Bayer Congressman Visits DIII-D National Fusion Facility, Georgia Inertial Fusion Manufacturing Laboratory, ITER Central Solenoid Manufacturing Facility
San Diego, May 8 – Last week, Rep. Donald S. Bayer Jr. (VA), Chairman of the Congressional Fusion Caucus, visited General Atomics (GA) to visit the DIII-D National Fusion Facility and GA’s Inertial Fusion Manufacturing Facility. inspected. The office staff of Rep. Bayer, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California), and Suzanne Bonamisi (D-Oregon) also attended the visit.
“General Atomics is a globally recognized leader in advancing fusion science, research and technology, and we are thrilled to have this opportunity to showcase our capabilities to Congressman Beyer. ” Dr. Ananta Krishnan, Senior Vice President, Energy Group said: “We are very grateful to him for spending his valuable time to see what GA is doing to push the boundaries of research and development in magnetic and inertial fusion.”
“It was a pleasure to visit the General Atomics facility and see the excellent work done by General Atomics scientists on both magnetic confinement and inertial fusion technologies that are contributing to the fusion universe. DIII-D, the Inertial Fusion Laboratory, and the Magnet Technology Center each demonstrate the power of collaboration across industry, national laboratories, university researchers, and even nations.” Bayer said.
DIII-D National Fusion Facility
The visit began at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, an Office of Science user facility operated by GA on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy. The mission of DIII-D is to pioneer the science and innovative technologies that enable the development of nuclear fusion as a clean energy source. As the largest magnetic fusion research facility in the United States and one of the world’s most flexible tokamak, DIII-D conducts innovative experiments and research campaigns that cannot be performed anywhere else.
“Fusion represents the best opportunity to create affordable, safe and carbon-free electricity, and the people who work at this facility are dedicated to advancing fusion science for the world.” We thank our legislators and their staff for coming out to see us in action.” Dr. Richard Butterley, director of the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, said:
The DIII-D machine is a tokamak, which uses powerful electromagnets to form and confine a plasma. To achieve fusion conditions relevant to energy production, the DIII-D plasma must be heated to temperatures above 100 million degrees Celsius (about 10 times the core temperature of the Sun). Under such a very high temperature and enormous pressure generated by electromagnets, hydrogen isotopes fuse to form helium and release energy.
During their stay at DIII-D, the delegation received an overview of the facility and learned how the research team supports the goals of the Decade Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy. The Decade Vision, announced in March 2022, brings forward the deadline to deploy a first-generation fusion pilot plant by the early 2030s.
Institute of Inertial Fusion Technology
After the visit to DIII-D, the delegation toured GA’s Inertial Fusion Laboratory and discussed GA’s participation in science-based stockpile management programs and the nuclear breakthrough achieved at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Learned about GA’s contribution to fusion ignition. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in December 2022.
“The recent achievements at NIF are the result of decades of hard work, and GA is proud to have played a role.” Mike Farrell, Vice President of Inertial Fusion Technologies, said: “The hurdles have been raised and we are now working towards further success with the December ignition.”
General Atomics is a long-time partner in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research with the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration. The ICF aims to create a safe, reliable and effective nuclear deterrent without underground testing by creating thermonuclear combustion conditions in the laboratory.
During a tour of the ICF laboratory, the delegation viewed the processes necessary to support ICF’s mission, including advanced manufacturing, precision metrology, and state-of-the-art characterization methods. Rep. Bayer engaged with GA’s skilled team of scientists and engineers to learn about the company’s role in training engineers and technicians and other critical roles in the fusion workforce.
Looking Forward: Fusion Pilot Plant and Workforce Development
The visit continued with a discussion focused on GA’s Fusion Pilot Plant (FPP) concept and the need to develop a strong fusion workforce.
“The GA concept utilizes a compact steady-state system. This approach has been well-established and refined through decades of research and development to maximize efficiency, reduce maintenance costs and reduce facility downtime. It will prolong your life.” Wayne Solomon, Vice President of Magnetic Fusion Energy, said:.
Dr. Brian Grierson, Director of GA’s FPP Hub, provided an overview of GA’s concept for FPP. FPP combines decades of expertise in tokamak operations, plasma theory, advanced manufacturing, and proprietary technology development to deliver a highly reliable and cost-effective product. A competitive fusion pilot plant for the 2030s.
“GA has been in the fusion business for over 60 years.” said Grierson. “Our FPP concept applies everything we have discovered, built and refined in anticipation of broad deployment of commercial fusion energy.”
Senior Director of Strategy Development Zabryna Djohar continued outlining GA’s work with students and alumni to help develop the workforce of the future.
“Looking to first-generation fusion energy plants, we see a unique opportunity not only to revolutionize the way the world gets energy, but also to develop new industries. “Whether we’re helping build new talent in engineering and math (STEM) or engaging with communities that will most benefit from a new era of clean power, now is the time to start.” said Johar.
Manufacture of the ITER Central Solenoid (CS)
The tour’s final stop is the Magnet Technology Center in Georgia, which manufactures several components for the international ITER experiment, including the world’s most powerful pulsed superconducting electromagnets. ITER is an unprecedented scientific collaboration of 35 countries to prove the feasibility of nuclear fusion. When complete and assembled, the five-story, 1,000-ton magnets carry 15 million amperes of current, shaping and controlling ITER’s nuclear fusion reactions.
Each module is 7 feet high, 14 feet wide, and consists of 5.5 miles of superconducting cable. It takes about two and a half years to manufacture, test and ship one module. ITER has received the first two CS modules and GA is expected to ship the next module in the coming weeks. GA plans to complete manufacturing and shipping all seven modules by early 2025, including one that will act as a spare.
“ITER CS is one of the most complex magnet programs ever undertaken. A pulsed superconducting magnet of this power and magnitude has never been made, and when ITER is powered on, it will be the beating heart. ” John Smith, Senior Director of Engineering and Projects, said:. “Congress has been defending the ITER program for many years. We are really pleased that members of the Fusion Caucus are here to prepare for the shipment and delivery of the next module.”
GA manufactures the CS module under the direction of the US ITER project managed by DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Most of the funds that Congress has allocated to ITER are being used to support US high-tech jobs and manufacturing through in-kind contributions like CS.
During the visit, the delegation learned about the manufacturing process of each module and observed the delicate process of testing and preparing the next module for shipment.
About General Atomics: Since the dawn of the atomic age, General Atomics innovations have advanced the state of the art across all areas of science and technology, from nuclear energy and defense to medicine and high performance computing. With a talented global team of scientists, engineers and professionals, GA’s unique experience and capabilities continue to provide safe, sustainable, economical and innovative solutions to meet the growing global demand. I’m here.
About the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. DIII-D is the largest magnetic fusion research facility in the United States and has made many pioneering contributions to the advancement of fusion energy science. DIII-D continues its work towards practical fusion energy with significant research conducted in collaboration with his 600+ scientists representing over 100 institutions around the world. As a US Department of Energy Office of Science user facility, participation in DIII-D research is open to all interested parties. For more information, please visit www.ga.com/diii-d.