بررسی اجمالی از فعالیت های تحقیق و توسعه در فن آوری هسته ای فیوژن در ژاپن

Strategy and research and development activities (R&Ds) on fusion nuclear technologies in Japan are reviewed. The fusion program of Japan places a clear stress on energy oriented R&Ds in two areas: those directly to ITER and those for high performance and more challenging options of fusion nuclear technology (FNT) components and systems. Collaboration between Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), universities, National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) and industries was strongly encouraged to attain the goal. Recent activities including development of solid and liquid breeding blankets and other FNT issues like PMI, tritium process, fusion safety, inertial fusion and modeling, are summarized, and it is stressed that fusion researchers in Japan concentrate on the development of ITER and eventually for fruition of fusion reactor.

The Council for Science and Technology Policy (CSTP) of Japan, chaired by the prime minister and responsible for the entire science and technology policy in Japan, emphasizes the importance of energy development for the national economy and security as well as from global environmental aspects. Atomic Energy Commission of Japan regards fusion as an important basic program that is expected to lead to a candidate of an innovative energy technology in the future. The world fusion program is now opening a new era for operation and exploitation of ITER, where the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy for peaceful purposes will be demonstrated through experimentation of burning plasmas integrated with key reactor technologies. ITER is the first ‘nuclear’ tokamak reactor in the world, bridging the gap between currently operating ‘non-nuclear’ large tokamaks and a first demonstration fusion power plant (DEMO). Fusion nuclear technologies (FNTs) will play an essential role in the ITER program. In expectation that the construction of ITER will be initiated shortly, the ITER facility will be made operational in the middle of 2010's and its technical objectives will be met in early 2020s. Research and development on FNT in Japan will be implemented extensively through: participating in ITER Joint Implementation to demonstrate technologies essential to DEMO in an integrated system; participating in the ITER test blanket module (TBM) program to examine performances of the proposed breeding blankets; participating in accompanying FNT programs deemed necessary for DEMO; and deploying fundamental and academic programs for a wide spectrum of FNT issues, with a programmatic objective to establish a sound technical basis for DEMO in a timely and consistent manner. The present paper overviews the strategy and R&D activities on FNT in Japan, and its program is introduced in Section 2. Sections 3 and 4 highlight recent achievements on the breeding blanket and structural materials; and for other FNT issues, respectively.

R&Ds on fusion nuclear technology have been conducted on a variety of issues by JAERI, universities and research institutes in Japan, and in collaboration with international partners. Japanese fusion program clearly encompass the energy development through ITER and beyond, and related fundamental researches. Japan has a strong intention to contribute to the world fusion research program led by the construction of ITER, as well as IFMIF and other projects. Further involvement of domestic industries in the R&Ds on FNT, which cannot be sufficiently covered by the present paper, is also deemed important in Japan because their advanced technology in development and fabrication of the fusion related components are extremely valuable. R&D activities in universities are of particular importance in a sense to educate young researchers who will play a major role in the future fusion R&D in ITER and beyond. It should be noted that recently many Asian students and young researchers are very active in this field, and expected to make a significant contribution to the world fusion community in the near future.