A visit to the Atomic Energy Authority

Synopsis

This visit to the Atomic Energy Authority's (UKAEA) Culham Centre for Fusion Energy will consist of an introductory talk exploring the basics of fusion energy and an overview of UKAEA’s research areas, followed by a tour of UKAEA's fusion facilities witnessing cutting-edge science and engineering up-close.

The Joint European Torus (JET), one of the world’s largest and most powerful fusion machines, has demonstrated the ability to reliably generate fusion energy, whilst simultaneously setting a world-record in energy output. These notable accomplishments represent a significant milestone in energy output.

At present the JET project is being decommissioned.

These notable accomplishments represent a significant milestone in the field of fusion science and engineering.

In JET’s final deuterium-tritium experiments (DTE3), high fusion power was consistently produced for 5 seconds, resulting in a ground-breaking record of 69 megajoules using a mere 0.2 milligrams of fuel.

JET is a tokamak, a design which uses powerful magnetic fields to confine a plasma in the shape of a doughnut. Most approaches to creating commercial fusion favour the use of two hydrogen variants – deuterium and tritium. When deuterium and tritium fuse together they produce helium and vast amounts of energy, a reaction which will form the basis of future power plants.

Programme

Wednesday 26 June 2024

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