The challenge of developing materials for fusion

Speaker: Jim Pickles, Tokamak Energy, Oxford

Tokamak Energy is pioneering the early commercialisation of fusion by developing prototype devices based on compact spherical tokamaks and high temperature superconducting magnets. Tokamak Energy’s approach, while having significant advantages over conventional tokamak designs, has specific materials challenges, such as the requirement for high efficiency neutron shields and breeder blanket materials (resulting from the compact design). This talk describes the difficulties in developing materials suitable for fusion systems in general, and spherical tokamaks in particular, and suggests some ways of overcoming those obstacles.

This talk is part of the Physics and Chemistry of Solids Group series. If you have a question about this talk, please contact Stephen Walley.