National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS)
National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)

Peer Review Reports in FY2009

March, 2010

NIFS Administrative Council External Peer Review Committee

Contents
Chapter 1

Reviews on fusion engineering research ･････････････ 1

1.1

Summary ････････････････････････････････････････････････ 1

1.2

Recommendations ･･･････････････････････････････････････ 6

Chapter 2

Reviews on safety management ･･････････････････････ 8

2.1

Summary ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････ 8

2.2

Recommendations ･･･････････････････････････････････････ 14

Chapter 3

Summary ･･････････････････････････････････････････････ 15

Chapter 1

Reviews on fusion engineering research

1. 1.

Summary

1.

Research process and performance1)

Are the subjects we have worked for adequate and appropriate?
The Fusion Engineering Research Center (FERC) has played a key role inyour fusion engineering research. Regarding each of the four subordinatedthemes of “applied superconductivity”, “materials and blanket”, “tritiumand safety” and “helical reactor design”, it set a proper selection ofsubjects, which resulted in the production of a large number of fruitfulresults. Especially, the effort for the helical reactor design is highly
commendable. It has led the other work like materials and blanket or
tritium and safety, has advanced basic studies on liquid breeding system,components and blanket materials and has produced novel findings thatlead the world’s research. Therefore, the subjects are well-chosen andhighly appreciated.
LHD’s superconducting coil system has been showing excellence in termsof reliability and operation rate. The sub-cooling system you havedeveloped is worthy of international attention. Superfluid cooling research,though, in which Japan is still lagging behind other nations, requires further
technical enhancement. The studies on irradiation impacts oversuperconducting coils or insulation materials are actually significant, andwhat is a great achievement from them is the successful production of a
prototype low-activation GFRP. However, those efforts should look at
high-temperature superconductors for a future power plant. Meanwhile,
basic science on the indirect-cooled magnet system has been learned withenthusiasm as it should be. It is highly commendable that you havesuccessfully developed SMES that employs a conduction cooled pulse
magnet with NbTi conductor to survive a sudden power drop.
Progress is observed on the development of a low-activation blanket
material through the evaluation work to see the adaptability of thevanadium-alloy. The development work of a liquid breeder blanket system
1has been advanced with the productive findings of corrosion mechanism of
the low-activation ferritic steel. The study on how the steel and liquid
breeding materials act each other in coexistence is significantly productive
as well.
Your sincerity toward the local residents has been proved by thehigh-sensitive tritium monitor you developed. NIFS has been upgrading
tritium-related technologies for the D-D experiment including
neutron-shielding analysis and others. It should be highly praised.
Finding an optimal plant size is a big step for the helical reactor designingresearch. You have demonstrated that the optimum size is a major radius of
about 16 meters for a commercial operation because it can keep sufficient
Tritium breeding, long-life blankets and a neutron wall loading at the levelof 1.5MW/m2. Encountering the belief that high-density plasma could be
only maintained in a reactor under thermally-unstable conditions, you havemanaged to find a method to make the conditions stable. These excellent
achievements have brought reality to a future fusion plant.
2)

Have we made effective use of our facilities and achieved satisfactory
outcomes regarding each of the subjects in 1)?
You have made good use of your own as well as external facilities throughcollaborations with tens of laboratories engaged in fusion engineeringresearch. An incomparable number of findings have been produced from thejoint activities and this is what represents the effectiveness of the utilization.
So, the way of using resources should be highly commended. The efficient
flow of cooperation is attributed to the nearly-full participation of domestic
reseachers and to the helpful assistance by the Fusion Network. In more
concrete terms, over 500 papers have been published by only some 25
researchers during the period from 2004 to 2009, and this is a result of aneffective use of the facilities in NIFS as well as universities, Japan Atomic
Energy Agency (JAEA) or foreign organizations.
The equipment originally prepared for LHD is now also working fordeveloping ITER superconducting coils, and the fact may help NIFS
become a key center for the world’s coil development. However, researchover larger-scale coils will require more upgraded devices for evaluation.
2

Securing an enough budget is an important task as well. Referring toblanket engineering research, further enhancement will be desired in thecurrent liquid-breeding related facilities, which are now under preparation.
3)

Have we learned from the past external review results?
Past external reviews targeted superconductivity, materials and blanket, andtritium and safety. Taking every single comment humbly and seriously, youhave made a great deal of efforts on self-improvement. The efforts include
assembling all the related facilities into FERC, increasing the number of
research staff, and promoting closer tie-ups with JAEA or ITER. You havealso worked hard to advance tritium science and safety technology in the
preparation for the D-D experiment. Therefore you have learned well fromwhat were pointed out and has responded to them in an expected way.
The work for large-scale superconductivity seems a little overly inclusive.
It is better to narrow down the focus on a future plant. The LHD
sub-cooling system is valued in terms of a stable operation and highoperation rates, but what is more desired will be to establish a technology offault diagnostics . Meanwhile, the effort for the IFMIF or ITER-TBM
projects is extremely commendable because it has encouraged universities
to join the projects and has established a route of participant. It is significant
work to be continued along with the productive collaboration with JAEA
and the work of the Safety and Environmental Research Center, one of
NIFS’s departments.

4)

Have we fulfilled a role as COE for universities who study fusion
engineering?
Besides the ongoing collaborations of both general and LHD-related, youplan to start another bilateral scheme in FY2010 to lead domestic researchwith regard to superconductivity, materials and blanket, tritium and safety,
and helical reactor design. You are currently carrying out tens of joint
activities each year, including the international ones mainly between US,
South Korea or China. Regarding fusion engineering research, you havebeen a leading role internationally in the field of material and blanket,
through JUPITER-II, TITAN or other programs. The Fusion Network,
which NIFS has supported and most fusion reseachers belong to, helps its
3members study jointly, share information and even get financial aid. These
activities show how well you have been fulfilling the COE responsibility.
It is expected you will continue to play the COE role while promoting
collaborations with universities. At the same time it is expected as well thatyou will have a comprehensive approach covering all topics of the fusion
engineering study, in order to systematically integrate academic knowledge.
2. Collaboration performance
1)

Does our collaboration system function effectively in the field?
Nothing has a more thorough coverage than NIFS’s collaboration
framework. It contains a general type of joint scheme that covers anextensive area, a more specific one focusing on the LHD, and a bilateraltype to make a better use of resources in smaller organizations – more than
400 collaborations are conducted yearly. These activities have developed all
related studies and also trained young reseachers. A new bilateralcollaboration is expected to begin in 2010 between NIFS and the center thathas the best facilities in Japan to study fusion tritium or irradiation effects
on reactor materials, and thus, further advancement can be expected. As
seen above, your collaboration system functions effectively enough todeserve a high mark.

2)

Have we learned from the past external review results?
The system has been reviewed by external eyes several times and a numberof comments, including quite detailed ones, were given on it. It is
recognized that you have been improving the system properly for more
efficient operation of any joint activities. NIFS has responded well in termsof cooperation with ITER or JAEA. You have not only established a new
system to pave the way for more universities to participate in the Broad
Approach R&Ds include IFMIF but also have served as a contact. In
addition, you have provided technical assistant to JAEA for its test blanket
module program. All are highly appreciated.

3. Goal and planning41)

Are our subject selection and implementation plans adequate andappropriate?
The next mid-term plan aims at systematization of the academic knowledge
accumulated through the previous efforts over the LHD plasma, as a step
toward design and construction of a helical-type demo reactor. Priority isgiven to further improvement of LHD plasma, plasma simulation by anumerical reactor, the progress of the fusion engineering and design
discipline. It includes the enhancement of component technologies such as
superconducting coil, blanket, tritium handling and low-activated materials,
which are all to lead to designing of a better plant. A helical reactor isfeatured by its excellence of plasma production, no disruption and a steadystate operation, and they are what make a reactor of this type very attractive.
However, it has also some difficulties. It can provide only limited blanket
spaces and requires demanding maintenance work for the continuous coil,which are what you have to overcome. From the standpoint, the goals,
subjects and approaches in the plans are all adequate and appropriate.
What is significant is that the plan should put design of a future plant at thecenter of your fusion engineering research. All the collaborations also
should bear in mind that the reactor designing work is a main topic to be
tackled in a collective approach including the whole nation.
You may as well consider about a way of another contribution to ITER, thatis to say, of entering into partnership with them in TBM. With regard to the
IFMIF, a technology expected to come into practice soon, you should keepa leading position in the material research of both domestic andinternational in order to take an initiative of the new technological business.
You are also expected to play a central role in the field of liquid blanket byenhancing facilities. Through making a contribution to advancing a whole
fusion engineering research, you will be expected to become a key center ofthe world in the field.
You are able to share considerable amount of ideas with those involved into
the tokamak-plant development. From the perspective of an effective use oflimited resources, tasks are to be prioritized. They need to be sort out from astandpoint of what is unique and what is complementary between the two
projects of tokamak and helical configuration.
5

There are a lot of industrial potentials in a fusion engineering technology.
Taking advantage of collaboration network, you will help any fruitfulfindings spread and applied to other fields. While promoting the external
effect, you are expected to deepen basic knowledge.

2)

Is our system for implementing the plans adequate and appropriate?
According to the new organization plan, you will unify all the related
divisions or centers into one research project. Groups of superconductivity,
tritium, plasma-wall interactions and materials and blanket are all
integrated and become an “organic” body. Based on the reconstruction, youwill promote collaborations along with the important subjects above, so
further progress would be expected. The system is absolutely appropriate toimplement the plan. The unification of all the relevant studies, which are
currently dispersed in the Department of Large Helical Device Project,
FERC and SERC, is a particularly praiseworthy attempt.
What is desired is that you will employ young reseachers as a core memberof project in order to nurture leadership within them. On the other hand, key
is how well you will integrate a wide array of relevant themes to lead to therealization of a future plant.

1. 2. Recommendation
Various comments, including considerable amount of compliments, aregiven on every single evaluation items. Based on the comments, we have a
discussion over what is necessary for you. Here is a list of summarizedrecommendations.
It is expected:(1) you will carry out cross-divisional research activities of fusion
engineering centering on the design of helical-type reactor. It will help
us understand more about a helical configuration in comparison with atokamak one, in terms of its merits, features and complementary
aspects, and as a consequence will contribute to the realization of a6

future energy supply.
(2) you will become a key center for the research of advanced blanket or
low-activated materials. You are also expected to take a leadershipinternationally in the field.
(3) you will develop superconducting coils for a future reactor.
(4) you will educate young reseachers who will lead future projects for areactor.
(5) advancement of the research you promote will make a major
contribution to establishing academic knowledge in a systematic way
leading to the goal, the realization of a helical fusion energy supply.

7

Chapter 2

Reviews on safety management

2. 1.

Summery

1.

Management system and performance1) Does our safety-management system respond properly to a shift in relevant
law from the National Personnel Authority Regulations to the Industrial
Safety and Health Law according to the reorganization of the national
universities as corporation? (Please note the role of the Safety and HealthCommittee and its activities.)
Responding to the shift, NIFS’s safety management system changed from asingle-based system where the Safety and Environmental Research Center(SERC) solely takes a whole responsibility, to a dual-based system where theresponsibility is divided into two – supervising and acting and two separate
bodies takes each of them. The Safety and Health Committee take the part ofmonitoring safety and healthy while the Division for Health and Safety
Promotion (DHSP) is the one to act to keep a good condition. The dual
system has helped you manage a cycle of Plan-Do-Check-Act work
sustainably andsystematically. As a result, you have successfully maintained
a safe environment. You have responded satisfactorily to what the new law
requires and thus, it is a very good system.
See the system in a concrete way. In accordance with the law, you put yourtop executive Director-General in the position of General Safety and HealthSupervise to head a whole activity. Under theGeneral Safety and HealthSuperviser, three officers – SafetyOfficer, Health Officer and Industrial
Physician – fulfill their own responsibility for safety management, healthmanagement or healthcare control respectively. The three specialists
compose the Safety and Health Committee with others like those designatedby the director-general and those recommended by representative member of
NIFS staff. The committeeholds a meeting and inspects regularly. The postof safety officer, which NIFS is not legally required to have, is given to theperson who has relevant qualifications. It is actually an excellent decisionbecause the job in NIFS involves several risks such as high electric power,highvoltage,ultralowtemperature,high-pressure
gas
and
8

radioactiveenvironment. The position can function effectively in theorganization like you with such potential risk.
The three officers go on an inspection tour separately and results aredisclosed on the website. It guarantees high transparency and thus
particularly deserves appreciation. The safety officer, for instance, conducts
inspection tours following an annual plan, covering 16 buildings including 11
special facilities. The results go through the committee’s deliberation andthen come as a recommendation to those responsible for safe environment or
those for building maintenance. The committee has actually functioned welllike this.
2) Does the Division for Health and Safety Promotion function properly toensure safe environment? (Is the structure adequate and appropriate,
which consists of 10 offices such as the Environmental Safety Control
Office, the Health Control Office and so on?)The Division for Health and Safety Promotion (DHSP) serves under the
director-general as a team to improve a safety standard as well as to diminish
any risks. The task-force division is divided into ten offices, namely (1)Environmental and Safety Control Office, (2) Health Control Office, (3) Fireand Disaster Prevention Office, (4) Radiation Control Office, (5) Electrical
Equipment and Work Control Office, (6) Machinery and Equipment Control
Office, (7) High Pressure Gas Control Office, (8) Hazard Substances
Management Office, (9) New Experimental Safety Assessment Office and (10)Safety Handbook Publishing Office, and the meeting of the head of all offices
is hold every month. The offices include people legally qualified and sitemanagers. In order to take a systematic approach to cover a range of work
including risk management, healthcare for staff, special attention to foreign
members and education for students that stay only for several years, it is awell-designed structure.
What is notable is that DHSP is not an independent body with full-time staff
dedicated to the work. It is rather a cross-sectional entity getting in the whole
institute, in other words, an assemblage of researchers, engineers andadministrative members. This comes from a policy that any safety issues
should be handled with legal, technological and administrative expertise,
which is very respectable.
9The division goes to the check-up round each month. It is meaningful for the
cross-departmental and cross-hierarchical groups to observe real conditions.
It is one of contributors to environmental improvement.
Safety education you yearly provide reflects real operations including
handling of high electric power, high voltage, ultralow temperature, highpressure gases and radiation. Lectures are given, either individually or all
together, four times a year, and about 200 of NIFS members have to take atleast one of them. It is an appropriate safety service.
3) Do we provide safety education for in-house students adequately andappropriately?
About fifty students are studying at NIFS, including those who belong to the
Graduate University of Advanced Studies or Sokendai, Nagoya University orother schools, and about half of them are taking an experimental course.
“Tutorial for Safe Experiment” is a special program for the students to learn
about handling radiation, electricity and hazardous materials. Each class istaught by a researcher who handles them in a real activity. In 2008, forexample, eighteen classes including tours were provided during three months
from November to January. The course is well designed as safety education
because students can get practical knowledge through observing real scenes
as well as basic knowledge.
Adding a comprehension test will be an idea in order to enhance theeducation efficacy as well as to increase safety awareness in students. A
lecture should be given to all as early as possible after a new year starts.
2.

Safety performance as an inter-university research institute1)

Are the visiting co-researchers including the graduate students educatedand managed their safety adequately and appropriately?
The three offices of DHSP – Environmental Safety Control Office, New
Experimental Safety Assessment Office and Safety Handbook Publishing
Office – are particularly involved in the work for the visiting researchers.
They deal with a Japan-US safety inspection scheme, carry out safety
checks on any new machines that external co-researchers may use, or create
10

safety handbooks and provide educational programs. All the work is
approached institutionally, and safety management and education areproperly provided.
As promoting some 400 collaborations each year, NIFS has to ensure safe
environment for those visiting co-researchers. After all explanations, you
ask them to review what they have learned with a check sheet and then tosign for acknowledgement. The process is equally asked to NIFS staff,
students and company employees. This is a necessary procedure.
Safety lectures are also open to employees of private companies. NIFS
takes in considerable number of company workers as a specialist of highpower, high voltage, ultralow temperature, high-pressure gases orradioactiveenvironment. Around 100 of those workers undertake a course tolearn policy and philosophy of NIFS safety management. Labor Standard
Supervision Office’s inspection, Use and safety of a crane, Re-education ofelectronic safety were among the topics prepared for the lecture in May
2009, for example. Results of health or safety inspections are also
accessible to these workers. It is fairly open to outside and really arespectable way of providing safety services.
2)

Are the foreign co-researches provided safe environment?
The three DHSP offices also take care of foreign co-researchers, likewise
any other visiting researchers. They handle the Japan-US inspection, checksafety of any new machines, and provide safety handbooks and education
programs. You have done a great job particularly for the international
inspection scheme. Although it is quite demanding work due to a culturalgap in a concept of safety between the two nations, you have responded
properly to what the US side has pointed out. The English version of thehandbook is regularly revised with assistance of the American counterpart.
The sustainable and cross-organizational approach is very commendable.
Foreign staff is also adequately cared in terms of emergency provisions.
Warning signs are expressed in English and international indicators are
adopted. The annual event of a disaster-prevention drill includes bilingual
announcements. The safety training, which is usually provided in a form of
lecture, are available in English as well on an individual base.

11

It is undoubted that you are attempting to ensure as much safety as possible
for those who do not speak Japanese under the cross-departmental system.
Forty one of the non-Japanese have taken the annual lectures so far, but all
the classes were given in Japanese. From now on, you should consider
providing the regular class in English as well. It is also desired that you get
ready to make bilingual emergency announcements any time necessary.
3.

Safety performance as an inter-university research institute1)

Is our safety-management system well-prepared for the reorganization ofresearch division in 2010?
During the next six years, you are going to get all fundamental knowledge
systematically integrated to lead to the realization of a fusion energy supply.
For the goal, you have reorganized the research section, from the ongoing
multiple structure with two departments and three centers, into a single
structure with one department. Reseachers belong to one of divisions thatcompose the big department, namely, Department of Helical Plasma
Research. They are supposed to work in a cross-divisional framework forcommon targets, or what you call projects, of LHD study, numericalexperiment and fusion engineering pursuit. Besides the projects, you alsoplan to conduct D-D experiment during the period and thus, aspire toestablish an especially robust radiation-control system. Your safety policy
for the experiment is to be esteemed as a product of communications
between you and the local resident.
Your safety management, while generally maintaining the current system,
will make two changes. One is a change in accordance with thereconstruction, dividing the SERC responsibility and moving some to an
expert team. Safety-control part will be assumed by DSHP while researchpart will be by the Department of Helical Plasma Research. Second is anenhancement of the radiation-controlling facility. The Radiation Control
Office will be reinforced and two independent organizations will be newly
established for the D-D experiment. One is “Safety Committee”, made up
with internal staff and authorized to stop the campaign in any case aproblem occurs. The other is “Safety Monitoring Commission” consisting
entirely of non-NIFS members and offering an external supervision on the12experiment. What you have to do now is to work out details over the twocommittees in terms of their commission, independency and relation of thetwo. It is also desired to give a concrete shape to how the two should reactin emergency. Overall, it is a very good system to carry out the radioactive
experiment because it is likely to guarantee functionality, reality, efficacy
and transparency at a sufficient level.
2) Are our plans for safety control while conducting deuterium experiments
adequate and appropriate?
In the preparation for the deuterium experiment, you are strengthening (1)overall radiation monitoring system, (2) education and training of radiationand (3) environmental measurement facilities. The overall system monitors
dose, radioactivity and device conditions, which is sufficient. The
environmental measurement will use time-resolution technique from minuteto real-time levels, using current instruments. New measurement devices areunder development as well. You have great potential to make an innovative
contribution in this field of study.
Tritium control is one of the critical tasks for the D-D experiment. You haveset an extremely strict figure of tritium level over the evacuation or the purge
process, much lower than what is legally regulated. Based on the strict target,
you have calculated a specification of the tritium removal machine at the
maximum purge rate. It shows a much lower tritium concentration level than
the targeted. So the provisions are fairly sufficient.
Another critical task is how to handle the water containing tritium. Whilelimiting a maximum amount of drained water below the statutory level, you
are going to have the Japan Radioisotope Association take over the water
after storing temporarily to check tritium level by yourself. Suchbelt-and-brace provisions are really desired to contain the spill of thecontaminated water either in an ordinal operation or in any emergency.
Scrupulous attention is also paid to any work inside the vacuum chamber orin the controlled area. For those workers, changing space is prepared as wellas contamination-detector and decontaminating facilities. Tritium level ismonitored and negative pressure is controlled. A temporal working room will
be set whenever necessary and all access to the LHD building is under13

control. These provisions show how hard you work to prevent tritium leaking
and how much you care about the safety of workers, which is highly
commendable.
2. 2.

Recommendations

Overall, your efforts are highly praised. However, there is no 100% in safety
management and you have to continue to pursue the perfect score all the time.
From the point of view, we have picked up some recommendations. Here is asummary.
It is expected;(1) you will enhance risk-predicting ability in staff as well as increase safety
awareness in them. You will continue the annual practice of how to
respond to disasters because it is very effective to boost awareness. You
will also have more opportunities to share any less-serious cases, inject
them into risk-prevention training and let precautious skills permeate
routine work.
(2) you will provide a special care toward those who are expected to lead theD-D experiment and take huge responsibility for the campaign.
Meanwhile, it is also important to prevent only a certain group of people
from suffering from excessive burdens.
(3) you will make clear who is to bear a whole responsibility for safety
education for graduate students. It is also expected you will make safety
education available equally to foreign students as well as to Japanese andwill provide one as early as possible in April. It is desired that the course
is accredited and accompanied by a comprehensive test.
(4) you will be well-prepared for Laws Concerning the Prevention from
Radiation Hazards due to Radioisotopes and Others. A more concrete
shape should be given to the planned framework of the Safety Committee,
the Safety Monitoring Commission and the Radiation Protection Office,and also to how to share emergency responsibility.

14

Chapter 3

Summary

Based on the results obtained so far, NIFS will move on a next phase in 2010.
During the period of the 2nd Mid-Term Plan, the institute aspires to establish
academic knowledge systematically leading to a helical prototype reactor.
One of the keys to attain the goal is the reinforcement of its fusion
engineering research. The research needs to concentrate on the issues moreclearly and at the same time, has to take a comprehensive approach. Anotherkey is safety management. NIFS accepts a large number of co-researchersvisiting for the collaborations it promotes, and it is a duty as a COE to ensure
safety environment for those people. Safety management is as essential as
infrastructure maintenance. From this point of view, the 2009 review wasdetermined to target the two activities. The external peer review committee
was set up by the Administrative Council, and subcommittees specializing ineach were formed under the committee. Here is a brief of how we camethrough and what we have concluded as an external reviewer.
At the first meeting, details of perspective were worked out and fixed up as
follows.
I

Evaluation items on fusion engineering research
1. Research process and performance1) Are the subjects NIFS has worked for adequate and appropriate?
2) Has NIFS made effective use of its facilities and achieved
satisfactory outcomes regarding each of the subjects in 1)?
3) Has NIFS learned from the past external review results?
4) Has NIFS fulfilled a role as COE for universities who study fusion
engineering?
2. Collaboration performance1) Does NIFS’s collaboration system function effectively in the field?
2) Has NIFS learned from the past external review results?
3. Goal and planning
1) Are NIFS’s subject selection and implementation plans adequate
and appropriate?
2) Is NIFS’s system for implementing the plans adequate andappropriate?
15

II Evaluation items on safety management
1. Management system and performance1) Does NIFS’s safety-management system respond properly to a shift
in relevant law from the National Personnel Authority Regulations
to the Industrial Safety and Health Law according to thereorganization of the national universities as corporation? (Please
note the role of the Safety and Health Committee and its activities.)
2) Does the Division for Health and Safety Promotion function
properly to ensure safe environment? (Is the structure adequate andappropriate, which consists of 10 offices such as the Environmental
Safety Control Office, the Health Control Office and so on?)3) Does NIFS provide safety education for in-house students
adequately and appropriately?
2. Safety performance as an inter-university research institute1) Are the visiting co-researchers including the graduate students
educated and managed their safety adequately and appropriately?
2) Are the foreign co-researchers provided safe environment?
3. Future plan
1) Is NIFS’s safety-management system well-prepared for the
reorganization of research division in 2010?
2) Are NIFS’s plans for safety control while conducting deuterium
experiments adequate and appropriate?
At the second meeting, NIFS made a full explanation over each point above.
Subcommittee members discussed NIFS performance and each groupsummed up its opinions. At the third meeting, the committee discussed theresults from the subcommittees and recommendations to give NIFS on the
future activities, and then wrapping up the report.
Regarding fusion engineering research, most committee members
appreciated all the three aspects; Research process and performance,
Collaboration performance and Goal and planning. The committee also
encourage NIFS: (1) to advance the research around reactor design in across-divisional approach, (2) to become a domestic stronghold for studies ofadvanced blanket or low-activated materials while to ensure a leading
position internationally as well, (3) to boost the development work ofsuperconducting coils for a future reactor and (4) to make a great
contribution to enhancing the academic approach toward a helical-type16

reactor through developing its own fusion engineering research. In addition
to them, emphasis was made on the importance of educating young
personnel who will be actively involved in future-plant projects.
Regarding safety management, the committee also gave high marks on thethree; management system and performance, safety performance as aninter-university research institute and future plan. The effort for the
deuterium experiment received especially high commendation for its
scrupulous attention and measures. In order to reinforce safety management
the committee suggests: (1) to promote risk-prediction practice, (2) to enrichsafety education for students, (3) to train the Safety Officer to help
strengthening its expertise and (4) to give a more concrete shape to thesystem related to the deuterium-discharge experiment.
NIFS has accomplished the targets planned in the past and its future plan
meets requirements satisfactorily both its fusion engineering research andsafety management, which brought in the good review result. In closing, we
would like to reconfirm what we believe NIFS will make; a major
breakthrough toward a helical reactor in the research as well as a further
reinforcement of the safety previsions.

17

Inter-University Research Institute Corporation
National Institutes of Natural Sciences

National Institute for Fusion Science322-6 Oroshi-cho, Toki, Gifu, 509-5292, Japan

http://www.nifs.ac.jp/