บรรยากาศการประชุม ที่ ม. ธรรมศาสตร์ (รังสิต)

ซ้าย: ผู้เชี่ยวชาญร่วมรับประทานอาหารเย็น กับผู้แทนจาก สทน. สิรินธร และ ม. ธรรมศาสตร์
ขวา: คุณมานิตย์ ซ้อนสุข (รอง ผสทน.) คุณเดชาชัย ชาญบัญชี และ คุณวิเชียร รตนธงชัย ร่วมต้อนรับ และแนะนำเครื่องปฏิกรณ์ ในเช้าวันที่ 19 ส.ค. 2551

ผู้เชี่ยวชาญจากสามประเทศ จากซ้ายไปขวา: Dr. Horacio Fernandes (Portugal), Dr. Mikhail Gryaznevich (EURATOM/UKAEA, UK), และ Dr. Edson Del Bosco (Brazil )

English summary:

IAEA Expert Mission: Assessment of Plasma and Fusion Research Program in Thailand
18-19 Aug 2008 at Thammasat University (Rangsit), Pathumthani, Thailand

Under IAEA Expert Mission, IAEA experts met with Thai researchers at Thammasat University, visited plasma lab in Chulalongkorn University and TINT Research Reactor. IAEA experts (Dr. Horacio Fernandes from Portugal), Dr. Mikhail Gryaznevich from EURATOM/UKAEA, UK, and Dr. Edson Del Bosco from Brazil) led discussions on nuclear fusion research, with representatives from TINT and universities attending. The experts gave informative presentations on topics including the history and development of nuclear fusion research, activities in Portugal, and an experience in starting a nuclear program in Brazil. More technical talk such as the new trends on control and data acquisition for steady state fusion devices was also given.

Dr. Gryaznevich stressed that fusion research is much more beyond fusing of two hydrogen isotopes. It requires knowledge in plasma physics, magnets, vacuum system, electrical engineering, and state-of-art diagnostics systems.

Many people often ask, "When will we have fusion?" The answer is, we have already had fusion for 10 years. At JET tokamak, 18 MW power (higher than first fission power) was achieved. The problem is the control, which is a technical problem, not the science problem.

There are 54 operating tokamaks in the world. 26 in Asia, 15 in Europe, 12 in America, 1 in Africa. ITER is the future but must continue to develop materials, technologies, and diagnostics from existing tokamaks. Main problem is manpower.

39 operating small tokamaks in the world. 21 in Asia, 9 in America, 8 in Europe, 1 in Africa. These small machines create scientific basis for scaling up to larger tokamaks.

There is an IAEA CRP on Joint Research Using Small Tokamaks - need a national program where researchers in different institutes communicate.

some examples of small and medium tokamaks are given: GUTTA, START (UKAEA spherical tokamak), CDX-U, PPPL (now LTX), TST-2 (Tokyo), CPD (Kyushu University. Only 6 months from decision to first plasma)

In starting a nuclear fusion program in a country, the decision level will determine budget and program ambition:

• personal - small budget, small ambition
• institutional - medium budget, medium ambition
• government - large budget, large ambition

Plasma and Nuclear Fusion in Thailand have three main components:

1. TINT - governmental agency responsible for nuclear R & D
2. Universities with plasma program: SIIT, Chulalongkorn, Mahidol, Chiangmai, Thammasat, Walailak
3. funding agencies: National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), Thailand Research Fund (TRF), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)

Facilities in Thailand:

• TINT:
  • fission reactor,
  • radioactive material,
  • machine shop, skilled technicians
• Chula:
  • theta pinch, plasma focus, microwave plasma
  • nuclear technology and plasma programs
  • material, superconductor study
  • Plasma Technology and Fusion Energy Research Unit (CU, SIIT, TINT)
• Suranaree:
  • Siam Photon accelerator and synchrotron
  • skilled technicians and machine shop
• Chiangmai:
  • Fast Neutron Research Facility
  • Ion Beam facility
  • pulsed neutron generator
  • machine shop and skilled technicians
• Walailak:
  • microwave plasma and applications
  • Plasma program
• Mahidol:
  • Theoretical and experimental work on astrophysics
  • fluid study
• Thammasat:
  • microwave plasma and applications
  • skilled technicians and machine shop
• SIIT:
  • high performance computer dedicated for fusion simulations
  • PFRU (SIIT, TINT, TU)

International collaborations:

• TINT/SIIT and CEA: Fusion simulations, NBI and RF research (branching out)
• Lehigh U (USA), JET (UK), Kyoto U (Japan), Asian African Assoc. of Plasma Training (AAAPT)
• perhaps TINT/SIIT and SWIP in the future (fusion simulations)

Goal of Thai fusion research: Develop national fusion program which can contribute to mainstream nuclear fusion community

With many research groups, Thailand needs an official umbrella (TINT seems a good choice) for all budget management and administration. Although different institutes belong to different governing bodies (TINT - Ministry of Sci & Tech. Universities - Ministry of Edu.), this is not a problem. The structure is similar to Brazil.

Statements from universities are the following:

• Thammasat - Fusion program will encourage students to study physics in universities.
• Mahidol - Fusion experimental facility in Thailand will be interesting. Can contribute in theoretical plasma physics (space plasma).
• Chulalongkorn - Plasma and applications coursework already in place.

Most researchers have academics positions, so they generally spend 50% of their time on teaching, 50% research. TINT staff can be responsible full-time. Students can help too.

The location that a tokamak may be built can be TINT (Nakorn Nayok), or Thammasat Rangsit campus. Both locations have large area, with access to power grid. If no new building is required to be constucted, the total cost can be reduced by a lot. Experts said that the power of at least 5-10 MW must be there, either in the form of grid or generators.

When asked about the tokamak size, the Thai researchers addressed that a small-sized tokamak, on the scale of ISTTOK may be best suited. This is because of our inexperience with tokamak machines and our small team size.

The meeting concluded in evening of 19 August 2008. Recommendations will later be sent from IAEA to Thailand.