News – Page 35 – Fusion Group

First results of NSTX-U

November 8, 2016November 8, 2016

The new NSTX-U center stack (photo by Elle Starkman/PPPL).

Researchers from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratories (PPPL) presented first results from the research on the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) at the 26th International Atomic Energy Agency Conference (IAEA) in Kyoto, Japan.

The upgrade finished in May 2016 made the NSTX-U the most powerful fusion facility of its kind, since it doubled the magnetic field strength, plasma current and heating power capability of the predecessor facility. To achieve this the central stack (solenoid) was widened.

New flexible neutral particle beam system for improved control of fusion energy

October 25, 2016October 25, 2016

Researchers working at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility at General Atomics (GA), in collaboration with scientists from University of California-Irvine and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, have created an important new tool for controlling energy-producing plasma in fusion devices. This work will be published in the January 2017 edition of Nuclear Fusion.

BSC Fusion Group at the IAEA Fusion Energy Conference in Kyoto, Japan

October 22, 2016October 22, 2016

This week, 17-22 October 2016, our Fusion Group member Shimpei Futatani has attended the 26^th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference in Kyoto, which is one of the important international conferences in the field of fusion energy research. It provides a forum for the discussion of key physics and technology issues as well as innovative concepts of direct relevance to the use of nuclear fusion as a source of energy.

JET experimental campaign in full swing

October 20, 2016October 22, 2016

2016-10-19-22-02-45 — JET control room at the end of M15-02 session on October 19.

Our Fusion Group members Mervi Mantsinen and Dani Gallart are currently on a EUROfusion mission to the Culham Center for Fusion Energy, UK, to take part in the C36b experimental campaign of the JET tokamak. The campaign started on the 10^th of October 2016 and is now in full swing.

New Record for a Fusion Reactor

October 17, 2016October 22, 2016

mit-alcator-record-1_0 — Interior of Alcator C-Mod reactor (Bob Mumgaard. PSFC)

A new world record for plasma pressure has been achieved in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak nuclear fusion reactor located at MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC).

The new record raises the mark to 2.05 atmospheres, that is a 15 percent improvement over the previous record of 1.77 atmospheres, obtained in the same fusion reactor in 2005.

Visiting Marconi Fusion – the New Fusion Supercomputer in Europe

October 6, 2016October 24, 2016

This week our Fusion Group Leader Dr Mervi Mantsinen visited the largest Italian computing centre, CINECA. Located in Bologna, Italy, CINECA hosts Marconi-Fusion, the new European High Performance Computer for fusion applications which was inaugurated on 14 September 2016.