The Administration’s Proposed Budget for
Fusion Energy Sciences in FY 2017
E. J. Synakowski
Associate Director
Office of Science, Fusion Energy Sciences
U. S. Department of Energy
February 10, 2016

1

The President’s budget roll‐out to Congressis one step in a lengthy process

Completed (blue)

We are here

Forthcoming (green)

Final budgetFY 2017 Budget Request Summary
Budget Categories

FY 2016
requestFY 2016
enactedFY 2017
requestBurning Plasma: Foundations

191,759

214,755

195,607

Burning Plasma: Long Pulse

30,90941,021

31,355

Burning Plasma: High Power

150,000

115,000

125,000

Discovery Plasma Science

47,332

67,224

46,216420,000

438,000

398,178

Total•

NOTES:–––The “FY 2016 Enacted” figures incorporate preliminary allocations and Budget
Omnibus language marks, but are still provisional, pending final evaluations
Also, funding awards in FY 2016 for several recent solicitations (e.g., DIII‐D
collaborations, NSTX diagnostics, small‐scale AT/ST/stellarator) are still pending final
decisions
FY 2017 requests are informed by strategic thrusts in the FES Ten‐Year Perspective
Allbudgetamounts
in $K

This budget proposal reflects commitment toburning plasma and discovery science•

Burning Plasma Science: Foundations
–
–

–
–

•

Burning Plasma Science: Long Pulse–•

Support continues for U.S. research collaborations on international machines, such as EAST (China), KSTAR(Korea), and W7‐X (Germany).

Discovery Plasma Science
–
–
–

•

Overall funding for advanced tokamak research is decreased, as operation of Alcator C‐Mod will have ended
Funding for the DIII‐D and NSTX‐U research programs is increased to address the high‐priority fusion scienceissues identified by the community research needs workshops held in FY 2015 and to support enhanced
collaborations with MIT researchers.
Decreased funding for DIII‐D and NSTX‐U operations results in deferment of some facility enhancements and aslight reduction to operating weeks (14 weeks on DIII‐D and 16 weeks on NSTX‐U).
Funding for SciDAC is increased to accelerate progress toward whole‐device modeling.

General plasma science activities continue, including the NSF‐DOE Partnership (now renewed to 2021).
HEDLP research is focused on MEC at LCLS. There is no budget for new research awards as part of the SC/NNSA
Joint Program for HEDLP science. Operations and research on NDCX‐II at LBNL are not funded.
Decreases in Measurement Innovation and General Plasma Science activities result from the completion oftargeted research enhancements fully funded in FY 2016.

Burning Plasma Science: High Power––The ITER budget request is reduced to $125M (cf. FY16 request of $150M and enacted $115M). Funding isprovided for FY 2017 monetary contribution to ITER Organization to support common project expenses.
DOE must provide status reports about ITER to Congress by Feb 15 and Aug 15, plus a recommendation by May
2 about whether to continue U.S. participation in the ITER project.

Advanced Tokamak (DIII‐D and Smaller Scale) & Spherical Tokamak (NSTX‐U and Smaller Scale)• Highly collaborative; strong university partnerships• High scientific complementarity between these facilities• High potential for growing student engagement on our nation’s major fusion science experimental
facilities

Theory and Simulation• US strength in engaging with experiment to develop predictive understanding• Essential if high‐risk gaps in fusion are to be closed• Leverages DOE investments in leadership‐class computing resources

Budget Categories

FY 2016
requestFY 2016
enactedFY 2017
requestBurning Plasma: Foundations

191,759

214,755

195,607

Foundations: Advanced Tokamak
Focuses on optimization of the tokamak approach to magnetic confinement fusion, including
addressing near‐term scientific issues for ITER and developing advanced scenarios. (The AT line works
in concert with the ST line to reveal fundamentals about toroidal confinement overall.)
Budget Element

FY 2016
RequestFY 2016
EnactedFY 2017
RequestFY 2017 Budget Highlights

DIII‐D
Research

32,03835,00037,000Conduct experiments to test fast ion transport models, study
edge pedestal density structure, and examine impurity
generation and transport with high‐Z coated tiles.

DIII‐D Ops

39,31045,00044,10014 run weeks. Targeted upgrades (ECH, OANB design).

C‐Mod
Research

6,145

6,145

0

MIT researchers funded for research at national andinternational facilities under a new cooperative agreement.

C‐Mod Ops

11,855

11,8550Operation of Alcator C‐Mod ceases.

Small‐scale AT

973

1,090

973

Provide AT‐relevant data . Validate models and codes.

Enabling R&D

2,165

2,165

2,165

Research in superconducting magnet technology, and fuelingand plasma heating technologies

Second multi‐barrel
Shattered Pellet Injector forradiation asymmetry andinjection studies (ORNL)

DIII‐D

DIII‐D and its Upgrades

Interior of DIII‐D vacuum vessel

DIII‐D infrared camera data used to investigate
asymmetries in tokamak disruptions

 DIII‐D will continue high‐priority advanced tokamak studies of transport, edge and divertor physics,
disruption physics and tokamak transient mitigation systems. Research priorities will include issues
identified by the 2015 community research needs workshops.
 After 14 run weeks, DIII‐D will have a planned outage for the installation of targeted facility enhancements,
including a new high‐power helicon current drive antenna and improvements to the neutral beam injection
systems for plasma heating and current drive.

Foundations: Spherical Tokamak
Explore the physics of plasma confined in a low‐aspect‐ratio
geometry at high pressure. (The ST line works in concert with the
AT line to reveal fundamentals about toroidal confinement overall.)
BudgetElement

FY 2016
RequestFY 2016
EnactedFY 2017
RequestFY 2017 Budget Highlights

NSTX‐U
Research

26,00030,00031,410Address divertor heat flux mitigation andconfinement at full parameters, explore fully
non‐inductive current drive and sustainment,
develop high‐performance discharge scenarios,
and assess impact of molybdenum divertor
tiles.

NSTX‐U
Operations

36,92541,00039,09016 run weeks. Extend operation to full field andcurrent (1 T, 2 MA).

Small‐scale
ST

2,699

3,000

2,699

Provide ST‐relevant data. Validate models andcodes.

NSTX‐UFirst plasma in
NSTX‐U achieved
September 2015

NSTX‐U is essentially a new machinein the U.S. fusion energy sciences portfolio
Both H‐mode andstationary L‐mode
operations havebeen achieved The multi‐year upgrade project ($94M,
completed at end of FY 2015) provides anational user facility with significantly
enhanced capabilities– the world’s
highest‐performance spherical tokamak.
 Funding will allow 16 run weeks in FY
2017 (down 2 weeks from FY16 enacted).
 In mid‐FY 2016, a shutdown is planned for installation of a row of high‐Z metal tiles on the lower
divertor shelf for experiments on plasma‐wall interaction.
 In FY 2017, plasma performance, divertor heat flux mitigation, and non‐inductive discharge
sustainment will be tested at the full field and current values (both of which are double what had
been achieved prior to the upgrade).

Foundations: Theory and Simulation
Advance scientific understanding of fundamental physical processes governing
the behavior of magnetically confined plasmas and develop predictive
capability by exploiting leadership‐class computing resources.
BudgetElement

FY 2016
RequestFY 2016
EnactedFY 2017
RequestFY 2017 Budget Highlights

Theory21,17024,00021,170Emphasis on closing gaps in burning plasma science as
identified by the 2015 community workshops and on
addressing high‐priority needs of integrated simulation

SciDAC

7,000

9,500

12,000

New SciDAC centers, selected via a competitive merit
review and set up as partnerships with ASCR, will begin,with a strong emphasis on integration and whole‐device
modeling, focusing on the highest‐priority research
directions identified by the 2015 community workshops.

Coupledelectron andion transport
simulations
with realistic
mass ratioLong‐Pulse Tokamaks & Long‐Pulse Stellarators• Using partnerships on international facilities where US expertise is valuable and desired• Creating opportunities for continued US leadership this decade in areas critical to fusion science• Generating access for our scientists and students to what are becoming leading research endeavors
around the globe

Materials and Fusion Nuclear Science• Investments will enable US leadership in fusion nuclear materials science and plasma‐materialinteractions

Budget Categories

FY 2016
requestFY 2016
enactedFY 2017
requestBurning Plasma: Long Pulse

30,90941,021

31,355

Long Pulse: Tokamak
Example: Two U.S. teams are performing long‐pulse plasma heating and control
research at the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) andKorea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) facilities.
Budget Element

FY 2016
RequestFY 2016
EnactedFY 2017
RequestFY 2017 budget highlights

Long‐Pulse Tokamak

6,045

8,500

6,045

Commission improved control
systems. Explore ITER‐relevant
operating scenarios. Develop RF
heating/current drive and NB
actuator models.

EAST

KSTAR

U.S. collaborations on
overseas superconducting facilities
Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak(EAST) – China• U.S. scientists conducted experiments at a
distance on EAST by operating the machine from aremote collaboration room at General
Atomics―the first successful demonstra on of“3rd shift” remote operation of this experiment• EAST data is piped to GA, where it is stored andmirrored to U.S. collaborators
Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research(KSTAR) – Korea• U.S. contributions have improved dramatically theperformance of the ion‐cyclotron radio frequency
antenna on KSTAR
Wendelstein W7‐X Stellarator – Germany• U.S. designed and constructed powerful trim coils
that fine‐tune the shape of the W7‐X plasma• W7‐X achieved first plasma in December 2015
• Substantial U.S. research involvement

General Atomics remotecollaboration room
supports 3rd shift operationof EAST by U.S. scientists

U.S.-designed
RF waveantenna toheat ions in
KSTAR

Five 2,400-pound
U.S.-built trim coils(blue) installed on
W7-X

Long Pulse: Stellarator
A U.S. lab/university team is collaborating on the superconducting W7‐X
stellarator in Germany. The U.S. domestic effort focuses on optimizing thestellarator concept through compact quasi‐symmetric magnetic field shaping.
Budget Element

FY 2016
RequestFY 2016
EnactedFY 2017
RequestFY 2017 budget highlights

Superconducting Stellarator
Research

2,500

4,200

2,515

Participate in W7‐X experiments
on error fields, islands, plasma
control, energetic particles,
impurities, PMI, core transportCompact Stellarator Research

2,569

3,069

2,569

Provide data relevant tomainline stellarator efforts.
Validate models and codes.

Magnetic flux
surfaces mappedout with anelectron beam

W7‐X

Initial W7‐X hydrogen plasma operation
Dec 10, 2015: First operation (with helium)
Feb 3, 2016: First hydrogen plasma operation(video of the event can be seen at
http://www.ipp.mpg.de/livestream_e_16)

Hydrogen operation (February 3, 2016)
W7‐X project leader Thomas Klinger, IPP
Director Sibylle Guenter, German Chancellor
Angela Merkel

U.S. attendees and collaborating scientists
standing by the Start Button

Long Pulse:
Materials and Fusion Nuclear Science
This research supports the development, characterization, and modeling ofstructural, plasma‐facing, and blanket materials for the fusion environment.
Budget Element

FY 2016
RequestFY 2016
EnactedFY 2017
RequestFY 2017 budget highlights

Fusion Nuclear Science

9,835

11,252

10,000Study plasma‐facing materials, PMI,
tritium retention, neutronics, andmaterial corrosion issues. Scoping
studies.

Materials Research

9,960

14,000

10,226

Study structural materials, helium
damage, tungsten ductility.

Simulation of helium
bubble growth in tungsten
with neutron irradiation

Proto‐MPEXPISCES

Plasma Science Frontiers•

General plasma science portfolio: FES stewardship of non‐MFE plasma science areas•

High energy density laboratory plasma research: matter at extreme conditions•

Exploratory magnetized plasma: small/intermediate‐scale MFE experimental research;platforms for verification & validation; study of plasma self‐organization

Measurement Innovation•

High‐impact R&D on new plasma diagnostic techniques

Budget Categories

FY 2016
requestFY 2016
enactedFY 2017
requestDiscovery Plasma Science

47,332

67,224

46,216

Discovery Plasma Science:
Plasma Science Frontiers & Measurement Innovation
Support for a broad portfolio of research projects and small‐scale experimental facilities
that explore the diverse frontiers of plasma science. The activities of this subprogram arecarried out through inter‐ and intra‐agency partnerships and at academic institutions,private companies, and national laboratories.
Budget Element

FY 2016
RequestFY 2016
EnactedFY 2017
RequestFY 2017 budget highlights

General Plasma Science

15,50016,125

15,500Research on basic plasma
behaviors, including low
temperature plasmas. Continue
the NSF‐DOE Partnership.

High Energy Density
Laboratory Plasmas

6,700

20,2507,000

Emphasis on MEC research. No
new SC/NNSA Joint Program
awards. No funding for NDCX‐II.

Exploratory Magnetized
Plasma10,40910,409

9,416

Research directions informed byhigh‐priority research identified
by the 2015 PSF workshops.

Measurement Innovation

3,575

6,700

4,000

Continue developing innovative
diagnostic techniques.

Some Plasma Science Frontier activities

LCLS @ SLAC

Large Plasma Device @ UCLA Basic Plasma Science Facility

Magnetic Recconnection Experiment (MRX) @ PPPL

MEC @ LCLSUS Contributions to ITER project•

The funding request supports U.S. in‐kind hardware contributions; funds the USIPO staff
and support contractors at ORNL, PPPL, and SRNL; and provides funding toward the FY
2017 monetary contribution to the IO for common project expenses.

•

U.S. ITER Project Office: FY 2017 in‐kind hardware contributions include central solenoid
superconducting magnet modules and structures, toroidal field magnet conductor, steady‐‐
state electrical network components, diagnostics development, tokamak cooling water
system, and vacuum system.
Budget Categories

FY 2016
requestFY 2016
enactedFY 2017
requestBurning Plasma: High Power

150,000

115,000

125,000

Storage Area 2

Worksite progressTransformers(Installation Complete)

PF Coils Building

Storage Area 3
400 kV switchyard

Tokamak Complex
Assembly Hall

(Under construction)(Under construction)

Subcontractors Area
Cryostat Workshop

Preparatory works(now receiving components)

Magnet Conversion Power
Cryogenics Buildings
Under construction

Site Service buildings
Under construction

Batching Plant

HQ Extension

Preparatory works

Cooling Water Building
Storage Area 1
Preparatory works

Control Building

ITER HQ

Slide from Dr. Bernard Bigot (Jan 13 FESAC talk)21

U.S. fabrication of ITER hardware
is progressing
Completed Shipmentsof Toroidal Field
Conductor to EU

Central solenoid fabrication
facility is in operation atGeneral Atomics

A 61,000 gallon drain tank fortokamak cooling water system

Conductor

Two high
voltagesubstationtransformers
for thesteady-stateelectrical
network

ITER recent developments••
ITER Director‐General
Bernard Bigot

IO/DG/IC activities:–

The DG and IO are implementing his Action Plan to address the 11
recommendations of the 2013 Management Assessment report–

The DG has changed the ITER org structure, reduced the number of Deputy
Director Generals to two, instituted an Executive Project Board that involves
the ITER Organization and the seven Members, and set up Project Teams–

The DG attended the FPA Meeting (Dec 2015) and the FESAC Meeting (Jan2016), plus visits to OMB, OSTP, SEWD, and HEWD–

The 2015 Management Assessment is underway

Project schedule has been updated:–

The IO presented an Updated Long‐Term Schedule to ITER Council (Nov 2015).
The IC set up an independent panel of international project experts to review
the new schedule and human resources, with an interim report due in April–

The IC approved 29 milestones to monitor IO progress during for 2016‐2017, of
which 4 have been completed

photo ITER•

U.S. ITER Project Office continues its progress:–•

U.S. hardware contributions are 28% complete; U.S. deliveries for ITER First Plasma are 15% complete

Secretary of Energy is to submit ITER status reports to Congress by Feb 15 and Aug
15, and a recommendation about continued U.S. participation in ITER by May 2

Annual Joint Research Target
for FES facility‐based experiments
FY 2016 Joint Research Target (underway this year)
Conduct research to detect and minimize the consequences of disruptions in present and future
tokamaks, including ITER. Coordinated research will deploy a disruption prediction/warning algorithm
on existing tokamaks, assess approaches to avoid disruptions, and quantify plasma and radiation
asymmetries resulting from disruption mitigation measures, including both pre‐existing and resulting
MHD activity, as well as the localized nature of the disruption mitigation system. The research will
employ new disruption mitigation systems, control algorithms, and hardware to help avoid disruptions,along with measurements to detect disruption precursors and quantify the effects of disruptions.

FY 2017 Joint Research Target (planned for next year)
Conduct research to examine the effect of configuration on operating space for dissipative divertors.
Handling plasma power and particle exhaust in the divertor region is a critical issue for future burning
plasma devices, including ITER. The very narrow edge power exhaust channel projected for tokamak
devices that operate at high poloidal magnetic field is of particular concern. Increased and controlled
divertor radiation, coupled with optimization of the divertor configuration, are envisioned as the leading
approaches to reducing peak heat flux on the divertor targets and increasing the operating window for
dissipative divertors. Data obtained from DIII‐D and NSTX‐U and archived from Alcator C‐Mod will be
used to assess the impact of edge magnetic configurations and divertor geometries on dissipative
regimes, as well as their effect on the width of the power exhaust channel, thus providing essential data
to test and validate leading boundary plasma models.

FES 2015 Joint Research Target
Impact of broadened current and pressure profiles on tokamak plasma confinement and stability.
Mario Podesta et al. (http://science.energy.gov/fes/community‐resources/)Annual Theory/Simulation Performance Target
FY 2016 Theory & Simulation Performance Target (underway this year)
Predicting the magnitude and scaling of the divertor heat load width in magnetically confined burning
plasmas is a high priority for the fusion program and ITER. One of the key unresolved physics issues iswhat sets the heat flux width at the entrance to the divertor region. Perform massively parallel
simulations using 3D edge kinetic and fluid codes to determine the parameter dependence of the heatload width at the divertor entrance and compute the divertor plate heat flux applicable to moderateparticle recycling conditions. Comparisons will be made with data from DIII‐D, NSTX‐U, and C‐Mod.

FY 2017 Theory & Simulation Performance Target (planned for next year)
Lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) will be indispensable for driving off‐axis current during long‐pulse
operation of future burning plasma experiments including ITER, since it offers important leverage forcontrolling damaging transients caused by magnetohydrodynamic instabilities. However, theexperimentally demonstrated high efficiency of LHCD is incompletely understood. In FY 2017, massively
parallel, high‐resolution simulations with 480 radial elements and 4095 poloidal modes will be
performed using full‐wave radiofrequency field solvers and particle Fokker‐Planck codes to elucidate theroles of toroidicity and full‐wave effects. The simulation predictions will be compared with experimental
data from the superconducting EAST tokamak.

FES 2015 Theory & Simulation Performance Target
Perform massively parallel plasma turbulence simulations to determine expected transport in ITER
Jeff Candy et al. (http://science.energy.gov/fes/community‐resources/)

26

Slide from Dr. Cherry Murray (Feb 9 SC budget rollout)

FES ten‐year strategic plan•

Chronology:– April 2015: Submitted for
DOE/Administration concurrence– December: Submitted to Congress– February 2016: Congressional
approval for public distribution(with new cover)•

The high‐level vision describedherein builds on the present U.S.
activities in fusion plasma andmaterials science relevant to theenergy goal and extends plasma
science at the frontier of discovery

http://science.energy.gov/fes/community‐resources/

Community engagement workshops•

FES held community workshops in 2015:– Plasma‐Materials Interactions– Integrated Simulations for Magnetic Fusion
Energy– Plasma Transients– Frontiers of Plasma Science

Fusion Energy Sciences
Workshop
Plasma Science Frontiers•

Each workshop is delivering a report [ ] that
describes (1) scientific challenges and (2)implementation options to address them•

FESAC commended the workshops:– “At this FESAC meeting…we heard from the workshop chairs about theenormous community‐wide effort to carry out these workshops, and the highdegree of consensus in identifying priority research directions within these
topics. We heard from FES that the workshop results are being used to help
explain and shape the Fusion Energy Sciences program within the U.S.
government. We were pleased to hear the workshop chairs unanimously express
their satisfaction with both the community’s support of the workshop goals andwith FES’s response to the results.” [Letter to Dr. Cherry Murray, Jan 14, 2016]

Recent FESAC report on
non‐fusion‐energy applications
This FESAC report is being submitted to Congress to
respond to the request in the 2014 Consolidated
Appropriations Act
Basic Materials Science: FES researchers have created dusty plasmas togenerate nucleation ‘factories’ for the production of nanoparticles andnanocrystals developed for efficient solar cells and fuel cells. DOE Basic
Energy Sciences Energy Frontier Research Centers. Photo courtesy of Los
Alamos National Lab with the University of Minnesota.
Medical/Health: Atmospheric and non‐neutral plasma physics as well as
FES technology spinoffs have enabled a wide range of new medical
procedures ranging from plasma surgery to non‐evasive imaging tocancer therapy. Plasma tissue welding. Photo courtesy of Ion Med Ltd.
National Security: The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, a spinofffrom FES development of precision control of sequencing mag ‐ nets, is
now replacing the Navy’s steam catapults on air ‐ craft carriers. USS
Gerald Ford was the first carrier to use the Electromagnetic Aircraft
Launch System. Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems. Photo courtesyof General Atomics.
Transportation: Safer, more efficient jet engines have been created byspray coating their turbine blades with a ceramic powder that was
injected into a flowing plasma jet. Plasma spray‐coating improves jet
engine turbine blade efficiency and safety. Photo courtesy of JETPOWER.
Waste Treatment: FES researchers have developed commercial plasmaarc heating technologies to transform hazardous waste into vitrified
products—a stable, solid form suitable for safe long‐term disposal.
Plasma arc vitrification. Photo courtesy of Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory.

http://science.energy.gov/~/media/fes/fesac/pdf/2015/2101507/FINAL_FES_NonFusionAppReport_090215.pdf

2016 IAEA Fusion Energy Conference• 26th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference(FES 2016)– To be held in Kyoto, Japan, 17‐22
October 2016

• US paper selection– Mark Foster (FES) is the lead
– U.S. Paper Selection Committee had
its meeting February 1 and 2.

• IAEA FEC International ProgrammeCommittee– Will meet in Vienna in April– U.S. to be represented by fivepersons: R. Buttery, D. Gates, H.
McLean, D. Spong, and M. Foster

Thank you