HYDROGEN FUSION
our contribution to the field
The work of our research group is to rise to the ongoing challenge of demonstrating the feasibility of an inexhaustible source of energy obtained from the fusion of hydrogen, through unraveling its complex physical phenomena and advancing the frontier of fusion technology.
Piergiorgio Sonato
The strengths and strategic goals of Consorzio RFX
– competence in science and technology at a high level,
– experience in the scientific management of large-scale research facilities,
– integration of the group in an international system of collaboration.
Competence, experience and integration are the strong points of Consorzio RFX, consolidated and developed over time, thanks to the personnel and financial resources ensured by the partners (CNR, ENEA, INFN) and by the University of Padua and the contributions deriving from the extensive collaborations in place.
Consorzio RFX is now able to contribute to the scientific and technological challenges of the next two decades, 2020-2040, which will be decisive for demonstrating the feasibility of fusion as an energy source, with the start of the scientific exploitation of ITER and DTT, and the realization of DEMO.
In 2014, Europe laid out a “ROAD MAP TO FUSION”, then implemented in 2020, which sees research efforts geared towards its two main goals:
REALIZE and INVESTIGATE the experimental conditions of ITER, the worlds first full-scale experimental reactor under construction in France, integrating the results from European Tokamak experiments and Japanese satellite plants JT60-SA and IFMIF.
The ITER program foresees the start of the experimentation in 2025 and the first plasma in Deuterium and Tritium in 2035 with the full operation with neutral injectors starting as early as 2031.
DEVELOP the project and technologies required for DEMO, the demonstration fusion reactor that will pave the way for the construction of commercial fusion reactors, following the experimental results and experiences from ITER.
The DEMO program foresees the start of experimentation in 2040.
On January 19, 2020, the DTT project was launched, the European tokamak entrusted to Italy, in an alliance between research (ENEA, with the contribution of Italian research groups) and industry (ENI). DTT is dedicated to the development of the divertor technology necessary for ITER and DEMO and will have to provide fundamental answers on the management of the very high termination flows associated with fusion.
WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK THE RESEARCH ACTIVITY OF CONSORZIO RFX IS CONCERNED WITH:
– the development of the 1: 1 scale H / D negative ion source (SPIDER) of the neutral injector (MITICA) for heating the ITER plasma;
– participation in the construction and operation of the JT-60SA tokamak as part of the “Broader Aproach” activities; participation in the DTT project and development of studies for DEMO;
– the scientific exploitation of the RFX-mod experiment, currently undergoing an extensive machine upgrade (RFX-mod2) and the development of RFP modeling and theory;
– the development energy scenario studies and the use of the properties of “non-fusionistic”, cold plasmas with application in the bio-medical field.
Click on the diagram and discover the ongoing activities.
FUSION is the nuclear reaction that powers the stars and the sun; it is a clean, safe and almost unlimited SOURCE OF ENERGY. Harnessing the energy of the stars is the ultimate goal of our efforts.
The RFX Team