial fraction of the electrical energy needs in the future. The European Fusion Programme, which is designed to lead in due course to the joint construction of prototypes with a view to their industrial production and marketing, is implemented by a sliding programme concept, i.e. through five-year programmes which overlap for about two years. The main objectives of the proposed 1987-1991 programme are outlined, with emphasis on the role of the Next Step (a Next European Torus or an International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), of the JET Joint Undertaking, of the Associated Laboratories, and of the European industry; and on the importance of international cooperation which has been established by bilateral framework agreements on fusion, by several multiIateral implementing agreements in the frame of the IEA (OECD), and by the quadripartite cooperation of EURATOM, Japan, USA and USSR in the conceptual design of an International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor under the auspices of the IAEA.
the relation of the European Fusion Programmeto the other world fusion programmesis briefly outlined.
1. Introduction
The dimensionand importance of the problem of energy resourcesworldwide can be illustrated by a few figures: In 1986, the primary energy consumption of the EuropeanCommunities(having about 6% of the world population) was about 1.07x 10’ tons of oil equivalent (toe), i.e. about 14% of the world primary energy consumption. The European Community countries spent about 60BioECU ((1986values,1 ECU = 1.15 US Dollar) for the import of energy products coming from Third Countries.An assessment of the energy needsof the various nationsindicatesthat in the long-term world energy consumptionwill further rise. Starting from a brief view to possiblefuture energy sourcesthe paper outlines the reasonswhy nuclear fusion is conducted as a common programme of the European Communitiesand what the strategy of its Programmeis. In particular, somedetails of the proposed1987-1991Fusion Programmeare given including the involvement of the Europeanindustry. Finally,
0920-3796/89/$03.50
2. Future energy sources
Coal, fission, nuclear fusion, and perhapssolar are probably the only energysourceshaving the potential to supply a substantial fraction of the electrical energy needsin the long-term. The large scaledeployment of any of these potential energy sources- which, ultimately might well turn out to be more complementary than competitive - will dependupon an improved appreciation of their specifictechnical,environmentaland economicadvantagesand drawbacks.There will alsobe other very important factors suchas public acceptance and accessto fuel supplies. Fusion has the long-term potential to open a new way of power generation,having a moderateimpact on the environment [l], having inherent safety, and utilizing practically inexhaustibleand readily accessible fuels. As the fuel consumptionof future fusion reactorswill
0 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.
4
Ch. Maisonnier,
R. Toschi
/ The European
be very low, the electricity generatingcosts of a commercial fusion reactor will be dominated by capital investment. For instance, the amount of primary fuel consumedto generate1 Million kWh of electricity in a fusion plant is about 35 gramsof lithium converted into tritium and 10 gramsof deuterium,ascomparedto, for example240 tonnesof oilsor 360tonnesof hard coal in a fossil-fired plant. It is, however, too early to make definite statementson fusion as an economicallycompetitive energysource;preliminary studiesof the cost of fusion [l] indicate that it is of an acceptableorder of magnitude.A substantialcontribution by fusion to the world energy supply cannot be expected before well into the next century.
3. Fusion
ss a community
programme
The long-term potential of fusion - as mentioned above-justifies to vigorously continueits development, whatevercan be the short-term fluctuations of oil price. Fusion could bring an essentialcontribution to the reduction of the economic, ecological and political vulnerability of Europe in the next century. The main reasonsfor conductingresearchand developmentin the field of fusion on a Cormnunity basisare: - the scaleof human and financial resourcesrequired, suggestingthat in Europe such a developmentcould hardly be carried out on a national basis; - the long time-scaleof the effort (extending into the next century) neededto arrive at the construction of a commercialreactor; - the existence of a collective need common to all Member Statesof the EuropeanCommunity; - the realisationof a European market for European industriesin domainsof high-technologies; - in the event of success,the opening-up of a wide Community market for the Europeanreactor; - to provide a potential partner of comparablesize to the three other world fusion programmesof Japan, USA and USSR, fostering thereby international collaboration in the field of fusion; - the quality of the EuropeanFusion Programmewhich is acknowledgedworldwide.
4. The European
Fusion Programme
Fusion Programme
Ministers of the European Communitieshas included thermonuclearfusion as one of the important objectives of its Framework Programmeof Community Activity in the field of Researchand TechnologicalDevelopments. By Decision of this Council, the EuropeanFusion Programmeforms part of a long-term cooperative project embracing all activities undertaken in the Member States(including Swedenand Switzerland) in the field of controlled magneticthermonuclearfusion. It is designed to lead in due course to the joint construction of prototypes with a view to their industrial production and marketing. The route to a fusion reactor can be viewed - in a simplified picture - as a seriesof steps,asshownin fig. 1, involving the demonstration of first the scientific, then the technological and finally the economic feasibilities. Thesestepsare not independentand interact in many respects.JET (Joint EuropeanTorus), the world’s largest tokamak, now scheduledto end operation in 1992,and the medium-sizemachines(mainly tokamaks) of the associatedEuropean laboratories,contribute essentially to the scientific phase and their successful operation is the basisfor the long-term effort. NET (the Next European Torus) or the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ‘ITER’, both of which are in the conceptual design stage and could start operation around 2000, will have to fully confii the scientific feasibility of fusion and to demonstrateits technologicalfeasibility. The demonstrationof its economic feasibility will necessitatea subsequentdevice usually called a Demonstration Reactor ‘DEMO’. Although JET, NET and ITER are basedon the tokamak concept the study of other magnetic confinement systems (e.g. the stellarator or the reversed field pinch) might provide an alternative - in caseit hassubstantial advantagesover the tokamak - for DEMO.
European
Fusion
Programme
Strategy
r----------------i-------------------,----------------, 0
Mos11y
I
1
Scientilic Aims
j
Mostly
Technical Aims
I
8
Economic Feasibility
strategy
One of the key elementsof the successof thermonuclear fusion researchin Europe is the long-term strategyof the EuropeanFusionProgrammeestablished in 1983and stilI consideredvalid today. The Council of
Fig.1. TheEuropeanFusionProgramme strategy.
1 [
Ch. Maisonnier, R. Toschi / The European Furion Programme 5. The l!W7-1991
Fhgmmme
5
EUROPE Mio ECU 600
5.1. Objectives
500
Within the strategy of the European Fusion Programmethe main objectives of the period 1987-1991 are: - to establishthe physics and technology basisnecessary for the detaileddesignof the Next Step (NET or ITER); in the field of physicsand plasmaengineering, this implies the full exploitation of JET and of several medium-sizedspecialized tokamaks in existenceor in construction,and in the field of technology the strengtheningof the current fusion technology progr-e; - to embark on the detailed designof NET or ITER before the end of the programmeperiod, if the necessary data baseexists at that time; - to explore the reactor potential of somealternative lines (mainly the Stellarator and the ReversedField Pinch). 5.2. Programme
volume
The overall expenditure foreseenfor the proposed five-year period is presently estimatedat about 2300 MioECU, about 42%to be financed by the Commission of the European Communities(which will take about 0.5% of the present yearly overall budget of the European Communities)and about 58% to be funded by the National Organizations; the Fusion Programme includesabout 1300professionalsin Europe asa whole. Today, the world’s major fusion programmes (Europe, Japan, USA, USSR) are roughly comparable in overall volume. Fig. 2 illustratesthe developmentof the EC’s yearly fusion budget. Note that inertial confinement studiesare a very low-level activity in Europe. 5.3. Implementation
The Fusion Programmewhich is essentiallydevoted to magnetic confinement concepts is implemented through: - studiesin toroidal devicessuch as JET and thosein the associatedEuropeanlaboratories; - the Next EuropeanTorus which is in the conceptual designphase; - extensive technology R&D programmes[2] carried out in the associatedEuropeanlaboratoriesand the Joint ResearchCentre of the European Commtmities; - the Europeanindustry.
v
400
A L U E
300 200 100 0 76
77
76
79
60
61
62
63
64
85
86
67
EAR Fig.
2. The
yearly
fusion
expenditure values).
in
Europe
(in
1987
The implementationis executedfollowing a sliding programmeconcept, through five-year programmeswhich overlap for about 2 years. The multiannual programme proposalsare often basedon the resultsof independent evaluationscarried out by high-level expert groups. 5.4 Present situation
The European Fusion Programmehas been able to concentrate on the most promising line, the toroidal magnetic confinement, and within this approach to maintain the necessarybreadth. Scientific and technical achievements place Europe in the forefront of world-wide magneticfusion research: - JET is one of the major fusion experimentsin the world; it achieved its initial objectives for the basic performancephaseon time and in budget, and the implementationof the extension to full performance is well under way (table 1). During its first years of operation (initiated in 1983)it has madea large step towardsthe demonstrationof the scientificfeasibility of fusion [3]. - The Europeanmedium-sizetokarnakscontribute in a powerful way to the progressof fusion and to the future success of JET by experimentingwith different configurations, by exploring new heating methods and by developing new diagnostics. The world’s largestsuperconductingtokamak TORE SUPR4 (table 1) at Cadarache/France has now started operation and three other devices(ASDEX-UPGRADE) at Garching, FTU at Frascati, COMPASS at Culham) presently under construction will becomeoperational in 1988 or 1989. The construction of a fifth device (TCV at Lausanne)has started.
Ch. Maisonnier, R Toschi / The European Fwion Programme
6
Table 1 Design parameters of JET and TORE SUPRA (now in operation). The design parameters of ASDEX-UPGRADE, COMPASS, FTU and TCV, now in construction, can be found in
PV,6,71. JET
TORE SUPRA
Major radius (m) Minor radius (m) (horizontal) Minor radius (m) (vertical) Toroidal magnetic field in the plasma centre (T)
3.0
2.25
1.2
0.7
Plasma current
7 (limiter) 4 (X-point)
(MA)
Additional heating: Neutral beam injection ww Ion cyclotron resonance heating (MW) Lower hybrid drive (MW) Discharge Tritium
2.0 3.4
0.7 4.5 (superconducting magnet) 1.7 (limiter)
20
7
24
6
10
6
20
30
yes
II0
current
duration operation
(s)
- Europe is also exploring the reactor potential of Stellarators(the advancedmodular stellaratorW7-AS will start operationin Summerthis year at Garching; another stellarator is in the designphaseat Madrid) and of ReversedField Pinches(RFX at Padova is scheduledto commencein 1989), which are altemative configurationsto the tokamak. - NET is in the pre-designphase.The main performancespecificationshave been tentatively selected, resulting in a coherent set of parameterswhich is presentlybeingusedfor further optimization and for guidance of the technology programme. The NET activity will continue as planned until a possible international solution is found offering convincing guaranteesfor the Next Step. - The orderly implementationof the technology programmeis an important achievementof the recent years. The work is mostly geared to match NET/ITER milestones,but there are also some longer term developments.These efforts are concentrated in the fields of superconductingmagnets,
tritium technology, blanket design,remote handling, materials,safety and environment [2]. Outside magnetic thermonuclear fusion, “keep-intouch” activities are maintainedin the fields of laser-fusion and muon-catalysed(cold) fusion. 5.5. European
industry
Fusion has already today a large high-technology component: JET, the specializeddevicesin the associated laboratories, and the NET oriented component developmentare by themselvesa demonstrationof high technology, with spin-offs (in particular in the fields of superconductingmagnet technology, robotics and high power high frequency systems)to the benefit of other branchesof scienceand of Europeanindustry. European industry has built all thesedevices - to give an example: more than 98% in cost of JET contracts have been placed within Europe - and has already been entrusted with some long-term advanced development. Presently, fusion is awarding industrial contracts for large componentsand equipmentat a rate of about 120 MioECU per year. Industry is undertaking also somemedium-term R&D, for example the development of high-power ultra-high-frequency generators such as gyrotrons. The involvement of European industry should substantially increasewhen a decisionis taken on the start of the engineeringdesignof NET, or in general,of the Next Step.
6. International
cooperation
Magnetic fusion has a long history of international cooperationwhich providesthe benefits of sharingcosts, risk and knowledgeand offers the opportunity to achieve collectively what none of the partners could affort to achievealone. In this context, ‘the Community Fusion Programmepresentsitself as a single body in its relation with other fusion programmesin the world’, as decided by the Council of Ministers of the European Communities. Since 1976, Sweden and since 1979 Switzerland are fully associatedin the Community Fusion Programme. The EuropeanCommunity hasalwaysrecognizedthe importance of international cooperation - which is at present in rapid expansion - in the field of nuclear fusion. Specific Cooperation Agreementsof various nature-sare in existence: - Bilateral Framework Agreementson Fusion, negociated and concludedby the Commissionwith Canada,
Ch. Maisonnier,
R. Toschi
/ The European
USA, and in the conclusive phase of preparation, with Japan. Multilateral Implementing Agreements in the framework of the IEA (OECD), negotiated and concluded by the Commission in the fields of: - tokamaks (three agreements, including one on the three large devices JET, JT-60 and TFTR): - alternative lines (one, on stellarators, is already in existence, and one, on reversed field pinches, is in preparation); - fusion technology (one on superconductivity, one on material studies); - safety and environment (in technical discussion); Cooperation in the framework of the IAEA where EURATOM participated together with Japan, USA and USSR in the INTOR workshop since 1978; Agreement of Participation in the Quadripartite Cooperation of EUILATOM, Japan, USA and USSR in the conceptual design activities of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ‘ITER’ under the auspices of the IAEA. The cooperation aims to a specific goal, namely, producing by the end of 1990 a conceptual design of an ITER and coordinating supportive R&D activities. The first ITER Council meeting will take place end of April this year; the conceptual design phase of ITER is scheduled to start on May 1,1988. Garching, where the NET-Team is located, has been chosen as technical site for the joint work which is to be performed each year for a period of several months.
Conclusion The long-term strategy underlying the European Community Fusion Programme aims at developing fully
Fusion
Programme
7
the economic, environmental and safety potential of fusion. The main medium-term objective of the Programme is to lay-down the basis for the engineering design of the Nex Step; in this frame, the Quadripartite Cooperation between EURATOM, Japan, USA and USSR on the conceptual design of an International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor will play an important role.
References [l] Environmental Impact and Economic Prospects of Nuclear Fusion, report EURFU BRU/XII-828/86, Commission of the European Communities, Directorate General XII/Fusion Programme, Brussels (Nov. 1986). [2] The European fusion nuclear technology effort, J. Darvas, Fusion Engrg. Des. 8-10 (1989). in these proceedings. [3] Operational Limits and Confinement in JET, the JET-Team, Plasma Phys. and Controlled Fusion 29 (1987) 1219. [4] 0. Gruber, M. Kaufmann, W. Koppendorfer, K. Lackner, J. Neuhauser, Physics background of the ASDEX-UPGRADE project, J. Nucl. Mater. 121 (1984) 407. [5] The COMPASS Project, Application for Preferential Support Phase II, UKAEA, CuIham Laboratory, Report SP 82/108/2 (1983). [6] Frascati Tokamak Upgrade, Application for Preferential Support Phase II, ENEA (1982). [7] TCV Proposal, Application for Preferential Support Phase II, CRPP, Ecole Polytechnique FederaIe de Lausanne (1986).
OVERVIEW
OF THE EUROPEAN
FUSION PROGRAMME
Ch. MAISONNIER Director
of the Fusion
Programme,
Commission
of the European
Communities,
B-1049
Brussels,
Belgium
and R. TOSCHI Leader
of the NET-Team,
D-8046
Garching.
Fed. Rep. Germany
An overview of the European Fusion Programme is given and its near-term and long-term strategies are outlined. With the long-term energy problem worldwide as background, the role of thermonuclear fusion research is discussed in the context of energy sources having the potential to supply a substantial fraction of the electrical energy needs in the future. The European Fusion Programme, which is designed to lead in due course to the joint construction of prototypes with a view to their industrial production and marketing, is implemented by a sliding programme concept, i.e. through five-year programmes which overlap for about two years. The main objectives of the proposed 1987-1991 programme are outlined, with emphasis on the role of the Next Step (a Next European Torus or an International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), of the JET Joint Undertaking, of the Associated Laboratories, and of the European industry; and on the importance of international cooperation which has been established by bilateral framework agreements on fusion, by several multiIateral implementing agreements in the frame of the IEA (OECD), and by the quadripartite cooperation of EURATOM, Japan, USA and USSR in the conceptual design of an International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor under the auspices of the IAEA.
the relation of the European Fusion Programmeto the other world fusion programmesis briefly outlined.
1. Introduction
The dimensionand importance of the problem of energy resourcesworldwide can be illustrated by a few figures: In 1986, the primary energy consumption of the EuropeanCommunities(having about 6% of the world population) was about 1.07x 10’ tons of oil equivalent (toe), i.e. about 14% of the world primary energy consumption. The European Community countries spent about 60BioECU ((1986values,1 ECU = 1.15 US Dollar) for the import of energy products coming from Third Countries.An assessment of the energy needsof the various nationsindicatesthat in the long-term world energy consumptionwill further rise. Starting from a brief view to possiblefuture energy sourcesthe paper outlines the reasonswhy nuclear fusion is conducted as a common programme of the European Communitiesand what the strategy of its Programmeis. In particular, somedetails of the proposed1987-1991Fusion Programmeare given including the involvement of the Europeanindustry. Finally,
0920-3796/89/$03.50
2. Future energy sources
Coal, fission, nuclear fusion, and perhapssolar are probably the only energysourceshaving the potential to supply a substantial fraction of the electrical energy needsin the long-term. The large scaledeployment of any of these potential energy sources- which, ultimately might well turn out to be more complementary than competitive - will dependupon an improved appreciation of their specifictechnical,environmentaland economicadvantagesand drawbacks.There will alsobe other very important factors suchas public acceptance and accessto fuel supplies. Fusion has the long-term potential to open a new way of power generation,having a moderateimpact on the environment [l], having inherent safety, and utilizing practically inexhaustibleand readily accessible fuels. As the fuel consumptionof future fusion reactorswill
0 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.
4
Ch. Maisonnier,
R. Toschi
/ The European
be very low, the electricity generatingcosts of a commercial fusion reactor will be dominated by capital investment. For instance, the amount of primary fuel consumedto generate1 Million kWh of electricity in a fusion plant is about 35 gramsof lithium converted into tritium and 10 gramsof deuterium,ascomparedto, for example240 tonnesof oilsor 360tonnesof hard coal in a fossil-fired plant. It is, however, too early to make definite statementson fusion as an economicallycompetitive energysource;preliminary studiesof the cost of fusion [l] indicate that it is of an acceptableorder of magnitude.A substantialcontribution by fusion to the world energy supply cannot be expected before well into the next century.
3. Fusion
ss a community
programme
The long-term potential of fusion - as mentioned above-justifies to vigorously continueits development, whatevercan be the short-term fluctuations of oil price. Fusion could bring an essentialcontribution to the reduction of the economic, ecological and political vulnerability of Europe in the next century. The main reasonsfor conductingresearchand developmentin the field of fusion on a Cormnunity basisare: - the scaleof human and financial resourcesrequired, suggestingthat in Europe such a developmentcould hardly be carried out on a national basis; - the long time-scaleof the effort (extending into the next century) neededto arrive at the construction of a commercialreactor; - the existence of a collective need common to all Member Statesof the EuropeanCommunity; - the realisationof a European market for European industriesin domainsof high-technologies; - in the event of success,the opening-up of a wide Community market for the Europeanreactor; - to provide a potential partner of comparablesize to the three other world fusion programmesof Japan, USA and USSR, fostering thereby international collaboration in the field of fusion; - the quality of the EuropeanFusion Programmewhich is acknowledgedworldwide.
4. The European
Fusion Programme
Fusion Programme
Ministers of the European Communitieshas included thermonuclearfusion as one of the important objectives of its Framework Programmeof Community Activity in the field of Researchand TechnologicalDevelopments. By Decision of this Council, the EuropeanFusion Programmeforms part of a long-term cooperative project embracing all activities undertaken in the Member States(including Swedenand Switzerland) in the field of controlled magneticthermonuclearfusion. It is designed to lead in due course to the joint construction of prototypes with a view to their industrial production and marketing. The route to a fusion reactor can be viewed - in a simplified picture - as a seriesof steps,asshownin fig. 1, involving the demonstration of first the scientific, then the technological and finally the economic feasibilities. Thesestepsare not independentand interact in many respects.JET (Joint EuropeanTorus), the world’s largest tokamak, now scheduledto end operation in 1992,and the medium-sizemachines(mainly tokamaks) of the associatedEuropean laboratories,contribute essentially to the scientific phase and their successful operation is the basisfor the long-term effort. NET (the Next European Torus) or the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ‘ITER’, both of which are in the conceptual design stage and could start operation around 2000, will have to fully confii the scientific feasibility of fusion and to demonstrateits technologicalfeasibility. The demonstrationof its economic feasibility will necessitatea subsequentdevice usually called a Demonstration Reactor ‘DEMO’. Although JET, NET and ITER are basedon the tokamak concept the study of other magnetic confinement systems (e.g. the stellarator or the reversed field pinch) might provide an alternative - in caseit hassubstantial advantagesover the tokamak - for DEMO.
European
Fusion
Programme
Strategy
r----------------i-------------------,----------------, 0
Mos11y
I
1
Scientilic Aims
j
Mostly
Technical Aims
I
8
Economic Feasibility
strategy
One of the key elementsof the successof thermonuclear fusion researchin Europe is the long-term strategyof the EuropeanFusionProgrammeestablished in 1983and stilI consideredvalid today. The Council of
Fig.1. TheEuropeanFusionProgramme strategy.
1 [
Ch. Maisonnier, R. Toschi / The European Furion Programme 5. The l!W7-1991
Fhgmmme
5
EUROPE Mio ECU 600
5.1. Objectives
500
Within the strategy of the European Fusion Programmethe main objectives of the period 1987-1991 are: - to establishthe physics and technology basisnecessary for the detaileddesignof the Next Step (NET or ITER); in the field of physicsand plasmaengineering, this implies the full exploitation of JET and of several medium-sizedspecialized tokamaks in existenceor in construction,and in the field of technology the strengtheningof the current fusion technology progr-e; - to embark on the detailed designof NET or ITER before the end of the programmeperiod, if the necessary data baseexists at that time; - to explore the reactor potential of somealternative lines (mainly the Stellarator and the ReversedField Pinch). 5.2. Programme
volume
The overall expenditure foreseenfor the proposed five-year period is presently estimatedat about 2300 MioECU, about 42%to be financed by the Commission of the European Communities(which will take about 0.5% of the present yearly overall budget of the European Communities)and about 58% to be funded by the National Organizations; the Fusion Programme includesabout 1300professionalsin Europe asa whole. Today, the world’s major fusion programmes (Europe, Japan, USA, USSR) are roughly comparable in overall volume. Fig. 2 illustratesthe developmentof the EC’s yearly fusion budget. Note that inertial confinement studiesare a very low-level activity in Europe. 5.3. Implementation
The Fusion Programmewhich is essentiallydevoted to magnetic confinement concepts is implemented through: - studiesin toroidal devicessuch as JET and thosein the associatedEuropeanlaboratories; - the Next EuropeanTorus which is in the conceptual designphase; - extensive technology R&D programmes[2] carried out in the associatedEuropeanlaboratoriesand the Joint ResearchCentre of the European Commtmities; - the Europeanindustry.
v
400
A L U E
300 200 100 0 76
77
76
79
60
61
62
63
64
85
86
67
EAR Fig.
2. The
yearly
fusion
expenditure values).
in
Europe
(in
1987
The implementationis executedfollowing a sliding programmeconcept, through five-year programmeswhich overlap for about 2 years. The multiannual programme proposalsare often basedon the resultsof independent evaluationscarried out by high-level expert groups. 5.4 Present situation
The European Fusion Programmehas been able to concentrate on the most promising line, the toroidal magnetic confinement, and within this approach to maintain the necessarybreadth. Scientific and technical achievements place Europe in the forefront of world-wide magneticfusion research: - JET is one of the major fusion experimentsin the world; it achieved its initial objectives for the basic performancephaseon time and in budget, and the implementationof the extension to full performance is well under way (table 1). During its first years of operation (initiated in 1983)it has madea large step towardsthe demonstrationof the scientificfeasibility of fusion [3]. - The Europeanmedium-sizetokarnakscontribute in a powerful way to the progressof fusion and to the future success of JET by experimentingwith different configurations, by exploring new heating methods and by developing new diagnostics. The world’s largestsuperconductingtokamak TORE SUPR4 (table 1) at Cadarache/France has now started operation and three other devices(ASDEX-UPGRADE) at Garching, FTU at Frascati, COMPASS at Culham) presently under construction will becomeoperational in 1988 or 1989. The construction of a fifth device (TCV at Lausanne)has started.
Ch. Maisonnier, R Toschi / The European Fwion Programme
6
Table 1 Design parameters of JET and TORE SUPRA (now in operation). The design parameters of ASDEX-UPGRADE, COMPASS, FTU and TCV, now in construction, can be found in
PV,6,71. JET
TORE SUPRA
Major radius (m) Minor radius (m) (horizontal) Minor radius (m) (vertical) Toroidal magnetic field in the plasma centre (T)
3.0
2.25
1.2
0.7
Plasma current
7 (limiter) 4 (X-point)
(MA)
Additional heating: Neutral beam injection ww Ion cyclotron resonance heating (MW) Lower hybrid drive (MW) Discharge Tritium
2.0 3.4
0.7 4.5 (superconducting magnet) 1.7 (limiter)
20
7
24
6
10
6
20
30
yes
II0
current
duration operation
(s)
- Europe is also exploring the reactor potential of Stellarators(the advancedmodular stellaratorW7-AS will start operationin Summerthis year at Garching; another stellarator is in the designphaseat Madrid) and of ReversedField Pinches(RFX at Padova is scheduledto commencein 1989), which are altemative configurationsto the tokamak. - NET is in the pre-designphase.The main performancespecificationshave been tentatively selected, resulting in a coherent set of parameterswhich is presentlybeingusedfor further optimization and for guidance of the technology programme. The NET activity will continue as planned until a possible international solution is found offering convincing guaranteesfor the Next Step. - The orderly implementationof the technology programmeis an important achievementof the recent years. The work is mostly geared to match NET/ITER milestones,but there are also some longer term developments.These efforts are concentrated in the fields of superconductingmagnets,
tritium technology, blanket design,remote handling, materials,safety and environment [2]. Outside magnetic thermonuclear fusion, “keep-intouch” activities are maintainedin the fields of laser-fusion and muon-catalysed(cold) fusion. 5.5. European
industry
Fusion has already today a large high-technology component: JET, the specializeddevicesin the associated laboratories, and the NET oriented component developmentare by themselvesa demonstrationof high technology, with spin-offs (in particular in the fields of superconductingmagnet technology, robotics and high power high frequency systems)to the benefit of other branchesof scienceand of Europeanindustry. European industry has built all thesedevices - to give an example: more than 98% in cost of JET contracts have been placed within Europe - and has already been entrusted with some long-term advanced development. Presently, fusion is awarding industrial contracts for large componentsand equipmentat a rate of about 120 MioECU per year. Industry is undertaking also somemedium-term R&D, for example the development of high-power ultra-high-frequency generators such as gyrotrons. The involvement of European industry should substantially increasewhen a decisionis taken on the start of the engineeringdesignof NET, or in general,of the Next Step.
6. International
cooperation
Magnetic fusion has a long history of international cooperationwhich providesthe benefits of sharingcosts, risk and knowledgeand offers the opportunity to achieve collectively what none of the partners could affort to achievealone. In this context, ‘the Community Fusion Programmepresentsitself as a single body in its relation with other fusion programmesin the world’, as decided by the Council of Ministers of the European Communities. Since 1976, Sweden and since 1979 Switzerland are fully associatedin the Community Fusion Programme. The EuropeanCommunity hasalwaysrecognizedthe importance of international cooperation - which is at present in rapid expansion - in the field of nuclear fusion. Specific Cooperation Agreementsof various nature-sare in existence: - Bilateral Framework Agreementson Fusion, negociated and concludedby the Commissionwith Canada,
Ch. Maisonnier,
R. Toschi
/ The European
USA, and in the conclusive phase of preparation, with Japan. Multilateral Implementing Agreements in the framework of the IEA (OECD), negotiated and concluded by the Commission in the fields of: - tokamaks (three agreements, including one on the three large devices JET, JT-60 and TFTR): - alternative lines (one, on stellarators, is already in existence, and one, on reversed field pinches, is in preparation); - fusion technology (one on superconductivity, one on material studies); - safety and environment (in technical discussion); Cooperation in the framework of the IAEA where EURATOM participated together with Japan, USA and USSR in the INTOR workshop since 1978; Agreement of Participation in the Quadripartite Cooperation of EUILATOM, Japan, USA and USSR in the conceptual design activities of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ‘ITER’ under the auspices of the IAEA. The cooperation aims to a specific goal, namely, producing by the end of 1990 a conceptual design of an ITER and coordinating supportive R&D activities. The first ITER Council meeting will take place end of April this year; the conceptual design phase of ITER is scheduled to start on May 1,1988. Garching, where the NET-Team is located, has been chosen as technical site for the joint work which is to be performed each year for a period of several months.
Conclusion The long-term strategy underlying the European Community Fusion Programme aims at developing fully
Fusion
Programme
7
the economic, environmental and safety potential of fusion. The main medium-term objective of the Programme is to lay-down the basis for the engineering design of the Nex Step; in this frame, the Quadripartite Cooperation between EURATOM, Japan, USA and USSR on the conceptual design of an International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor will play an important role.
References [l] Environmental Impact and Economic Prospects of Nuclear Fusion, report EURFU BRU/XII-828/86, Commission of the European Communities, Directorate General XII/Fusion Programme, Brussels (Nov. 1986). [2] The European fusion nuclear technology effort, J. Darvas, Fusion Engrg. Des. 8-10 (1989). in these proceedings. [3] Operational Limits and Confinement in JET, the JET-Team, Plasma Phys. and Controlled Fusion 29 (1987) 1219. [4] 0. Gruber, M. Kaufmann, W. Koppendorfer, K. Lackner, J. Neuhauser, Physics background of the ASDEX-UPGRADE project, J. Nucl. Mater. 121 (1984) 407. [5] The COMPASS Project, Application for Preferential Support Phase II, UKAEA, CuIham Laboratory, Report SP 82/108/2 (1983). [6] Frascati Tokamak Upgrade, Application for Preferential Support Phase II, ENEA (1982). [7] TCV Proposal, Application for Preferential Support Phase II, CRPP, Ecole Polytechnique FederaIe de Lausanne (1986).