Mark Tillack, Ren é Raffray UC San Diego Said Abdel-Khalik Georgia Tech Don Steiner RPI

1. Fusion Nuclear Science and Technology R&D Needs Presented by Mark Tillack Authors: Mark Tillack, René Raffray UC San Diego Said Abdel-Khalik Georgia Tech Don Steiner RPI Mohamed Sawan, Jake Blanchard UW Madison Phil Sharpe Idaho National Lab FESAC Panel Meeting 24 June 2007 General Atomics

2. Nuclear Science and Technology are essential to the success of Demo • Fusion energy is nuclear energy – many aspects of the feasibility and attractiveness of fusion, in any of its configurations or applications, depend upon nuclear phenomena. • Fusion shares similarities, but many differences with fission. • The US has lost its leadership role in FNST. Decades of attrition, retirement and discouragement have decimated the workforce. • Failure to maintain a healthy FNST program is limiting our ability to participate in ITER; a serious Demo program is impossible without it. • Rebuilding must begin immediately if we have any hope to pursue Demo in the 2035-2040 timeframe. • Training the next generation workforce • Performing fundamental R&D that have been neglected • Developing commercial technologies for the Demo

3. Nuclear Science and Technology encompass several “grand challenges” • Power management • Production, instrumentation and control, extraction, conversion • While maintaining all elements within operating limits • Tritium management • Accountability, mobility, production, extraction • Plant operations • Plant needs to run reliably with little intervention • Includes availability, operability, maintainability These are all integrated Demo issues, coupling both plasma and component engineering

4. Revival and restructuring of the fusion nuclear program is needed immediately • We need a coordinated, focused program • Universities – training, fundamental science basis. • National laboratories – coordination, DOE advocacy, R&D. • Industry – fabrication of experiments, development of components. • We need both experiments and numerical simulations • Experiments span a range from basic data to integrated demonstrations. • Simulations can minimize testing needs and maximize innovations. • We need to start NOW • The time scale for training, for R&D, and for development are all measured in decades, not years. • Demo can not be meaningfully defined or studied without consideration of the nuclear aspects of the energy source. • The quickest pathway to US leadership is in concept innovation and improvement, which are our historical strengths.