Submitted by Jo Boyle on Tue, 10/04/2018 - 11:54
The course trip to the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) was extremely interesting and informative. We took the trip after a series of lectures on nuclear fusion power plants and it served as an excellent educational tool to extend our knowledge and appreciation for nuclear fusion research. The visit started with a lecture covering some basics of nuclear fusion and the scope of the work performed at CCFE. Under the experienced guidance of physicists from the CCFE, we were taken on a tour of Joint European Torus (JET), the world’s most advanced tokamak research reactor. Students were given a chance to see the device and experience its magnitude and complexity in person. We learned about the numerous and challenging design considerations and the evolution of the device over the years. We visited the control room and learned a great deal about the complex organisation and planning necessary to extract as much knowledge about plasma physics from the device as possible. For instance, many of the tests require coordination and agreement between the CCFE and the National Grid to ensure sufficient energy is available to power the device due to the tremendous amount of energy required for its operation! We also discussed the ongoing upgrade and planned work with the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST). Our guides were able to answer and provide excellent commentary and all students left the trip with a newfound respect for the brilliant work of the nuclear fusion community on a global scale.
Our thanks go to our hosts at CCFE for an informative and enjoyable visit.
Toni Kunchev, Nuclear Energy MPhil Student 2017-18