Sowing the seeds of an Indian fusion programme – an untold legacy of

Vikram Sarabhai

Abhijit Sen

Institute for Plasma Research

August 12, 2020

The sowing of early seeds!

1970 - a faculty meeting in PRL – Prof. A.C. Das witness

Dr. Sarabhai outlines a plan for a plasma physics and fusion program for the lab!

Clear strategy in mind – first find the right people

Gathering the troops…….

Raiding TIFR Prof. R.K. Varma – disciple of Rosenbluth –the “Pope”

Prof. R. Pratap – Brussel school of Prigogine

Prof. Bimla Buti - Prof. Chandrasekhar’s student

Dinner with Chandra

Lunch meeting in Washington

Prof. A.K. Sundaram

The Prize catch ………

Prof. P. K. Kaw

In him he launched a dream thatresonated with his own aspirationsand thereby lit a fire in his heart

‘’the boy genius”

Why Fusion?

• The promise of limitless clean energy – the mostattractive future source of energy – Holy Grail

• He was aware of the checkered history of Fusion Research

• But also knew about its latest status – MIT connection

• Saw an excellent opportunity for launching a program that would be rich in science as well as lead to great technology development and utility to society

• Ultimately it was his foresight and vision that guided him

Beginning of the ground work ……

• Mid-1971 the entire core group was in place – includingmyself – the last member to join!

• New areas of research – nurtured by the PRL culture

• Plans for the immediate future• Initiate an experimental program – aligned with PRL

space research• Recruit experimental faculty• Start an active graduate program in plasma physics

A pall of gloom

December 30, 1971 – shattering news of Dr. Sarabhai’s sudden demise in Kovalam

1919-1971

- an unfulfilled dream

- a cruel blow to the nascent program

The dream did not die!

1971- 1975 - an exciting period that built the bedrock for the future fusion program

• Induction of experimental faculty – future core group for fusion

• Start of many basic experiments – skill building and experience

• Vigorous graduate program – future manpower

``Dawn of a new age of Plasma Physics in India’’

The early experimental program

Electrojet Instability Experiment

Development of an experimental core group - Prof. P.I. John- Prof. Y.C. Saxena- Prof. S.K. Mattoo

Skill development and experience in:• High vacuum• Pulsed power• Magnet design• Diagnostics

PKK - the Spearhead …..

Led from the front – research, planning, teaching & inspiring the young- totally electrified the environment at PRL

What drove him? - the dream was still alive in him and he had hope

Fading of the dream

However times had changed and the prospect of starting such a program seemed to fade rapidly !He quit in 1975 and went back to Princeton

Intensive efforts and `knocking on the doors’ at various platforms to launch a fusion program

The long hiatus….1975-1982

• Strong upsurge of fusion activities in the world – particularly in the U.S.

• Tokamak performances were improving dramatically everywhere

• Indian plasma physicists abroad had long and intense discussionswhenever they met at international and U.S. meetings

• A decision was taken to submit a proposal based on the tokamakdevice be submitted to the GOI

• A long chase of 4 yrs from 1978 through the labyrinths of bureaucracyand `corridors of power’ before the proposal saw daylight

Choice of a plasma device – a tokamak

T3

Establishment of PPP at PRL - 1982

• A DST supported independent program nucleated at PRL

• Earnest work on tokamak design begins – early approachsomewhat modest

• 1984 Prof. Kaw returns to assume directorship of project

• A more ambitious design to enable exploration of the latest tokamak advances – the leapfrog approach

• ADITYA is born! – the name reflected both the optimismof the day and our future ambitions

SINP Tokamak

R=30 cms, a= 7.5 cms; BT =2T

Expts on:• MHD phenomena – sawteeth

• Ultra low q discharges

• Biasing expts for improved confinement

• Diagnostics

Excellent trained experimentalists

16

• First Tokamak designed by IPR and fabricated in India.

• Commissioned in September 1989

ADITYA Tokamak

Machine Parameters:

Major radius (R) : 75 cmMinor radius (a) : 25 cmToroidal field : 0.75 – 1.0 TPeak loop voltage : 20 – 25 V

We started here

World Perspective

A Challenging debut

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ADITYA achievements

• As the first indigeneously made tokamak in the country its history over the past30 years tells a remarkable tale of achievements on many fronts –

- Technological- Scientific- Project management- Development of human resources

• As the entry step of our fusion program it quickly put us in the mainstream of the international fusion effort

• It has also paved the way for our taking bigger strides towards our ultimate questfor fusion power

• An upgraded ADITYA continues to produce good science

Story beyond ADITYA…..more leapfrog steps!

• In 1996 IPR took the next major step of proposing and bagging a projecton a state-of-the art superconducting tokamak (SST-1) – that put us right at the then frontiers of world tokamak research

• Then in the early 2000s India was invited to join the ITER project as apartner and thereby joined the league of the major fusion players contributing to this mega international project.

• 2005 India joined ITER

SST-1 Tokamak

• State-of-the-art Superconducting Steady State Tokamak with shaped plasma & divertors

• Designed for a 1000 second pulse

• In the same class as EAST, KSTAR ,JT-60 SU

R= 1.1 m; a=0.2 m; BT =3T; IP =220 kA; κ =1.7-2.2; δ=0.4-0.7

Heating &CD: LH = 1MW; ICRH = 1MW; NB =0.8 MW

First Plasma Sep. 2013 – steady progress since then

Technology achievements

Developed :

• Large superconducting magnets, cryogenic system, thermal shields

• Auxiliary systems like NBI, ICRH, ECRH, LHCD etc.

• Diagnostics, Data acquisition and control systems for steady state operation of tokamak

• Plasma facing components like limiter (short duration), passive stabilizer and Divertor for steady state operation

To be achieved for future reactors: Operational experience, plasma control, coupling of heating and current drive system, particle and heat handling for steady state operation

India joins ITER

2004 Design

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• December 2005

• To supply 10% of 150 procurements

India’s ITER contributions

• 10 packages including the Cryostat, the cooling system, the cryo-distribution system and several kilometres of cryo-lines, DNB, in-wall shielding etc.

• Recently completed and delivered the Cryostat – the largest ITER component

• A remarkable demonstration of the “capabilities for design and manufacture at the most advanced levels” – of scientists, engineers and the industry

• ITER has started its assembly – first plasma scheduled for 2025

Indian Fusion Program

First TokamakADITYA 1984

Steady State Physics and related technologies

SST-1 1996

scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy

ITER Participation 2005

• Qualification of Technologies• Qualification of reactor

components & Process• Qualification of materials

Indigenous Fusion Experiment

Fusion Power Reactor

Power Plant 2050

2 x 1GWe Power plant by 2060

Note: Years represent start of project

SST-2, 2027

DEMO 2037

Strategy behind Roadmap

• Leverage our present scientific experience in building and operating ADITYA and SST-1 combined with the technicalknowledge and industrial base developed for ITER packagesto leap frog to an accelerated path to fusion energy

• Strategy in line with most ITER partners particularly Asiancountries like S. Korea and China

• SST-2 option provides a flexible alternate option of pursuinga fusion-fission hybrid path

• Target dates will allow us to meet India’s energy needs in asynergistic way with the nuclear energy program

The journey ahead and a look back

• We have come a long way - thanks to the dedicated efforts of all involvedand the able leadership that the program has been lucky to have

• Looking back one cannot but marvel at the vision and scientific acuity ofDr. Sarabhai who had dreamt of this 50 years ago and `sowed the early seeds of the fusion program’

Will we achieve that dream?

• The journey ahead is still very long and will require tremendous investment in human resources, technological development and strategic planning

"Having done so much on ITER, we should actually prepare ourselves to do the DEMO plant done on Indian soil - an International DEMO plant done on Indian soil – that will enable us to leap frog even faster - that's my dream.”

- Dr. Anil Kakodkar

The ultimate dream – will we get there?

I am hoping that all those in India who are presently engaged in fusion research and the generations that follow, will also believe in this dream and help in fulfilling it.

That will be our ultimate tribute to Sarabhai’s vision and legacy

Thank You