Fusion energy research in the Plasma Research Laboratory

2004

YEAR BOOK

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Dublin City University

Ronan Faulkner & Bert Ellingboe

Fusion energy research in the Plasma Research Laboratory

Experimental (blue) and simulated (red) H ₂ + ion energy spectrum for the CIRIS plasma chamber

The Plasma Research Laboratory, PRL, participates in fusion research both through active research programmes on the DCU campus and also via collaborative projects with several large European research centres. The PRL plays the lead role in Association EURATOM�DCU, which includes the Plasma Data and Analysis Group, the Advanced Spectroscopy Laboratory, and the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at UCC.

With increasing concerns regarding CO ₂ emissions from fossil fuels, coupled with the earth's finite oil, coal and gas reserves, Fusion Energy, a source of environmentally benign electricity, is now being included in the Energy Mix for the long-term energy needs of a modern technological society. New political impetus has brought together the governments of nearly 50% of the world's population to build Iter, the next step Fusion Energy research device. The EU is in negotiation with Japan, the USA, Russia, China, Korea and others on the location of Iter, with Provence, France, as a prime candidate.

The PRL participates in the European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA) which co-ordinates Fusion relevant research in fields such as Plasma Physics, Plasma Control, Material Science, Superconductivity and Sensor-Technology, to name a few. EFDA operates JET, the Joint European Torus, in England, which holds the international record for fusion energy production of over 16 MegaWatts. The PRL draws on a range of experimental apparatus as well as plasma modelling expertise to contribute to the development of 1 MeV ion beams with a cross-sectional-area the size of an office door for application to Iter.

CIRIS plasma chamber used to verify plasma modelling in the PRL

The close coupling between our experimental and modelling programme in the PRL enables the group to approach problems bilaterally in order to achieve the required solution. Four plasma chambers allow the group to experimentally investigate quite a diverse range of topics in plasma physics, such as plasma source power coupling mechanisms, hydrogen plasma chemistry, and plasma sheath physics, through the use and development of new and existing plasma diagnostics. The computational programme at the PRL overlaps with the experimental programme with topics of interest including modelling of the plasma sheath, plasma chemistry, electromagnetic coupling in sheaths and in the plasma bulk, radiation transport effects, and wave propagation and absorption in plasmas. The added ability of modelling to perform 'computer experiments', not previously undertaken within the experimental programme, frequently opens up new opportunities for experimental investigation.

In addition, the PRL has on-going collaborations with large experimental facilities in Europe � including JET in the UK, MANTIS in France and BATMAN in Germany. The university setting allows for a physics-based investigation of basic phenomena, with application at the Mega-Watt engineering facilities of the European partners. This fundamental understanding is used to drive new avenues of investigation at the larger facilities.

Through collaborations, the PRL participates in the continuing development of our basic ideas applied to Fusion Energy research, as well as the spin-off benefits in other fields of applied plasma physics.

For further information contact:
Dr. A. R. Ellingboe, Head of Research, Association EURATOM�DCU;
E-mail: [email protected] ;
Web: http://www.prl.dcu.ie/association ;
EFDA website at www.efda.org