Culham’s fusion technology programme is expanding to a new site in South Yorkshire – and here is a sneak preview of the newly-opened facility.
The site – which will be home to the CHIMERA test rig – will work with industry to develop and test materials and components that can cope with the conditions found inside a fusion power plant.
Located between Rotherham and Sheffield at the Advanced Manufacturing Park, the facility is UKAEA’s first new research site (outside of Culham) since the 1950s.
CHIMERA (or Combined Heating and Magnetic Research Apparatus) will be at the forefront of the site’s research when it goes live in 2022. CHIMERA will be the only device in the world able to subject fusion component prototypes to a combination of high heat and magnetic field within a vacuum environment – conditions that will be faced in large fusion devices such as ITER, and in future commercial plants.
UKAEA Fusion Technology staff are already using the new building’s office areas and meeting rooms and look forward to welcoming customers as COVID regulations allow.
UKAEA CEO Ian Chapman was among the early visitors and is shown with the team in the work hall where CHIMERA will be located.
Find out more about CHIMERA at: https://ccfe.ukaea.uk/chimera-set-to-transform-the-world-of-fusion-component-testing/. and contact info@chimera.ukaea.uk for details about applying to use it.
CHIMERA work hall at Fusion Technology Facility
