Research
Technology and materials
Culham Centre for Fusion Energy contributes to work being carried out worldwide on the technology and materials needed for the future ITER facility and fusion power stations. Work is also carried out as part of EFDA research on characteristics of fusion power stations and on understanding how to choose or design materials used in a power station, to minimise their deterioration when exposed to the highly energetic neutrons streaming from the burning plasma.
In recent years, CCFE with major contributions from UK universities, has established a world-leading modelling programme that addresses how materials properties are affected by bombardment from fusion plasmas. This modelling has led to major advances in several areas including: understanding the magnetic origin of the loss of strength of structural steels at temperatures well below their melting points; elucidating the formation and migration of defects in body-centred cubic metals (the class of metals most applicable to fusion); and expansion of atomistic modelling to include electronic effects and integrated scenarios with the potential for continuous (‘steady-state') operation.
CCFE participates in EFDA programmes on the conceptual design of fusion power stations (chiefly the DEMO prototype powerplant), and analyses of their socioeconomic, environmental and safety attributes.
