12-tonne ‘double beam box’ vessel will double MAST Upgrade’s heating power, allowing scientists to investigate plasma conditions needed for future power plants.
Engineers at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) have achieved a technological milestone, having manoeuvred a massive 12-tonne component into position for the UK’s flagship fusion machine, MAST Upgrade , at UKAEA’s Culham Campus.
The double beam box features a double-decker layout designed to house two neutral beam injectors (NBIs). A neutral beam injector plays a vital role in fusion research by firing high-energy neutral atoms into the plasma, raising its temperature to more than 30 million degrees Celsius.
By adding two more injectors to MAST Upgrade’s existing setup, the new double beam box will double the machine’s neutral beam heating power from 4.4 megawatts (MW) to 8.8 MW.
The hotter plasma conditions – expected to double from 30 million to 60 million degrees Celsius – will enable researchers to investigate the technologies and physics needed for future fusion power plants, including the UK’s prototype fusion power plant, STEP.