Joint European Torus

Joint European Torus
source
Name	Joint European Torus
Location	Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Operator	EU and EURATOM
Construction began	1978
First criticality	1983
Status	Operational

Joint European Torus. The Joint European Torus (JET) is an experimental nuclear fusion facility located at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, operated by the EU and EURATOM in collaboration with Fusion for Energy, ITER Organization, and Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics. JET is a tokamak-type reactor, similar to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), and has been a crucial step in the development of nuclear fusion as a viable source of energy production, involving scientists from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London. The facility has been supported by European Commission, UK Atomic Energy Authority, and CERN.

Introduction

The Joint European Torus is a major experiment in the field of nuclear fusion, aiming to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion as a power source, with involvement from European Space Agency, NASA, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. JET's design is based on the tokamak concept, which uses a toroidal (doughnut-shaped) vessel to confine and heat plasma to extremely high temperatures, similar to those found in stars like the Sun, and has collaborated with Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center. The facility has undergone several upgrades and improvements over the years, including the installation of a divertor and the development of new plasma control systems, with support from Siemens, Airbus, and Rolls-Royce. JET has also been used to test and develop new materials and technologies, such as tungsten and beryllium, which are being used in the construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), in collaboration with General Fusion, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing.

History

The concept of JET was first proposed in the 1970s by a group of European scientists, including Bruno Coppi and Hans-Christoph Siegmann, who were working at the Culham Laboratory and Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics. The project was officially launched in 1978, with the construction of the facility beginning in 1979, and has involved scientists from University of California, Los Angeles, University of Texas at Austin, and Stanford University. JET first achieved plasma in 1983, and has since become one of the most successful and longest-running nuclear fusion experiments in the world, with collaborations with Brookhaven National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Over the years, JET has been supported by various organizations, including the European Commission, UK Atomic Energy Authority, and CERN, and has worked with Intel, Microsoft, and IBM.

Design_and_Operation

JET's design is based on the tokamak concept, which uses a toroidal (doughnut-shaped) vessel to confine and heat plasma to extremely high temperatures, similar to those found in stars like the Sun. The facility consists of a large vacuum chamber surrounded by a series of magnetic coils, which are used to generate the magnetic field necessary to confine and heat the plasma, and has been supported by Tesla, General Electric, and Westinghouse Electric Company. JET's plasma is heated using a combination of ohmic heating and neutral beam injection, and is controlled using a sophisticated system of magnetic coils and plasma diagnostics, developed in collaboration with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, European Southern Observatory, and Atos. The facility has a maximum plasma current of 5 megaamperes and a maximum toroidal field of 4 tesla, and has worked with Dassault Systèmes, Bayer, and BASF.

Research_and_Achievements

JET has been used to conduct a wide range of nuclear fusion research, including the study of plasma confinement, plasma heating, and plasma control, in collaboration with University of Chicago, California Institute of Technology, and Harvard University. The facility has achieved several major milestones, including the production of 16 megawatts of fusion power in 1997, and has been used to test and develop new materials and technologies, such as tungsten and beryllium, which are being used in the construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), with support from Samsung, LG, and Panasonic. JET has also been used to study the behavior of plasma in various regimes, including the H-mode and the L-mode, and has collaborated with Google, Amazon, and Facebook.

Upgrades_and_Development

In recent years, JET has undergone several upgrades and improvements, including the installation of a new divertor and the development of new plasma control systems, with support from BMW, Volkswagen, and Daimler AG. The facility is currently being prepared for the installation of a new ITER-like wall, which will allow JET to operate with a plasma facing component made of tungsten and beryllium, similar to the one being used in ITER, and has collaborated with United Technologies, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon Technologies. JET is also being used to test and develop new technologies and materials, such as superconducting magnetic coils and advanced ceramics, which will be used in the construction of future nuclear fusion reactors, with involvement from 3M, DuPont, and Caterpillar Inc.. The facility will continue to play an important role in the development of nuclear fusion as a viable source of energy production, with support from ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, and Total S.A.. Category:Nuclear fusion