Small spherical tokamaks (ST) are alternative fusion reactor design to the the conventional large-scale Tokamak (e.g. ITER). The key advantage of ST is their small size and build cost, which makes it possible to iterate through several prototypes over a few years, as has been achieved by our partners at Tokamak Energy Ltd.

The current limitation in the advancement of spherical tokamak reactors is the need to shield critical components, such as the superconducting magnets, from the high-energy radiation produced inside the fusion plasma. Due to the space constraints, conventional shielding materials (e.g. steel, concrete, lead) are inadequate for spherical tokamaks, and new materials need to be designed to overcome this challenge.

We are developing new shielding materials that are tolerant to radiation damage caused by high-energy neutrons and gammas. The aim of this project is to develop an understanding of the radiation damage in these advanced shielding materials when exposed to fusion radiation, and the effect that these will have on the materials properties.

 

Full project description attached, and available here. Expression of interest close 31-Jul-2021.