Research Needs for Magnetic Fusion Energy Sciences - US Burning ...

that have high impact, that benefit Us research interests, and that are not duplicated elsewhere. as
planning for research on iteR evolves and the Us role becomes better defined, it is likely that measurement
priorities will be refined. in addition, as designs for the presently planned and credited
iteR diagnostics become more mature, measurement issues will come into sharper focus. Thus it
would be advantageous to repeat this prioritization periodically to adapt to changing needs.
Perform phased developments targeted to high-priority needs, including prototyping on
operating devices.
a new burning plasma diagnostic development program could be launched, dedicated to Us developments
addressing high-priority burning plasma measurement issues. The new program could
be phased, with early success leading to funding renewal. The initial awards could be for feasibility
studies, with success leading to awards for R&d and design of prototype diagnostics on suitable
existing facilities and, finally, for the actual implementation and demonstration of the prototype.
stimulating the creative talent in the Us to address these measurement needs should be a
major priority for the Us Fusion energy sciences program. similar burning plasma diagnostic development
programs now exist in other countries, for example, europe (european Fusion development
agreement diagnostics Work Programme) and Japan (advanced diagnostics for burning
Plasma experiment). a similar program has also been proposed in australia. a coordinated approach
with these programs would be essential to maximize the benefit to iteR and future burning
plasma devices.
evaluate the success of the developments and, where appropriate, work with the Iter Project
to implement qualified techniques.
after a new technique is successfully qualified, a handoff to iteR for full implementation is a critical
step. over the last several years, the iteR Project has been receptive to incorporation of properly
qualified new ideas. it is likely that diagnostics will be installed in several phases, between operational
cycles, permitting flexibility to introduce new systems. most diagnostics are housed in
“port plugs,” which are replaceable periodically throughout the lifetime of iteR. communication
with the iteR Project is key to successful implementation, and promising new developments will
need to be promoted as early as possible. communication with other domestic agencies would be
needed for proposed modifications to credited systems not supplied by the Us. it should be noted
that iteR will serve as an excellent test bed for robust demo-relevant diagnostics.
Scale of Effort and Readiness for Thrust
to fully exploit Us diagnostic expertise to address burning plasma measurement issues, significant
resources are needed. after issues are identified and prioritized, a reasonable number of feasibility
studies, in the range of ten, could be pursued. a level of support comparable to the present
oFes development program may be adequate for this early phase. later phases of the awards
would require more resources per award and fewer awards to support R&d, design activities, and,
finally, prototyping on operating devices. depending on community response, a reasonable level
for later phases could be several times that of the present program. once fully implemented, this
level of funding would provide for a mix of new feasibility studies along with more mature hardware
design and prototyping awards. it should also be noted that access to operating Us facilities
and run time would be required during the prototyping phase.
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