The European research consortium EUROfusion presents a game-based exhibition blending art, science and technology to explore fusion energy and get visitors' input on how fusion could fit into society.

Fusion, Power to the People is a new traveling science exhibition that makes understanding fusion energy and how it might play a role in society exciting and accessible to all European citizens. The exhibition blends virtual and real worlds by combining tech, science and art into one cohesive experience.

Fusion, Power to the People will premiere at the historical Les Docks Village in the heart of La Joliette business district, in Marseille. The Exhibition will open on Friday October 8th in timing with the Fête de la science celebration in Marseille and will run until December 19, 2021. Admittance is free of charge, and it will be open daily from 10h to 19h.

Science for Citizens

Fusion, Power to the People was created by EUROfusion, the European consortium for the realisation of fusion energy. As one of the biggest research consortia in Horizon Europe, Europe's 9th framework programme, EUROfusion is committed to share its research with the wider public. Fusion energy research is about creating a new source of clean energy for society, which is why raising awareness and involving European citizens is vital.

“We made this exhibition to introduce fusion to the public. Together with our member CEA (the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), we are thrilled to premiere this exhibition here in Marseille,” says EUROfusion Outreach Officer Mohamed Belhorma who developed Fusion, Power to the People.

Fusion energy

Fusion, Power to the People looks to the past, present and future to help visitors understand what powers the Sun and stars, and show the efforts being made to harness that potential as a new source of clean, abundant and safe energy here on earth.

“Fusion energy is not familiar to most, but we believe it’s a vital topic for people to explore,” says Belhorma. “We created the exhibition to give a fun and engaging introduction to fusion energy. We want to show the public that fusion has the potential to be an important piece in solving the energy puzzle.”

Unlocking knowledge

The complex topic of fusion research is made accessible via the mobile app through which visitors interact with the exhibition. By navigating different spaces and unlocking crucial information through the app, visitors will explore and experience the exhibition as a series of unique activities and discoveries.

Visitors are enlisted into an adventure to recover knowledge artefacts via clues and challenges spread throughout the exhibition space. The story unfolds into three parts through which visitors discover the scientific principles behind fusion, experience fusion research for themselves, and explore different possible futures. The exhibition also contains fusion-inspired artwork to attract new audiences and share different viewpoints about fusion.

Open to all

"We want to show all sides of fusion", says Belhorma, "its promise but also the many challenges on the road to realise this technology, and questions like whether it will come in time. We are convinced that fusion has an important role to play in sustainable energy and we want to have a discussion with the public about what that role could be. "

After opening in Marseille, Fusion, Power to the People will travel across Europe to start a broad discussion about fusion as a clean and safe addition to existing sustainable energy.

Fusion, Power to the People adheres to COVID-19 regulations and presents an inviting space for all. Anyone aged 15 to 95 comfortable using a smartphone or tablet should find this active learning experience about the fascinating topic of fusion energy to their liking.

Source: Fusion Expo, EUROfusion
Fusion Expo Poster - Credit: EUROfusion consortium

On Aug. 8, 2021, an experiment at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL’s) National Ignition Facility (NIF) made a significant step toward ignition, achieving a yield of more than 1.3 megajoules (MJ). This advancement puts researchers at the threshold of fusion ignition, an important goal of the NIF, and opens access to a new experimental regime.

The experiment was enabled by focusing laser light from NIF — the size of three football fields — onto a target the size of a BB that produces a hot-spot the diameter of a human hair, generating more than 10 quadrillion watts of fusion power for 100 trillionths of a second.

“This result is a historic step forward for inertial confinement fusion research, opening a fundamentally new regime for exploration and the advancement of our critical national security missions. It is also a testament to the innovation, ingenuity, commitment and grit of this team and the many researchers in this field over the decades who have steadfastly pursued this goal,” said LLNL Director Kim Budil.

“Gaining experimental access to thermonuclear burn in the laboratory is the culmination of decades of scientific and technological work stretching across nearly 50 years,” said Los Alamos National Laboratory Director Thomas Mason. “This enables experiments that will check theory and simulation in the high energy density regime more rigorously than ever possible before and will enable fundamental achievements in applied science and engineering.”

Looking ahead, access to this new experimental regime will inspire new avenues for research and provide the opportunity to benchmark modeling used to understand the proximity to ignition.

For more information on the threshold of fusion ignition, please visit: www.llnl.gov

Photo: Credit - John Jett, LLNL (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

It turned possible for the Chinese scientists from Hefei to achieve a plasma temperature of 120 million degrees Celsius for 101 seconds. Thus they set a new world record about which Gong Xianzu from the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) has recently announced. The experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) also witnessed a plasma temperature of 160 million degrees Celsius, lasting for 20 seconds. The research facility comprises 300 scientists whose ultimate goal is to imitate fusion like the one of the Sun.

Song Yuntao, director of ASIPP, underlined the importance of this achievement in China's physics and engineering fields. Moreover, he was convinced that the experiment's success paves the way for China to build its own nuclear fusion energy station.

To read more about EAST and its developments, please visit: http://english.hf.cas.cn

Source: Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The exhaust system proved commercially effective for fusion power plants thanks to the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s new MAST Upgrade experiment at CCFE.

Culham scientists performing testing applied the Super-X system which made it possible to reduce excessive heat produced during the operation of the tokamak tenfold. As a result, materials and components will last longer and finally reduce the cost of fusion electricity which will turn affordable.

UKAEA’s Lead Scientist at MAST Upgrade, Dr Andrew Kirk, was quoted as saying that it was a pivotal development for the UK’s plan to put a fusion power plant on the grid by the early 2040s – and for bringing low-carbon energy from fusion to the world.

For more information about this game-changer, please visit: ccfe.ukaea.uk

Source: CCFE

Photo: Cutaway illustration of MAST Upgrade; Credit UK Atomic Energy Authority

How to track impurities such as titanium, iron, nickel, copper or tungsten migrating throughout fusion plasmas? It is possible that tiny hand-made pellets manage to perform this task. The study is carried out by three fusion parties, namely NIFS in Japan, CIEMAT in Spain and Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Germany.

According to fusion researcher René Bussiahn from IPP Greifswald, the Tracer Encapsulated Solid Pellets (TESPELs) proved very reliable in depositing impurities in the core plasma and observing their behaviour. Impurity transport study is one of the main task perform in many fusion devices. The upcoming W7-X campaign will involve 100 to 200 TESPELs fabricated in CIEMAT dedicated laboratory.

To learn more about the pellets please visit: www.ipp.mpg.de

Source: www.ipp.mpg.de