Since its infancy, fusion research has been advanced through peaceful international coordination, and today broad-ranging research is conducted in many countries around the world. Further academic research and development toward making fusion reactors a reality requires the promotion of joint research programs based on a long-term outlook that brings together the knowledge of researchers not just in Japan, but from around the world. NIFS plays the role of an organization representing Japan in the international coordination of fusion research. Along with this, we are actively advancing joint research and exchange among researchers through international coordination. Regarding the ITER Project and the Broader Approach (BA), global projects that are currently in progress, we are cooperating in various ways, such as by contributing to the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA), by sending experts, and by providing several technologically advanced devices conducive to further development.
Examples of International Coordination
The IEA Stellarator-Heliotron Technology Cooperation Program
Extensive multi-national and multi^institutional coordinated research among Stellarator-Heliotron (S-H) devices have been promoted under the auspices of the IEA (International Energy Agency) Implementing Agreement for Cooperation in Development of the Stellarator-Heliotron Concept. Contracting parties are Australia, the EU, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, and the USA. Among them, Japan, through the Director-General of the National Institute for Fusion Science, is performing leadership responsibilities as vice-chair. The scaling law for the energy confinement time, the so-called ISS04, was successfully derived based on the extended S-H confinement database. Toward deepening physics understanding and increasing the predictive capability, the Profile database activity has been steadily expanded with the participation of multiple institutions.
Japan-United States Collaborative Program
In a Joint Project of the Japan-United States Fusion Cooperation Program, neutron irradiation of fusion reactor materials has been carried out using the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) as Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In this collaboration, technologies for varying irradiation temperature, in-situ measurements on resistivity, irradiation in liquid lithium environments, and irradiation at very high temperatures have been developed. The photograph shows the installation of the irradiation capsule assembly into the HFIR. In the ongoing Joint Project PHENIX(2013-2018), irradiation effects on plasma-facing tungsten alloys are being investigated, including the tests of high heat flux performance and of tritium retention properties of the irradiated materials.
