Engineering
Fusion power may be THE clean and sustainable energy source of
the future. Julia Pierce investigates
the technology used and graduate opportunities at ITER, a multi-nationally
funded, pioneering fusion reactor currently being constructed in France
With over 50
per cent of EU electricity currently being derived from the burning of fossil
fuels, the development of new technologies is essential to fulfill its pledge
to cut carbon emissions by 20 per cent from 2005 levels by 2020. Since the same
challenge is being faced by countries around the world, an international
consortium consisting of the People's Republic of China, the European Atomic
Energy Community, the Republic of India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the
Russian Federation and the USA has come together to develop fusion power - the
process that creates energy within the sun - as a future energy source for
mankind.
ITER explained
Work is currently under way in Cadarache, southern France, to build a facility
called ITER - the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. The
project, which was originally forecast to cost €5bn, aims to harness the power
produced by the fusion of atoms to help meet mankind's future energy needs
without producing greenhouse gases or long-term radioactive waste.
Based on the
'tokamak' concept, fuel - a mixture of deuterium and tritium, two isotopes of
hydrogen - is heated to temperatures in excess of 150 millionC, forming a hot
electrically charged gas, or plasma. Strong magnetic fields are used to keep
the plasma away from the walls of the doughnut vessel in which this is
contained; these are produced by superconducting coils surrounding the vessel,
and by an electrical current driven through the plasma. During the fusion
process the nuclei collide, fusing into heavier helium atoms and releasing
tremendous amounts of energy that in a future fusion power plant will one day
be harnessed to produce electricity.
ITER itself
will not be used to create electricity for homes or industry. Rather, it will
demonstrate the viability of fusion-based power generation in a large-scale
scientific experiment. It is hoped the facility will produce the data necessary
for the design and subsequent operation of the first electricity-producing
fusion power plant, which may come on-line in around 2050. If all goes well it
will be the first fusion device producing more power than the experiment
consumes - hopefully ten times more energy will be created than is supplied.
Building for the future
While ITER is not scheduled to come into operation until after 2017, it has
already created around 500 job opportunities for people with all levels of
experience. In the coming year, more will be advertised on ITERs website. "We
regularly offer positions in engineering, design, computer science, project
management, procurement, and many more areas, says Francoise
Cazenave-Pendaries, head of the Human Resources Division at ITER. "ITER offers
fixed-term contracts for a period of up to five years. Contracts may be renewed
when appropriate depending on project needs.
Jobs are open
to citizens of the participating countries, meaning there is a diverse mix of
nationalities on site. "The ITER Organization is a multi-national environment,
and prospective staff must be able to cope with cultural differences and
various approaches to problem-solving and decision-making, Cazenave-Pendaries
adds. "Besides having well-balanced personalities and good communication
skills, they should enjoy cultural diversity. Prior experience in a
cross-cultural work environment is an asset for all positions as is fluency in
English, the working language of the ITER Organization.
JET setting engineers
Meanwhile, research that will feed into ITER is currently underway at several
facilities including JET, the Joint European Torus. Joining facilities such as
this can provide young engineers with the skills they will need to work at the
cutting edge of fusion technology, while introducing them to fellow scientists
working at the top of their field. Currently the world's largest nuclear fusion
research facility, JET is based at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE)
in Abingdon in the UK, and is run as a collaboration between all European
fusion organisations, with the participation of scientists from around the globe.
Mechanical
engineer Mario Gagliardi has been working at JET for two years, following his
Masters degree in Advanced Manufacturing and Technology at Surrey University.
Before, he studied mechanical engineering at the University of Padua in Italy.
"In 2007 I started working as a contractor for UKAEA Culham (now CCFE) and
after few months I was offered a position within the engineering department as
part of the Culham Graduate Scheme, he explains. "Since I joined UKAEA I have
worked on many interesting projects for both ITER and JET fusion experimental
devices. My job is mainly focused on Neutral Beam and High Heat Flux
technologies.
He is
currently part of a team working on the ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility, which
is to be based in Italy. "The ITER Neutral Beam is an external heating system
that, together with radio frequency technologies, is designed to heat up the
gas inside the vacuum vessel to temperature up to 150 millions degrees C,
reaching the plasma state and providing the conditions for fusion to occur, he
explains. "The work is very exciting and involves a wide range of
responsibilities.
Tackling a global challenge
"A major benefit of working on ITER is the feeling of contributing to one of
the most interesting and challenging engineering projects in the world, with
the aim of providing clean and sustainable energy for the future, he
continues. "There is also a unique chance for personal development, by working
side by side with some of the brightest engineers and scientists and also taking
part to international workshops, seminars, conferences and secondments to other
domestic agencies. The job is always different and covers a wide spectrum of
engineering activities, and is therefore very valuable for graduates to build
up their technical knowledge, self confidence and leadership skills.
With less than
a decade before the facility comes online, now is the time to hone the skills
that will be needed by potential employees. "ITERwill become a huge sink for
clever engineers and physicists, says David Martin, department manager
and deputy chief engineer at the Culham Science Centre. For those with a desire
to use their engineering skills and scientific knowledge to both combat climate
change and create breakthroughs that will revolutionise future energy
production, ITERs development will be very exciting indeed.
Web links
ITER: www.iter.org
International
Energy Agency (IEA): www.iea.org
World
Nuclear Association: http://www.world-nuclear.org/
About the author
Julia Pierce is a freelance science and health writer based in Cornwall, England. She has written for publications including the New Scientist, The Engineer and the Daily Mail.
