the burning plasma experiment in magnetic fusion: what it is and how to do it s. c. prager...
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The Burning Plasma Experiment in Magnetic Fusion:
What it is and how to do it
S. C. PragerUniversity of Wisconsin
February, 2004
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What is a burning plasma?
A self-sustaining, self-heated plasma;
High temperature maintained by heat from fusion;
Analogous to a burning star
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• Magnetic confinement
•Two approaches to fusion energy inertial confinement, magnetic confinement
international effort since 1958,development of plasma physics as a new field,now ready for frontier of burning plasmas,new challenge for international collaboration
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Burning Plasmas
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.
Fusion power density in sun ~ 300 Watt/m3,
in burning plasmas experiment ~10 MWatt/m3
plasma physics challenge to
•Understand a burning plasma
•Create a burning plasma
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A burning plasma requires a large experiment
• Large, but “domestic-scale” (~$1B)FIRE
or
• Larger, “international-scale” (~$5B)ITER
either
Choices: domestic vs international, large vs larger
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International agreement to build ITER is almost complete
ITER partners: ChinaEuropean UnionJapanRussian FederationSouth KoreaUnited States
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Outline
• Burning plasmas - physics challenges
• Experimental options - ITER, FIRE
• US perspective
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The fusion reaction
D + T n + 10 keV 14 MeV 3.5 MeV
The Fusion Challenge
Confine plasma that is
hot (100 million Kelvin)
dense (~1014 cm-3)
well-insulated (~1 sec energy loss time)
€
} several atmospheres
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Status of Fusion Research
More than half way there, judging from
• Plasma parameters
• Physics understanding
• Timetable
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Huge advance in plasma parameters
year
fusion power
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The burning plasma regime is a reasonable extrapolation from current
experiments
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Establishing the physics basis
Fusion plasma physics developed
for example,control of turbulence and energy lossunderstanding of pressure limits
We are ready for a burning plasma experiment
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A burning plasma is self-heated by alpha particles
D + T n +
particles trapped in plasma, particles heat plasma
Generates large amount of fusion power
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prior plasma experiments
• Mostly operated without fusion fuel - no tritium
• Plasmas heated by external means
• Exceptions - JET (EU) and TFTR (Princeton) generated 16 MW for 1 sec alpha particle heating, but weak
ITER will produce 500 MW for 300 sec
350 MW for 3000 sec
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Why burning plasmas?
• New physics
• New technology
• Demonstration of fusion power
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Burning Plasma Physics
New physics from alpha particles
• Effects on stability and turbulence
• Alpha heating and burn control
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Effect of alpha particles on plasma stability
Kinetic energy of alpha particles
Plasma waves
Loss of alpha particles
Plasma cools
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The Alfven Wave
in an infinite, uniform plasma
vphase = vAlfven where vAlfven ~
€
Bρ
vphase
B
Phase velocity spectrum
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in a torus
vphase
waves driven by wave-particle resonance
Alpha particles excite wave,
Wave scatters alpha particles out of plasma
€
VAlfvenwave
=Valphaparticle
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Alpha Heating and Burn Control
temperature
reaction rate
thermal stability
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add a little alpha physics,
temperature
reaction rate
Alfven waves
loss of alphas
heating by alphas
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temperature reaction rate
Alfven waves
loss of alphas
heating by alphas
turbulence
transport
etc
add some more physics
A burning plasma is a strongly coupled system
Alpha ash accumulation
resonance
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Burning Plasma Technology
• Plasma technologyMaterials for high heat fluxesHigh field magnetsPlasma control tools
• Nuclear technologyBlankets for breeding tritiumMaterials for high neutron fluxes
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Experimental Approaches to Burning Plasmas
FIREFusion Ignition Research Experiment
Burning, but integration later
US based (~ $1B)
ITER International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor
Integrates burning and steady state
International partnership (~ $5B)
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ITER Characteristics
strongly burning: 500 MegaWatts fusion power gain ~ 10, ~ 70 % heating by alphas
Near steady state: 300 to > 3000 seconds, many characteristic physics time scales.
technology testing, power plant scale
Strongly burning plasmas in near steady-state conditions
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plasma current ~15 Meg Amps, magnetic field ~5 Tesla/SC,
temperature ~ 100 million Kelvin, density ~ 1014 m -3
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The History of ITER85 discussions begin (Reagan/Gorbachev summit)
88 - 91 Conceptual Design Activities(European Union, Japan, Soviet Union, US)
92 - 98 Engineering Design Activities
99 US withdraws
98 - 01 Design of reduced cost ITER (50%)
02 Four sites proposed (Canada, France, Japan, Spain)
03 US, China, S. Korea join negotiations
03 Sites in Canada, Spain eliminated
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Current Status
Stalemate on siteEU, Russia, China favor French siteJapan, S. Korea, U.S. favor Japanese
site
Hopefully resolved in upcoming months
Ready to build, negotiations underway on the site
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Proposed ITER Sites
Cadarache, France
Rokkasho, Japan
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Approximate ITER schedule
• Select site 2004
• Authorize construction 2004 - 5
• Construction to first plasma ~ 8 years
• Begin operation ~2015
• End operation ~2035
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FIRE Characteristics
strongly burning: 150 MegaWatts
fusion power gain ~ 10, ~ 70 % heating by alphas
quasi-stationary: ~ 20 - 40 seconds,
several characteristic physics time scales
Strongly burning plasmas in quasi-stationary conditions
FIRE is comparable in size to existing tokamaks
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FIRE
plasma current ~8 Meg Amps, magnetic field ~10 Tesla (Cu),
temperature ~ 100 million Kelvin, density ~ 5 x 1014 m -3
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FIRE and the International Program
Envisioned as part of multi-machine strategy
• Burning plasmas in FIRE
• Steady state in non-burning plasma(e.g., KSTAR in S. Korea, JT-60 SC in Japan)
Integrate at later stage, employing new knowledge and innovation from full fusion research
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FIRE Status
• Design scoping studies underway
• National effort > 15 participating institutions
• Preparing to start design in 2005
• Can be sited at one of the existing US labls
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The US strategy for a burning plasma experiment
recommended by US fusion community, not necessarily the government strategy
• Join ITER
• If ITER does not go forward, proceed with FIRE
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Summary
• A burning plasma experiment would be a huge step forward in plasma science, and establish the scientific feasibility of fusion energy
• ITER is a unique international science project, international from conception to execution
• FIRE is an attractive option if ITER should not move forward
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Extra Slides
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The Role of International Collaboration( in executing a large project)
The good• Cost sharing: essential beyond some cost
• Sharing of ideas, even in project conception
• International political support: provides stability
• International management and execution: a useful experiment, facilitates additional joint activities
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The challenges
• Joint international management and decision-making(site selection, cost-sharing, procurement,…….)
• Need for international political support(need approval and sustainment from multiple governments)
International partnership to build a multi-billion dollar science facility may be without precedent
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Fusion community perspective
• Ready/anxious to study burning plasmas
• Neutral to whether international or domestic in management
• The net result of the political pluses and minuses in unknown
• Any burning plasma experiment will have strong int’l collaboration
• Any burning plasma experiment will have huge scientific benefit for all nations; and establish the scientific feasibility of fusion energy.
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Why Fusion Energy Research?
For fundamental plasma physics
For fusion energy• Clean - no greenhouse gases, no air pollution• Safe - no catastrophic accidents• Inexhaustible - fuel for thousands of years• Available to all nations
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The US Strategy for Burning Plasmas
based on
• Three community workshops
• A 2 week community technical assessment
• Recommendations of 40 person FESAC panel
Recommended by the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (Sept, 02)
The strategy is the strong consensus of the fusion community
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Basis for the strategy
• ITER and FIRE are each attractive options for the study of burning plasma science.
• Each could serve as the primary burning plasma facility, although they lead to different fusion energy development paths
• Because additional steps are needed for the approval of construction of either FIRE or ITER, a strategy that allows for the possibility of either burning plasma option is appropriate
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Recommended Strategy for US
Join ITER negotiations
ITER will be constructed?
Join ITER project; if no go, then build FIRE
US Participates in ITER
Terminate FIRE project
Build FIRE,
yes
No
Notes: advance FIRE design until US ITER decision
recommended conditions for US participation,
set time deadline for US ITER decision (~ 7/04)