Setting JET on Track

1
Setting JET on Track
Prof. Donato Palumbo Honorary General Director
Research EURATOM 25th JET Anniversary, Culham
20th May 2004
2
Fusion Reaction D T ? 4He n

• Alpha particle
• 20 of reaction energy
• gt CONFINED
• gt PLASMA SELF HEATING
• Neutron
• 80 of reaction energy
• gt NOT CONFINED
• gt ENERGY OUTPUT and
• TRITIUM PRODUCTION

D
T
n, 14.1 MeV
4He, 3.5 MeV
3
Fusion Reactors

• Building a fusion reactor is a very challenging
  task
• Simple criterion found by Lawson (1955)
• n ? gt 1020 cm-3s
• Instabilities reducing ?
• Nevertheless n ? now
• up to 6 1019 cm-3s
• MAJOR ROLE PLAYED BY JET

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1958 - International
September 1958 Atoms for Peace (IAEA, Geneva)
L.A.Artsimovich
E.Teller
Fusion technology is very complex. It is almost
impossible to build a fusion reactor in this
century
Plasma physics is very difficult. Worldwide
collaboration needed for progress
5
How to organize collaboration ? Solution (
Palumbo Waelbroeck ) Fusion
Associations First one CEA Fontenay-aux-Roses

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to 1986
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1958-1968

• First years of EU Fusion Research Programme
• Various magnetic configurations under study
• Mirrors, Z and ?-pinches, stellarators
• Development of Plasma Heating methods
• Development of Plasma Diagnostics
• MODEST PROGRESS

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1968 - A turning point for fusion
physicsEmergence of the Tokamak
IAEA Novosibirsk (August 1968) T3 reaches 1 keV
Confirmed by 1969 Culham mission to Moscow
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1968 - A turning point for fusion physicsTOKAMAK
appears

• before 1968 very little money for fusion in
  EURATOM
• EURATOM faced risks of severe budget cuts because
  the Organic Liquid Heavy Water Reactor project
  terminates without success
• positive results from T3 inspired a bold attempt
  propose a robust fusion programme within EURATOM
• Reorientation of fusion programme (Groupe de
  Liaison 69 led by Braams)
• There is a need for
  Several small tokamaks One
  BIG tokamak

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FUSION TAKE-OFF IN EARLY 70s

• Council is positive about a robust fusion
  programme

The Councils Decision dated June 21, 1971
provides MORE MONEY FOR FUSION THAN REQUESTED
(46.5 MUC instead of 45 MUC for
1971-1975) and, even more importantly, it defines
the scope
a long-term co-operative project embracing all
work carried out in the Member States in the
field of controlled thermonuclear fusion. It is
designed to lead in due course to the joint
construction of prototypes with a view to their
industrial production and marketing.

• Switzerland and Sweden joined EURATOM
• Several tokamaks TFR very succesful (designed
  by Rebut)

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1972-1975 The scientific birth of JET

• 1972 Luc-Enriques JET working group
• Define requirements for a largetokamak reaching
  reactor conditions
• 1973
• May recommendation 3MA tokamak needed
• June
• Design group in Culham Leader is
  P.H.Rebut Supervisory board led by R.Toschi.
• September Start of design team in Culham
• November First preliminary report
• 1975 Final JET report - Famous R5

ONLY 3 YEARS FROM CONCEPT TO DESIGN
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1975-1977 Years of indecisiveness
10 Sessions of Council of Ministers to solve JET
site discussion
1977 Setting JET on Track Site ? Legal Status ?
Cost ?

• From the most difficult to the simpliest

• Siting problem solved Council of Ministers
  25 Oct 77 (led by Simonet from Belgium) Decision
  helped by Terrorist raid on Entebbe
• Legal Status Joint Undertaking, adopted by
  the Council just a week earlier
• Cost is shared 80 Commission, 10 Host
  country, 10 Associations

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1977-1983 Building JET and Reaching the First 1MA
plasmas in JET

• 18th May 1979 the foundation stonelaid by Dr G
  Brunner in Culham
• the duo H.O.Wüster and P.H.Rebut JET built on
  schedule and in budget
• 25th June 1983 first plasmain October JET is
  the first tokamak in the world reaching 1MA, and
  makes 3MA by the end of the year
• before TFTR(USA) and JT-60 (Japan)
• 19th April 1984 Official openingby H.R.M.
  Queen Elizabeth II

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• fusion programme has been managed by scientists
• freedom for the management is of prior importance
• Position of JET in EFP has been mutually
  beneficial
• Quality of Scientific Leader and of staff is
  essential
• JET has been universally judged as a big step

Conclusive remarks
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JET and ITER

• 2004
• fusion is a HOPE
• energy problems becoming critical

• 1958
• fusion was a DREAM
• energy problems important

• ITER
• facing similar problems as met by JET
• Hope for a solution soon
• Only one machine no room for mistakes !

• For a fast development of fusion power
• A parallel a substantial technology program
• Reduce delays as much as possible
• Political support
• Main responsibility on physicists and engineers
• DO IT WELL AND FAST