Annual Report on Major Results and Progress of Naka Fusion Research Establishment of JAERI from April 1 to September 30, 2005 and Fusion Research and Development Directorate of JAEA from October 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006

Fusion Research and Development Directorate

Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Naka-shi, Ibaraki-ken

(Received July 31, 2006)

  This annual report provides an overview of major results and progress on research and development (R&D) activities at Naka Fusion Research Establishment of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) during the period from April 1 to September 30, 2005 and at Fusion Research and Development Directorate of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) from October 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006, including those performed in collaboration with other research establishments of JAERI, research institutes, and universities.

  In JT-60, ferritic steel tiles (FSTs) were installed inside the vacuum vessel of JT-60U to reduce the toroidal field ripple. After the installation of FSTs, a high normalized beta plasma at β_N~2.3 was sustained for 28.6s with ELMy H-mode confinement as required for an ITER hybrid operation scenario. National Centralized Tokamak was placed as the ITER satellite tokamak in collaboration with the EU fusion community, and the facility design was modified strongly in support of ITER.

  In theoretical and analytical researches, studies on H-mode confinement, ITB in reversed shear plasmas, aspect ratio effects on external MHD modes and magnetic island evolution in a rotating plasma were progressed. Progress was also made in the NEXT project in which the behaviors of collisionless MHD modes and the dynamics of zonal flows were simulated.

  In fusion reactor technologies, R&Ds for ITER and fusion DEMO plants have been carried out. For ITER, a steady state operation of the 170GHz gyrotoron up to 1000 s with 0.2MW was demonstrated. Also current density of the neutral beam injector has been extended to 134A/m² at 0.75MeV. In the ITER Test Blanket Module (TBM), designs of Water and Helium Cooled Solid Breeder TBMs and R&Ds of tritium breeder/multiplier materials were progressed. Tritium processing technology for breeding blankets was also progressed. For the DEMO reactors, high temperature superconductor such as Bi2212 has been examined. In plasma facing components, critical heat flux of a screw tube has been examined. Neutronics integral experiments with a blanket mockup were also progressed. For ITER TBMs and DEMO blankets, irradiation effects on F82H characteristics were progressed using HFIR, JMTR and so on. In the IFMIF program, transitional activities were also progressed. Vacuum technology and its application to industries have been examined.

  In the ITER Program, under the framework of the ITER Transitional Arrangements, the Design and R&D Tasks have been carried out by the Participant Teams along the work plan approved on September 2005. In FY 2005, JAERI/JAEA has performed sixty-six Design Tasks and has completed thirty-four Tasks that make the implementation of preparing the procurement documents for facilities and equipments that are scheduled to be ordered at an early stage of ITER construction. The work plan for the "Broader Approach" Program has been continuously discussed through the bilateral negotiation meetings between Japan and the EU, and JAERI/JAEA provided the technical support for the meetings.

  Finally, in fusion reactor design studies, a reactor concept of SlimCS was proposed to demonstrate an electric power generation of 1GW level, self-sufficiency of tritium fuel and year-long continuous operation.