ake2008f_e9_llewellynsmith_path-tofusionpower

8/7/2019 AKE2008F_E9_LlewellynSmith_Path-toFusionPower

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The Path to Fusion Power


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C ontextHuge increase in global energy use expected + needed to lift billionsout of povertyMeeting demand in an environmentally responsible manner will be anenormous challenge

A portfolio approach is needed (no silver bullet)

(NB Electricity only = 1/3 of total primary energy demand)` improved efficiency (encouraged by fiscal measures)` renewables * when appropriate ,

* none can meet a large % of the worlds needs, except solar which could provide 100% in principle - but big breakthroughs in cost and storageneeded

` must including large scale sources of base-load power, for whichonly options are: hydro (but potential limited), continue burning

fossil f ue ls (so carbon capture and storage important), fission , andpotentially f u sion


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FUSION` powers the sun and stars

` and a controlled magneticconfinement fusion experiment at the

Joint European T orus (JET)` (in the UK) has produced 16 MW of

fusion power

` so it worksworks

s

The big question is- when will it work reliably and economically, on the scaleof a power station?

First: What is it? Why bother? Why is it taking so long?


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WHA T IS FUSION ?

` A magnetic bottle called a tokamak keeps the hot gas away from the wall

` Challenges: make an effective magnetic bottle (now done ?)` a robust container, and a reliable system

` * ten million times more than in chemical reactions, e.g. in burning fossil fuelswhile a 1 GW coal power station would use 10,000 tonnes of coal a day, a fusion

power station would only use 1 Kg of D + T

`

Most effective fusion process involves deuterium (heavy hydrogen) and tritium(super heavy hydrogen) heated to above 100 million C :

D euterium

Tritium Neutron

Helium

+ energy (17.6MeV)*


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WHA T IS FUSION ?

` A magnetic bottle called a tokamak keeps the hot gas away from the wall

` Challenges: make an effective magnetic bottle (now done ?)` a robust container, and a reliable system

` * ten million times more than in chemical reactions, e.g. in burning fossil fuelswhile a 1 GW coal power station would use 10,000 tonnes of coal a day, a fusion

power station would only use 1 Kg of D + T

`

Most effective fusion process involves deuterium (heavy hydrogen) and tritium(super heavy hydrogen) heated to above 100 million C :

D euterium

Tritium Neutron

Helium

+ energy (17.6MeV)*


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A Fusion Power plantA Fusion Power plant would be like a conventionalone, but with a different fuel and furnace

The blanket captures energetic neutrons produced in the fusion process,which :

- react with lithium in the blanket to produce Tritium ( fuel the reactor)

- deposit their energy heat which is extracted through a cooling circuitand used to boil water and produce steam to drive a generator


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W hy bother?` Lithium in one laptop battery ( tritium from the reaction:` neutron (from fusion) + lithium p tritium + helium)` + 40 litres of water (from which heavy water/deuterium can easily be

extracted) , used to fuel a fusion power station, would provide 200,000 kW-hours =

` (EU electricity production for 30 years)/ (population) in an intrinsically safemanner with no CO 2

` Unless/until we find a barrier, this is sufficient reason to develop


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FUSION ADVA NT AGE S` unlimited fuel

` no CO 2 or air pollution

` intrinsic safety

` no radioactive ash and no long-lived radioactive waste

` competitive * electricity generation cost, if reasonableavailability(e.g 75%) can be achieved

*compared to most other carbon free electricity sources


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W hy so long?C annot demonstrate on a small scale : (power out)/ (power to

operate) grows faster than (size of fusion device) 2 need GW scale to beviable

N ot funded with any urgency otherwise from agreement on basicgeometry in 1969, could have reached todays position 15 years ago (notethat energy R&D boosted by oil crisis but then collapsed)

I t is very challenging- need to heat ~ 2000 m 3 of gas to over 100 M 0C, without it touching the

walls- find robust materials with which to make the walls (able to withstand

intense neutron bombardment and heat loads)- ensure reliability of very complex system

N evertheless huge progress: from T3 to JET and from JET to ITER (later)


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T3: Volume ~1 m 3

Temperature ~ 3 M 0CEstablished tokamak asbest configuration (1969)

Progress in FusionProgress in Fusionhas been enormous, buteven JET (currently theworlds leading fusionresearch facility) is not

large enough to be a (net)source of power

JET: Volume ~100 m 3

Temperature ~ 150 M 0CWorld record (16 MW) for fusionpower (1997 )


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MAS T

Progress` Huge strides in physics,engineering, technology` JET : 16 MW of fusionpower ~ equal to heatingpower.

` Ready to build a Giga Watt-scale tokamak: I TER expected to produce 10 xpower needed to heat theplasma

` [P i =pressure in plasma;`

E = (energy inplasma)/(power supplied tokeep it hot)]


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NEX T ST E PS FOR FUSIONC onstruct ITER (International Tokamak Ex perimentalReactor)

energy out = 10 v energy in

burning plasma

During construction, further improve tokamak performance inexperiments at JET, DIII-D,AS DEX-U, JT- 60further developtechnology, and continue work on alternative configurations[Spherical Tokamaks (pioneered in UK), Stellarators]

Intensified R&D on i) materials for plasma facing andstructural components and test of materials at the proposedInternational Fusion Materials I rradiation Facility (IFMIF),and ii) fusion technologies


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JET (to scale)

ITER


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A im - demonstrateintegrated physics andengineering on the scale of apower station

Key ITER technologiesfabricated and tested byindustry

5 Billion Euro constructioncost (will be at Cadarache insouthern France)

Partners house over half the worlds population

IT E R


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Transition to H mode at M A ST (at C ulham, UK)

After : The edge of the plasma isvery sharp and energycontainment improves so theplasma pressure you can maintainis bigger

B efore : the edge of the plasmais fuzzy and energy

containment is poor


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Spherical Tokamaks` Based on promising, more compact but less developed, configuration

than JET and ITER - use magnetic field much more efficiently (but face other challenges):

STARTSTART (Culham, UK 1991-1998, first substantial Spherical Tokamak)raised world record for key figure of merit F ( = ratio of plasmato magnetic pressure) from 13% to 40% !

` Many STs built subsequently: worlds leading STs are` NSTX (Princeton) and MAS T (Culham):


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Spherical TokamaksMaking important contributions to conventional tokamak physics

` different shape new perspective

Could play vital role as a Component Test Facility in the medium-

term` A CTF, which would test whole components (blankets, welds,

joints,), is a highly desirable (perhaps essential) step between I TERand a prototype power station

Could, in long-run, be basis for (smaller and simpler) power stations` No superconducting magnets cheaper and simpler


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FUSION F A ST TR AC K

` D uring ITER construction

` operate JET, DIII-D,JT60 p speed up/improve I TERoperation

` In parallel intensify materials work (approve and build IFMIF as soon as possible) and development of fusiontechnologies (magnets, remote handling, heating systems,fuel cycle, safety,)

` T hen , having assimilated results from I TER and IFMIF,build a

Prototype Power Plant ( DE MO)

` Fusion a reality in our lifetimes


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Fast Track - Pillars Only

year 02005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050

4525 30 35 405 10 15 20

conceptual design

operation: priority materials

conceptual design

construction

construction

upgrade,construct operate

Todaysexpts.

licensing

H & Doperation

low-duty D-Toperation

high-duty D-T operation

TBM: checkout andcharacterisation

TBM performance tests & post-exposure tests

second D-T operation phaseITER

E

EDA(design) other materials testingI

MI

engineering designconstruction phase 1

blanket construction

phase 2blanket

construction&installation

operation phase 1operation phase 2

blanketdesign

phase 2 blanketdesign

licensing

DEMO(s)

engineering designconst ruct ion opera te

licensing

CommercialPower plants

blanketoptimisation

plasma performanceconfirmation

designconfirmation

technology issues (e.g. plasma-surface interactions)

plasmaissues

singlebeam

licensing licensing

plasmaconfirmation

materialsoptimisation

plasmaoptimisation

mobilis-ation

materialscharacterisation

R & D on alternative concepts and advanced materials

impacts of advances impacts of advances impacts of advances impacts of advances impacts of advances


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Role of Fusion in 2100?A 1998 study (using MA RKAL ) by the Netherlands Energy Research

Foundation (ECN) looked at potential role of fusion in the EuropeanEnergy market *

* a world study is currently being made in the framework of the

European Fusion Development Agreement

Some of the assumptions (e.g. 2100 cost of oil = $30/barrel!) no longerlook reasonable, others still valid (e.g. expected cost of fusion energy)

` all such modelling is of course subject to enormous uncertainties (especially on

discount rate and environmental targets)` modelling = exploration of what might happen, not prediction of what will

happen


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Outcome of EC N modellingWith no constraint on carbon, coal is dominant

Fusion plays an important role with atmospheric CO 2 limited to ~ 600ppm or less, or a carbon tax of 30/tonne or moreThis conclusion is relatively insensitive to other assumptions it is very hard to meet expected demand with carbon constrained e.g. changing assumptions to allow more fission reduces gas, not fusion *

* unless unlimited fission allowed at ~ current uranium price/without

fast breeders which seems unlikely


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C onclusions on FusionDEMO could be putting fusion power into the grid in under 30

years, givenFunding* to begin IFMIF in parallel with ITER, plus technology

development and start of design of D EMONo major adverse surprises

*world fusion funding ~ $1.5 billion pa [c/f electricity (energy)market ~ $1.5 trillion ($4.5 trillion) p.a.]

The cocktail of energy sources that are needed (plus improved

efficiency)to meet the energy challenge must include large-scalesources of base load electricity fusion is one of very few options

ake2008f_e9_llewellynsmith_path-tofusionpower

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