The Energy of Science Vale UK - 26 May 2011. Fusion Energy presentation by Derek Stork Tim Fenn (Culham Centre for Fusion Energy). More details at www.sciencevale.com

1. Fusion and Industry:
CCFE and Culham’s
programme
Presented by
Derek Stork
Director of Technology
UK Atomic Energy Authority, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy
Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 3DB, UK
Science Vale UK Meeting – 26th May 2011
CCFE is the fusion research arm of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

2. Contents
• Fusion Energy – why we’re here
• Fusion facilities at Culham
• CCFE’s interaction with Industry:
– Procurement of equipment for our facilities;
– ‘Fusion and Industry’ programme;
• Helping ‘Industry’ win fusion contracts from other players;
• Technology Transfer – ‘Technology Support Packages’
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3. Fusion Energy – why we’re here
CCFE is the Research Arm of the UK Atomic Energy Authority
Nuclear Fusion powers the stars.
in the centre of the Sun at 15M ºC
Hydrogen nuclei fuse to produce
Helium and energy
this sustains life on Earth via
sunlight.
To harness fusion power on Earth gases must be heated to ~ 150M ºC
the gas is then fully ionised as a ‘plasma’.
Confining the plasma in a vessel is achieved by using
powerful magnetic fields in a device known as a ‘Tokamak’.
Fusion as a power source for electricity generation
would have many advantages
inexhaustible fuels; no greenhouse gases; no acid rain;
small quantities of fuel (huge energy density!) little mining impact.
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4. Fusion Facilities at Culham Site
CCFE leads the UK’s Fusion Programme
JET: Europe’s flagship fusion experiment
You are
here
CCFE operates JET
(Joint European Torus)
– on behalf of the European
Fusion Development
Agreement
– budget ~£50M per year
– scientists from all over
Europe experiment on JET
MAST: Centrepiece of the UK Fusion programme
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5. CCFE’s Interaction with Industry
procuring equipment/services for our facilities
Procuring equipment for JET & MAST – these operational facilities (with
occasional upgrades) require a steady stream of equipment and services.
Recently finished JET Enhancement Project (‘EP2’)
~ 34 M€ of procurements funded
over 1/3 went to UK Industry – including large SME contracts
CCFE can help UK firms prepare for such international markets
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6. MAST-Upgrade Project – ‘Stage 1 Upgrade’
£30M project with ~ £20M hardware procurements
• One of the few large scientific projects given the go-ahead in the difficult economic climate.
• Many technologies involved in the potential contracts.
• Procurements starting this year. CCFE will keep industry informed of opportunities
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7. CCFE Fusion & Industry Aims
We have two main aims:
• to assist and encourage UK companies to tender for fusion
procurement and consultancy contracts especially from the
next generation ITER project;
• to promote and facilitate technology transfer (TT) between
fusion and industry.
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8. ITER-the next generation fusion device
(with JET to scale)
A world-wide collaboration, currently under construction in France
Constructed by 2019
Operates to 2035
major radius = 6.2 m
(2x JET)
minor radius = 2.0 m
(2x JET)
Plasma volume = 837 m3
(8-10x JET)
Fusion power ≥ 500MW
( ~ 30 x JET)
Plasma burn time ~ 500s
(~ 50x JET)
CCFE’s ITER Systems and JET programmes, intend to position ourselves
and UK Industry to have key roles ITER science and technology.
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Science Vale UK Meeting – Culham – 26th May 2011

9. CCFE’s Fusion & Industry Programme
ITER services/systems are being procured either by
ITER Organisation direct or (the majority)by
‘Fusion for Energy’ (F4E) the EU agency based in Barcelona.
So far UK companies have been awarded contracts worth
over 150 M€ from ITER/F4E
Interested in fusion/ITER opportunities? Then you can:
• Understand the programme by visiting the ITER website
(www.iter.org);
• Register your organisation on CCFE’s database
(www.fusion-industry.org.uk);
• Register your organisation on F4E’s database
(https://industryportal.f4e.europa.eu/default.aspx);
but talk to us first!
• Respond to tenders – see (http://fusionforenergy.europa.eu/);
For further information please contact dan.mistry@ccfe.ac.uk
we can advise, put you in contact with potential consortium
partners (UK and EU) etc.
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10. CCFE’s approach for TT
Our Second Aim is:
“to promote and facilitate technology transfer between fusion
and industry.”
Special Techniques Group produce the Technology Support
Package (TSP) to the (mainly start-up) companies that are located
in the Culham Innovation Centre. They provide:
- Technical advice;
- Access to mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering
skills & technologies.
Currently 6 organisations are benefiting from our TSP.
For further information contact dan.mistry@ccfe.ac.uk.
In return they provide us with publicity. Many such companies
have featured in our E-Zine.
To receive our E-Zine please register on our website at:
www.fusion-industry.org.uk.
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11. CCFE’s Technical Support Package
•Companies receiving this include:
• R2Teck: Undertaking manufacturing activities in the form of
bespoke mounting boxes;
• Reaction Engines: Undertaking a wide range of brazing activities
and providing some technical consultancy from time to time;
• Laplacian: generally some machining and general consultancy;
• Oxis Energy: help with equipment set ups, and advice on
suppliers;
• Isis: providing brazing expertise, and in the development of
bonding of some silver target assemblies;
• AMR: use of our workshop for prototyping activities.
• In return they provide us with publicity. We have featured many
companies in our E-Zine. If you would like to receive our E-Zine
then please register on our website at: www.fusion-
industry.org.uk.
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12. Technology Transfer – some ‘Spin-off’ examples
Stock Exchange - Mathematical
Techniques to predict financial
markets
Plasma Lamp - Improved brightness
Plasma Probe- for use in & extended of neon lamps through
astrophysical plasma research inductive lighting technology
Bonas Machine Co - Improved
Rosetta Space Probe - worked with
efficiency of weaving machine
OU to build components for the
Probe.
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13. Summary
• Through CCFE, the UK has a diverse and vibrant fusion programme,
which is one of the leading programmes world-wide.
• There are many opportunities to provide hardware and services to our
on-site facilities and providing hardware to JET enables firms to gain a
Europe-wide profile .
• There are also exciting opportunities (starting in 2011) for Industry to
supply components for MAST-Upgrade.
• There are huge opportunities for UK firms in ITER. CCFE is here to
help:
– inform of opportunities;
– provide contact database and networking for firms;
– potentially become involved in joint work for F4E and ITER IO contracts.
• CCFE can help start-up firms on site through its Technical Support
Package
Pushing Fusion Power forward is both environmentally sound and a
potential business opportunity for the UK (and hence our local
organisations).
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