Generating energy from fusion requires a plasma with a temperature of 100 million degrees. Strong magnetic fields are used to protect the wall of a fusion device
The interaction between the plasma and the wall materials in a fusion reactor is a key factor determining the lifetime of the wall components and thus the overall cost-effectiveness of the facility.
The emphasis of the research in the high temperature materials laboratory (HML) is put on experiments for the characterization of materials and components for the First Wall and Divertor of the actually built or planned fusion devices ITER and DEMO, respectively.
The "first wall" is the name given to the surface of the inner wall of a fusion reactor. This wall is in direct contact with the plasmy and is thus directly affected by the plasma and its constituents.
The development of future fusion reactors such as ITER and DEMO, whether as tokamaks or stellarators, requires accurate predictions regarding the stability of plasma operation and the intensity of plasma-wall interaction.
The world's largest stellarator, Wendelstein 7-X, is running at the Max-Planck-Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald. With respect to the magnetic confinement of fusion plasmas, the stellarator principle is a promising alternative to the tokamak.
The large-scale fusion experiment ITER (Latin for "the way") is currently under construction in Cadarache in the south of France as part of an international cooperation
Forschungszentrum Jülich designed and constructed a divertor, which is part of the new first wall in the leading fusion experiment, JET - the "ITER-like wall".
The European consortium "EUROfusion" is currently working intensively on a concept for a first demonstration fusion reactor (DEMO).
Was the largest fusion experiment at Jülich for 30 years until 2013. The mission of it was to expose the inner wall with heat and particle loads at intensities relevant for ITER and future reactors already today.