From theoretical physics to operating two major experiments and carrying out advanced reactor engineering we lead the world in putting this transformative energy technology on the grid. Culham centre for fusion energy is the uk s national fusion research laboratory. Making a portable nuclear fusion reactor that generates enough energy to power an aircraft a supersonic aircraft in the case of vinals design is a far greater challenge than building.
Two european projects are hoping to pave the way for commercially viable power generation using nuclear fusion a breakthrough that could make a massive contribution to our energy and climate change worries. By stuart nathan 5th november 2012 1 00 pm 16th december 2015 12 12 pm. Nuclear fusion jet and iter.
Nuclear propulsion through direct conversion of fusion energy. The fusion driven rocket. Des 82 590 has been engaged in a multi campaign effort including experiments in d h and t leading up to 2020 and the first experiments with 50 50 d t mixtures since 1997 and the first ever d t plasmas with the iter mix of plasma facing component materials.
For the past several years the jet scientific programme pamela et al 2007 fusion eng. A similar tokamak jt 60 operates at the naka fusion institute of japan atomic energy agency in japan but only jet has the facilities to use d t fuel. Jet is the largest tokamak operating in the world today.
In 1978 the european community euratom along with sweden and switzerland launched the joint european torus jet project in the uk. Experiments at jet conducted by all partners within the 28 state eurofusion consortium aim to make the nuclear fusion of hydrogen the process that powers the sun and other stars viable. Until iter is up and running in 2025 the uk based joint european torus jet remains the world s largest fusion experiment.
China aims for nuclear fusion breakthrough. The attempt in november to fuse two forms of hydrogen at the joint european torus jet in culham oxfordshire will be the first since the facility broke the then record for nuclear fusion power. It was the largest machine in production when the jet design began.
The joint european torus or jet is an operational magnetically confined plasma physics experiment located at culham centre for fusion energy in oxfordshire uk based on a tokamak design the fusion research facility is a joint european project with a main purpose of opening the way to future nuclear fusion grid energy.
