Fusion energy holds the promise of providing safe, sustainable and low-carbon base-load energy that complements other energy sources like solar and wind. The fusion process uses abundant materials like deuterium from seawater and lithium and works by combining hydrogen atoms into helium like in the heart of the Sun.
EUROfusion is the largest consortium of fusion researchers in the world. Together, its 30 member institutes and 150 affiliated universities and companies work to advance the field by executing scientific research and technological development along the European Research Roadmap to the Realisation of Fusion Energy. EUROfusion makes grants available on behalf of the European Commission's Euratom programme, to enable explorative research that has the potential to innovate and advance its strongly goal-oriented Roadmap activities.
In its meeting on March 3rd the General Assembly of EUROfusion selected 16 out of 72 Enabling Research proposals to be granted in its 2021-2023 work programme, based on the recommendations of the scientific boards in four research categories. EUROfusion will invest a total of € 20.1 million in these projects, of which € 9.9 million comes as a contribution from the consortium.
The granted projects in four research categories are:
Materials (5 projects granted)
- Additive manufacturing as tool to produce and maintain plasma facing components
Daniel Dorow-Gerspach, FZJ (DE) - NanoDust in Metal Tokamak (DUST-FORM)
Flavian Stokker Cheregi, IAP (RO) - Detection of defects and hydrogen by ion beam analysis in channelling mode for fusion
Sabina Markelj, JSI (SI) - Investigation of defects and disorder in non-irradiated and irradiated Doped Diamond and Related Materials for fusion diagnostic applications (DDRM) – Theoretical and Experimental analysis
Aleksandr Lushchik, UT (EE) - Electronic interactions of slow ions and their influence on defect formation & sputter yields for plasma facing components
Marcos Moro, VR (SE)
Theory & Modelling (4 projects granted)
- Operation limiting plasma instabilities in high performance tokamaks: fundamental understanding and solutions for critical problems
Jonathan Graves, EPFL (CH) - Development of machine learning methods and integration of surrogate model predictor schemes for plasma-exhaust and PWI in fusion
Sven Wiesen, FZJ (DE) - Energetic particle optimization of stellarator devices using near-axis magnetic fields
Rogerio Jorge, IST (PT) - Advanced energetic particle transport models (ATEP)
Philipp Lauber, MPG (DE)
Technology & Systems (6 projects granted)
- Multivariable feedback control of radiative loss-processes using multi-spectral imaging
Matthijs van Berkel, DIFFER (NL) - Development of GEM detector as a compact neutron spectrometer for fusion plasmas
Marek Scholz, IPPLM (PL) - Advances in real-time reflectometry plasma tracking for next generation machines: Application to DEMO
Filipe Da Silva, IST (PT) - New generation of megawatt-class fusion gyrotron systems based on highly efficient operation at the second harmonic of the cyclotron frequency
Ioannis Pagonakis, KIT (DE) - Reconstruction of 4D and 5D fast-ion phase space distribution functions in tokamaks and stellarators
Dmitry Moseev, MPG (DE) - Silicon photonics steady-state magnetic field sensor
Antti Salmi, VTT (FI)
Inertial Fusion (1 project granted)
- Advancing shock ignition for direct-drive inertial fusion
Dimitri Batani, CEA (FR)
