KIT Summer School 2022

In September, the grads visited Germany to attend the 14th International School on Fusion Technologies at KIT in the beautiful Karlsruhe. This was the first time the school had run since before the pandemic, so grad scheme alumni from the 2019 cohort joined the 2020 and 2021 cohorts as we journeyed together for the long-anticipated summer school.

In total there were 31 of us, making up about half of the conference attendees! Our grads represented a variety of departments: CED (Central Engineering), RACE (our Robotics facility), H3AT (our Tritium lab), H&CD (Heating & Current Drive), OCE (Office of the Chief Engineer), Technology, and myself in Advanced Computing.

We met attendees from all over the world, representing both academic and industrial backgrounds, all congregated together to learn more about the technology and engineering that is making fusion energy a reality. After two years largely working in our bedrooms during lockdown, or otherwise focussed on our own projects, it was a refreshing reminder of the context which each of our own day-to-day work fits into, and the global nature of our quest.

KIT Summer School Group Photo 2022 ~ Credit: Mihaela Ionescu-Bujor

The school covered twelve key fusion technology topics over five days:

• Monday opened with an introduction to fusion and plasma physics, by guest lecturers from EUROfusion, the CEA, and our own UKAEA, followed by a lecture on neutronics. 
  
  These topics comprise the core physics of fusion energy: the coupling of magnetohydrodynamic and nuclear considerations that make the magnetically confined deuterium-tritium reaction a viable route to the decarbonised future of energy generation.
  
  
• Tuesday ramped things up by delving into the various plasma heating technologies, plasma diagnostics, and the fusion power plant fuel cycle with guest lectures from UKAEA and the CEA. Tuesday also featured a tour of the gyrotron test stand and was rounded off by tours of KIT’s fusion materials and tritium laboratories.
  
  Developing technologies to efficiently heat and fuel a fusion power plant are very much the sort of practical engineering challenges that define the modern stage of fusion R&D, as distinct from the theoretical physics groundwork solved in the preceding decades.
  
  
• Wednesday covered two major fusion technologies: breeder blankets (required for providing tritium to the fuel cycle), and superconductive magnets (required for plasma confinement).
  
  Breeder blankets are a technology unique to fusion, and a personal favourite of mine, so it was very interesting to learn about the designs being tested in ITER with a guest lecture from F4E (the ITER organisation's European contribution). Tritium is the rarest and most expensive fusion fuel, so a commercial fusion power plant will need to breed tritium in-situ to sustain its fuel cycle and provide a tritium inventory. An elegant solution to this challenge lies in lithium, which emits tritium upon capture of a high energy neutron: exactly the kind of neutron emitted by the main fusion reaction. Thus, a breeder blanket sits snuggly around the vacuum vessel performing two functions: absorbing high energy neutrons and turning their energy into electricity while returning the produced tritium to the power plant fuel cycle.
  
  Superconductive magnets are another fascinating technology used in only a handful of modern applications (including MRI scanners and maglev trains). They are crucial to the design of most fusion power plants, because confining a fusion plasma in a tokamak requires a strong magnetic field. The field strength of an electromagnet grows in line with the current applied, which in a conductor leads to resistive heating as electrons collide with atomic nuclei in the material. Superconductors, however, quite literally have zero resistance, allowing for strong magnetic fields to be produced without melting the magnet in the process.
  
  
• Thursday discussed the materials for fusion devices, including the tungsten divertors. Fusion materials require special properties, capable of withstanding exposure to high heat flux and neutron irradiation for extended periods of time. Neutrons become embedded in these materials, causing microscopic impurities in the lattice which act to embrittle them. At the same time, the high temperatures involved act to soften the materials. Understanding the complex interplay between these phenomena is crucial to engineering a fusion power plant from materials capable of operation throughout its lifetime.
  
  We also discussed the safety, socioeconomics, and waste considerations of fusion with guest lectures from F4E and ENEA. I was glad to see the inclusion of this topic, as the positive socioeconomic impact of fusion is what drew so many of us into the field. The potential to decarbonise the energy supply, while avoiding the waste and safety issues of fossil fuels and nuclear fission is attractive, but it doesn’t come for free; the only way to realise that goal is to integrate safety and waste considerations directly into the design processes in a transparent way, and I’m proud to see that that is exactly how it’s being done.
  
  
• Friday closed with remote handling and maintenance, something my robotics colleagues in RACE are very experienced with, all topped off with guest lectures from the Max Planck Institute on the ASDEX Upgrade and Wendelstein 7-X stellerator facilities. It was great to hear how much progress had been achieved in stellarator technology, especially since it's not something that gets researched much at UKAEA. It was another reminder of how fusion is a collaborative worldwide effort with many organisations and countries involved in bringing the future closer, and a great topic for the final day of KIT.

Of course, we couldn’t visit Karlsruhe without sampling some of their world-famous beer. Luckily, we were honoured to be provided an excellent evening meal at the Badisch Brauhaus (“Badisch Brewery”) which was enjoyed by all.

Evening Meal at the Badisch Brauhaus ~ Credit: Luke Humphrey

On behalf of the graduate scheme, I’d like to thank the organisers for getting this event running again after the pandemic. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from experts, communicate with others working in fusion, and to enjoy a week in Germany.

The famous Schlossgarten of Karlsruhe ~ Credit: James Hodson

Finally, if anybody reading this would like the attend, the next Summer School will take place at KIT in Karlsruhe, Germany from September 11 to 15, 2023. I invite you to keep an eye on this page for details: https://summerschool.fusion.kit.edu/index.php.

You can also check out our own Plasma Physics Summer School here at UKAEA in Oxfordshire, UK at: https://culhamsummerschool.org.uk/.

Article by: Luke Humphrey

Grads Go To Skern Lodge

When the new graduates join the UKAEA graduate scheme, everyone mentioned “Skern Lodge”; a mysterious event where all the graduates were shipped out to do outdoor activities and team building exercises on the coast of Devon. Due to the climate of the world at that point in time (hands, face, space) it seemed unclear if the 2020 and 2021 graduates would ever be able to have the experience of Skern and the stories to go with it. However, by a stroke of luck with a lot of planning and precautions, a trip to Skern Lodge was planned for November 2021! 

It may be important to note here, as I recount one experience (my own) that there were at least 60 graduates on this trip, so anything said here is not a reflection on how the whole cohort felt about Skern; this is a simply personal account (though stay tuned for quotes from some of the other graduates near the end!). I also don’t want to spoil too much of the actual activities from Skern (in case any sneaky future grads come here for information) so this will be more of a general overview.

With those disclaimers out of the way, here is one graduate’s account of their week at Skern Lodge! 

The run up to Skern seemed to go slowly and then very fast. Excitement and nerves (let’s be honest, mainly nerves) kept building until most of us were bundled onto a coach and we were off. Before we knew it, we were all standing in the car park area in front of the Skern Lodge Outdoor Activity Centre, being assigned to the rooms we would call home till Friday.  

Pictured: Skern Grads braving the elements to do the High Ropes

Another thing to note about the overall experience of Skern; we went in November. Normally this is not the case, but it did mean it was cold. Cold, rainy, and windy for a lot of the week which could have put a damper on the experience but surprisingly it did not (for me at least). The week consisted of outdoor activities and more classroom-based activities/learning in groups. These groups had been given a trial run on the first evening with the classic egg drop competition which, due to the caliber of engineers and other scientists present, I found way more exciting than normal.  

A lot of the more physical activities for the week such as the climbing wall were more about what the instructors loved to say, “challenge by choice”. No one was forced to do anything they didn’t want to do but were also given a safe environment to push themselves if they wanted. The teams (yes more on that plot twist later) I found myself apart of seemed to embrace this challenge and genuinely offered as much moral support and encouragement as humanly possible leaving a positive imprint on activities that otherwise I would have backed away from (heights, just heights). 

Pictured: Skern Grads crossing the High Ropes on a more sunny day

The classroom activities were focused on theories of leadership and teamwork – skills and concepts we were able to practice by the middle of the week as we were told we were all going to be leading activities (under the watch of the instructors for safety of course) BUT it was also mid-week when the plot thickened. The instructors had seen the teams forming (though some grew closer than others) and decided that it was time to shake things up and shuffle the teams. This meant that by the end of the week the graduates were leading their peers through different activities, in teams with completely new dynamics and again I was blessed with a very fun team to be around, and my good but very active time continued. Sadly, by the time those teams had started to develop, it was time to get back on the coach home and at this point it was clear that was probably for the best as everyone seemed quite tired. I certainly slept very well that evening at least! 

And that is the general overview of what Skern was for our group and I personally found it to be a lot of fun. I pushed myself way harder than I would have otherwise, and I felt rewarded for doing so. The information I was taught at Skern seemed to sink in at points and when I returned to my role at UKAEA I can't deny I felt a little different. So, to any of the future years of UKAEA graduates that happen to stumble upon this blog post, I would say if you are ever given the opportunity to go (and I hope you are) then I would really consider it. The experience is not for everyone, but it is certainly worth a go and who knows, you might find that you are far more capable than you thought you were!  

Pictured: Skern Grads rowing out onto the River Torridge

That is enough from me but to finish off I asked a few of the other graduates for what they thought of Skern, and their comments are below for your reading pleasure! 

 

"I was pleasantly surprised how valuable the trip to Skern was. It was a really good way to get to know other grads in an environment that was more relaxed than the office but still guided enough to not be chaotic. And the fast boat was great fun!" 

 

“I think for me, Skern was just a good opportunity for everyone to get together and do fun things together. Starting in the pandemic meant that any interaction we had with each other was purely based on who was active online or who would respond to random meet ups. Not to mention this was entirely localised to our specific year group. Not to say that there's anything wrong with not being a social butterfly, but it was nice to finally talk to people who you normally wouldn't be able to talk to. Felt that Skern helped us grow as a cohort and more. Most importantly, it was just good fun.” 

 

“I had a great time at Skern Lodge! It was lovely to get to know the intake of graduates below me and put some faces to the names I'd seen on Teams! I enjoyed getting to find out what leadership qualities I had and what I could improve on whilst getting some fresh air and having some fun!”  

 

“I didn't believe I was going to take as much out of the week as I did; it's all well and good learning about these skills from a classroom but applying the skills first-hand while halfway up some high ropes makes it that bit more relatable! The instructors are all so nice, and there is a very safe and friendly atmosphere throughout the whole week, I absolutely recommend going!” 

Written by Amy Bleasdale 

Adventures in Systems Engineering (Part 4/4)

Written by Luke Humphrey
This is part four of a four part series. Click here to read from the beginning. 

The Thrilling Conclusion! 

Day 3 – Testing

On the third day, five barriers yet remained before the rescue vehicles could begin operation: Assembly, Integration, Testing, Verification and Validation. The Good Witch described them thusly: 

• “Assembly: the process of mechanically bringing together hardware.” 
• “Integration: the process of physically and functionally combining components – making sure it all works together.” 
• “Testing: a type of verification that is done after assembly and integration.” 
• “Verification: the process for determining whether a product fulfils the requirements or specifications established for it.” 
• “Validation: the assessment of a planned or delivered system to meet the sponsor's operational need in the most realistic environment achievable.”

“But Good Witch!” cried the grads, “there’s no time for testing! Time is of the essence and elves’ lives are on the line!”  

“Very well, my students” answered the Good Witch, “but you must at least write down what happens, that’s the first rule of magic as well as science you know.” 

Some of these notes survived the incident and, in fact, we have some of them right here; let’s take a look at how things went for the grads’ prized Tritium airship design: 

“The Elfenburg fit in the box snugly and as a result was easy and safe to transport. Discrepancies in engine thrust led to slight banking to the starboard side. The rudder worked well to compensate the banking. Excessive weight in the rear payload caused pitching up of the vehicle and made landing difficult. Some damage occurred on the bay door as unsecured payload weight pushed against it. Reenforcing doors and improving payload storage should be considered. Elves found temperature control box comforting and enjoyed their stay on board. Landing and launching from forest was risky as cross-breezes had a tendency to push the blimp near trees and branches. There was serious concern for the puncture of the outer skin. Buoyant gas should be re-evaluated for safety. The use of Tritium in this test should be reconsidered. Placing the blimp back in the box is difficult as folding of the buoyancy body needs to be very precise.”

Credit: "The Isotopes" - Thomas 'Protium' Clayton, Yannik 'Deuterium' Diuedonne, Callum 'Tritium' Steventon, Sami 'Quadium' Bux

All in all, things certainly could have gone worse. The grads checked the performance against each requirement defined on day 1, noting any unresolved issues or modifications that would need to be made on an (Excel-compatible) scroll known as the Matrix of Verification Control. 

However, before any modifications could be made, a storm brewed and began to flood the elf village. There was nothing else for it but the send in every rescue vehicle in a last ditch effort to save the elves! Amongst the roiling chaos, the little brightly-robed created were carried, carted, and catapulted across the river with every half-baked rescue vehicle the grads could muster. 

“Okay, so maybe we should have tested these things after all” said one of the grads, while calculating the total delta-elf value for the mission “but I think that’s all elves accounted for... one way or another.” 

Suddenly, a great bolt of lightning struck down upon the rescue vehicles and sent them sinking to the depths of the fast-rising river. 

“And I guess that takes care of decommissioning...” replied the Good Witch - and with a flick and swish of her wand, the grads found themselves being whirled back to their own world unsure if the last three days had really happened, or whether they had dreamt it, or perhaps (just maybe) it had been a conference call all along. 

 

The Grads take an extra level in Systems Engineer!

And there you have it: a tale of long-suffering elves, barely plausible physics with a pinch of faerie dust, and a notion to ponder on the long road home - that maybe the real systems engineering was the friends we made along the way...

On behalf of everyone on the 2020 Graduate Scheme, I’d like to close this article with a big thanks to Jess for writing and delivering the training which was, in a glowing review from Alex Marsh, said to be "The best three-day course on Systems Engineering I've ever had!"

The End
This is part four of a four part series. Thanks for reading!