Fusion Energy Sciences
Perspective
James W. Van Dam
Associate Director
Office of Science
Fusion Energy Sciences

Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee Meeting
October 2, 20191

1. Budget Updates

2

The FY 2019 FES budget enabled
a number of accomplishments
 U.S. Contributions to ITER project: Completed testing of the first superconducting central solenoid magnet module.
Cash contribution was made in FY 2019.
 DIII-D: Successfully completed 12 run weeks in FY 2019. The world’s first toroidally steerable, off-axis neutral beam
injector was installed on schedule and successfully operated. In FY 2020, DIII-D research will utilize the new neutralbeam and other heating/current drive systems to investigate steady-state plasma scenarios.
 NSTX-U Recovery project: Successfully achieved SC approval of its baseline cost and schedule, and authorization of
long-lead procurements.
 Materials Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX) MIE project: Completed conceptual design. The project plans tocomplete preliminary design and attain Critical Decision-1 approval in FY 2020.
 Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) Petawatt Upgrade: Achieved approval of its Mission Need (CD-0).
 Quantum Information Science (QIS): FES made awards in connection with its first-ever solicitation in QIS.
 international collaborations: The portfolio was re-competed in FY 2019; ten multi-institutional awards were made forcollaborative research on long and short pulse tokamak facilities in Asia and the EU. Also, U.S. scientists are designingand building a high-speed pellet fueling system for the W7-X stellarator.
 Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE): FES established this to support private-public partnerships. The initialawards were selected in September.
 Machine Learning: FES held a workshop, jointly with ASCR, to identify priority research opportunities in AI/ML.
3Highlights from the House andSenate marks for FY 2020 budget•

From the House Energy and Water Development mark [May 2019]– The Committee recommends $688,000,000 for Fusion Energy Sciences– Within available funds, the recommendation provides $20,000,000 for High Energy Density Laboratory Plasmas, including activities
for LaserNetUS– Within available funds, the recommendation includes $4,000,000 for a Fusion Public-Private Partnership Program– The recommendation includes $21,000,000 for MPEX
– The Committee recommends $230,000,000 for the U.S. contribution to the ITER project•From the Senate Energy and Water Development mark [September 2019]–––––The Committee recommends $570,000,000 for Fusion Energy Sciences
The Committee recommends $180,000,000 for the domestic, in-kind contributions and related support activities of the ITER project
Encourages supporting optimal facility operations levels for DIII-D
Recommends $30,000,000 for the Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment
Supports the Matter in Extreme Conditions Petawatt Upgrade project and recommends $14,400,000 in construction funding and$1,400,000 in other project costs funding.
– The Committee recommends $20,000,000 for LaserNetUS– Provides up to $20,000,000 over the budget request for the continuation of the INFUSE program– Directs the Department to create a Fusion Public-Private Partnership Cost Share Program that advances multiple fusion advanced
reactor technologies and recommends up to $20,000,000 for this new program
4• FY 2020 will begin
with a seven-week Continuing Resolution, to November 21, 2019.

FES FY 2021 Budget Request
addresses Administration R&D priorities and practices
American Leadership in Industries of the Future:–American Energy & Environmental Leadership:––

FES-supported research is guided by the principles of Integrity and scientific rigor, diversity and inclusiveness, andemphasis on safety and protection of American research assets

Support Transformative Research of High Risk and Potentially High Reward:–The unique scientific challenges and rigor of fusion and plasma physics research contribute to the development of awell-trained STEM-focused workforce, which will contribute to maintaining and advancing U.S. competitiveness andworld-leadership in key areas of future technological and economic importance, as well as national security

Create and Support Research Environments that Reflect American Values:–

Early-stage research in fusion could contribute to American energy dominance by making available to the Americanpeople a robust base-load electricity clean energy technology that relies on widely available and virtuallyinexhaustible fuel sources.
Investments in our major fusion facilities and smaller-scale experiments will maintain and modernize our research
infrastructure for continuing to conduct world-leading research

Build & Leverage a Diverse, Highly Skilled American Workforce:–FES investments in transformational technologies such as artificial intelligence / machine learning, quantum
information science (QIS), data science, microelectronics, advanced manufacturing, and high-performancecomputing will accelerate progress in several mission areas

Research on high-temperature superconductors, additive manufacturing, low-temperature plasmas, and highenergy-density plasmas lead to connections with and spinoffs for U.S. industry

Build, Strengthen, and Expand Strategic Multisector Partnerships:––

Established partnerships within DOE (ASCR, BES, HEP, ARPA-E, NNSA) and outside (NSF) maximize leverage andincrease the cost effectiveness of FES research activities
Private-public partnerships through the INFUSE program leverage opportunities in critical fusion research areas(e.g., diagnostics, theory and simulation, materials science, and magnet technology)

OMB/OSTP memo on the FY 2021
Administration R&D priorities (30 August 2019)2. Programmatic Updates

6National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U)• An Independent Project Review was held August 27-29 tobaseline the NSTX-U Recovery Project– Review panel noted that the project is quite mature, given theoverall completion of ~50% (with over 70% design complete),and concluded it is ready to begin major construction– The baseline cost of the NSTX-U Recovery project is $199.4M,
with a completion date (CDE-4) of July 2022 (and early finish inFY 2021)• An ESAAB-equivalent meeting was held on September 30– CDE-2/3A received final approval to begin construction• Prior-authorized early construction activities have been
underway– Clean room winding lines to fabricate poloidal field coils arecomplete– Procurement of all graphite material for PFC replacement iscomplete7

DIII-D: Facility operations & research
FY 2019 Highlights and Achievements• Completed Long Torus Opening activities during 12-monthvent period, including installation of toroidally steerable,off-axis neutral beam injector• Completed 12-week experimental science campaign• Demonstrated top-launch electron cyclotron current drivesystem• Fabricated helicon antenna modules• Designed high-field-side lower hybrid system

Off-axis neutral beam and imaging
from beam-into-gas commissioning

FY 2020 Plans• 20-week experimental campaign− Study steady-state scenarios with two off-axis NBI− One-week hydrogen campaign− 1-2 week Frontier Science Campaign• Install helicon antenna• Fabricate prototype for mid-plane 3D field coil
8Helicon antenna modules and1 MW klystron from SLAC

Burning Plasma Long Pulse: Tokamak
Competitive solicitation was conducted in FY 2019 involving
activities on both long- and short-pulse tokamaks− Interdisciplinary teams from multiple U.S. institutions aresupported for collaborative research aimed at advancing thescientific and technology basis for sustained long-pulse burning
plasma operation
Collaborative Proposal Title
FacilityLong Pulse High Performance Scenarios and Control in EASTEAST
Disruption Prediction and Avoidance in High Beta Long Pulse
KSTAR
KSTAR Plasmas – Real Time Expansion
Physics Basis, Optimization, and Control for Integrated 3D Edge KSTAR, AUG,
Long-Pulse Tokamak Scenarios
COMPASS
Evaluation of Tungsten as the Main Plasma-Facing Material in aWEST
Long-pulsed Tokamak
Boundary, SOL, and Divertor Physics Studies on TCV
TCV
Turbulent Transport Studies at ASDEX Upgrade Enabled byCorrelation Electron Cyclotron Emission and nT-phase
AUG
Diagnostic
Validation of energetic particle transport models for timeJET, AUG, TCV
dependent integrated simulations of burning plasmas
Disruption Mitigation Solutions for Long-Pulse Tokamaks
JET, KSTARFast Particle-Wave Interactions and Alfvén Eigenmodes in theJETJET Tokamak Plasmas
Design and Development of an Electron Cyclotron Emission
COMPASS-U
Diagnostics Suite for Compass Upgrade Tokamak

9

Lead PI Name
Humphreys, David
Sabbagh, StevenJET

ASDEX-U
ITER

JT-60SA

Lead Institution
General Atomics
Columbia
University

Park, Jong-Kyu

PPPL

Unterberg, Ezekial

ORNL

Marmar, Earl

MIT

White, AnneMIT

Podesta, MarioPPPLBaylor, Larry

ORNL

Porkolab, Miklos

MITHoushmandyar, SaeidUniversity of TexasTCVEASTKSTAR

Construction projects for new world-leading facilities• FES has initiated a new Major Item ofEquipment project for a Linear Divertor
Simulator– Mission Need and CD-0 approval were achieved
in FY 2018
– CD-1 Independent Project Review is scheduledfor October 16-18, 2019MPEX

MEC Upgrade• FES is considering an MEC petawatt laser
facility upgrade• Mission Need and CD-0 approval wereachieved in FY 2019
• Addresses a recommendation in the 2017 NAS
report Opportunities in Intense Ultrafast
Lasers: Reaching for the Brightest Light
Specimens and irradiation capsule
10FES selected its first awards in QIS
Projects include the exploration of near- and long-term quantum computing opportunities for fusion and plasma science; the use ofplasma science techniques to simulate trapped ion crystals of relevance to quantum simulation and sensing; the exploration of new realmsof quantum behavior at high-energy-density conditions; and the use of near-term quantum computer hardware to formulate fusionrelevant chemistry and materials science phenomena.
PI Name11Institution

Project Title

Parker, Scott

University of Colorado,
Boulder

Plasma Theory Connections to Quantum
Information

Gomes Loureiro, Nuno

Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology

Quantum algorithms for fusion-plasma
dynamics

Kostuk, MarkGeneral Atomics

Quantum Computing for Fusion Energy
Materials

Alexeev, Yuri

Argonne National Laboratory

Quantum Computing for Fusion Energy
Materials

Joseph, Ilon

Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory

Quantum Leap for Fusion Energy Sciences

Collins, Gilbert

University of Rochester

High Energy Density Quantum Matter

Machine Learning / AI Workshop•••••

12FES & ASCR held a joint workshop April 30 – May 2, 2019, on Advancing Fusion
with Machine Learning
Chair & Co-Chair: David Humphreys (General Atomics), & Ana Kupresanin (LLNL)
Among the objectives was to identify areas where application of Machine
Learning / Artificial Intelligence (ML/AI) techniques and data science more broadly
can have a transformative impact on FES mission areas
Seven Priority Research Opportunities were identified
A presentation will be provided at the next FESAC meeting

New INFUSE private-public partnership program for fusion R&D•

The Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE)
program was announced in June• INFUSE accepted basic research applications
focused on innovation for fusion energy in enabling
technologies, materials science, plasma diagnostics,
modeling & simulation, and MFE experimental
capabilities• INFUSE partnership awards (@$50K-$200K) aremade to DOE national laboratories to help eligible
private-sector companies overcome critical scientificand technological challenges in the pursuit of fusionenergy• Request for Assistance (RFA) call issued on June 1
and closed on July 7, 2019
Dennis Youchison,
Director

13

Ahmed Diallo,
Deputy Director

https://infuse.ornl.gov/– 21 RFA proposals were received from 11 companies– ORNL and PPPL carried out the merit review of the RFA
proposals– FES selected 12 projects for awards

Planned FY 2020 Funding Opportunity Announcements*FOA Title

Companion Lab Call

Collaborative NSTX-U Diagnostics

NoCollaborative Research on International and Domestic Spherical Tokamaks

No

High-Energy-Density Laboratory Plasma ScienceNo

Machine Learning for Fusion Energy Sciences

Yes

Measurement Innovations for Magnetic Fusion Systems

Yes

Opportunities in Frontier Plasma Science

Yes

Quantum Information Science Research for Fusion Energy Sciences

Yes

Theoretical Research in Magnetic Fusion Energy ScienceNo

Early Career Research Program

Yes* Tentative, subject to FY 2020 budget appropriation by Congress
Check https://science.osti.gov/fes/Funding-Opportunities for updates
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3. ITER Updates

15

ITER Complex

Progress of US Contributions to ITER project
US ITER Subproject-1 (First Plasma) is 60% complete>80% of US ITER funding remains in the U.S.
• 600+ contracts to US industry, universities andnational laboratories in 44 states• 500+ direct jobs, 1100+ indirect jobs per year
Industry, University and National
Laboratory Participants

Percent Complete by System
Subproject 1
450,000

Percent complete by system (SP-1)

400,000

Budget at Complete
Earned Value

350,000% Complete
300,000

2 hardware systems are complete:• Toroidal Field Conductor• Steady State Electrical Network

250,000$K

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000Total Awards: ~$1.2B
as of June 2019

82%

62%

56%

16%

42%

45%

44%

100%

CS Magnets 1

Tokamak Cooling
Water Systems

Diagnostics

Instrumentation
and Controls 2

ICH
Transmission
Lines

ECH
Transmission
Lines

Vacuum Auxiliary
Systems

TF Conductor

53%

23%

45%

100%

Pellet Injection

Steady StateElectrical Network-

Tokamak Exhaust Roughing Pump
Processing SystemSets

Based on Baseline Data. Does not include full impact of funding constraints.
1 Includes CS Modules, Structures & Assembly Tooling
2 Instrumentation & Controls for Tokamak Cooling Water, Diagnostics, ICH Transmission Lines, ECH Transmission Lines, Vacuum Aux iliary, Roughing Pumps and Pellet Injection
Disruption Mitigation is not reported since the US contriution is voluntary up to a capped value.

Data: June 2019

Progress of U.S. Contributions to ITER project

Cash contributions

Funding for in-kind hardware components

12010080604020FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26 FY27
Cash Contributions to IO $M IO Request for Cash

U.S. ITER Subproject-1 (First Plasma) is 60% complete

4. Program Planning

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Update on 2020 Plasma Decadal study
NAS Decadal Assessment of Plasma Science[update from Prof. Mark Kushner, co-lead of study committee]• Plasma 2020 is in the process of finalizing the first draft. The goal is to have a final draft
ready for reviewers by early November.
• If there are pressing issues that FESAC wants the committee to be aware of (on any topic in
any area of plasma science and engineering), please send a few paragraphs to Prof. Kushner(mjkush@umich.edu) on each issue. Additional white papers should not be submitted at
this point.
• Input that would be highly valued (even at this late date) are possible inter-agency
collaborations (or inter-program collaborations within a single agency) that would, forexample, advance both plasma science and also applications that utilize plasmas. This input(Agency 1, Agency 2; topic; why this is important to both agencies) should be sent to Prof.
Kushner.
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Fusion regulatory framework• Congress has expressed its interest on understanding the regulatory approach for Advanced
Nuclear Reactors, including nuclear fusion reactors– Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, S.512 (January 2018)– Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act of 2017, S.97 (January 2018)• Early in 2019, FES along with ARPA-E formed an informal working group with the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission to exchange information– Acknowledge Kurt Heckman for initiating this

• DOE and NRC senior management are aware of this activity and have been involved inplanning future engagements– Acknowledge Undersecretary Paul Dabbar and NRC Chair Kristine Svinicki for help and support• Currently planning to hold a one-day public forum on fusion regulation in the March 2020
time frame, in the D.C. area, hopefully in conjunction with the planned FESAC meeting– DOE and NRC are developing a draft agenda for this public forum
21Enhanced inter-agency interactions• Advanced Research Projects Agency ̶ Energy– Talk by Dr. Scott Hsu (ARPA-E) at this meeting• National Institutes of Health– DOE began partnering with NIH in 2016 to transform cancer researchthrough advances in high-performance computing technology and AI
under the Cancer Moonshot program.
• The partnership is jointly funded by NIH, NNSA, and SC-ASCR (ECP)– Recent meeting of all SC program offices with several NIH institutes• SEAB Task Force Report on Biomedical Sciences (2016)• HEWD mark-up language for FY 2020 budget– Possible coordination areas: data science and artificial intelligence, bioimaging, cancer therapy, medical isotopes
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5. People

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Updates since the last FESAC meeting
Dr. Chris Fall wassworn in on May 31,
2019, as the Directorof the DOE Office ofScienceDr. James Van Dam became
the permanent AssociateDirector of Science forFusion Energy Sciences onMay 26, 201924

After a little more than a year of phased
retirement, Dr. Mark Foster will fully retireon October 26, 2019

FY 2019 Early Career Research Awards
FES made four university awards and two laboratory awards in FY 2019

Dr. Arianna Gleason
SLAC
Ultrafast visualization ofhydrodynamic evolution:
understanding void collapse at
extreme high pressure
conditions

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Dr. Timothy StoltzfusDueck
PPPL
Development and Testing of
Reduced Models of the Edge
Radial Electric Field

Prof. Ryan McBride
Univ. Michigan

Prof. Hussein Aluie
Univ. RochesterThe Physics of Micro-Pinches

Scale-Aware Modeling ofInstabilities and Mixing inHED Flows

Prof. Karl Hammond
Univ. MissouriColumbia
Lithium–Divertor
Interactions andHelium/Hydrogen
Trapping in LithiatedMetalsProf. Elijah Thimsen
Washington Univ.
Structure of PlasmaWater Interface

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion• Office of Science activities– The Office of Science invited the National Academies to brief our Federal
Advisory Committees about the 2018 NAS Report on Sexual Harassment ofWomen in Academia. The briefing to FESAC today completes the briefings
to SC’s six Federal Advisory Committees.
– DOE has long had policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment.
– SC launched a website in April (2019) that consolidates DOE’s policies andprocedures; SC posted a Statement of Commitment to DEI on its website.
– SC coordinates with the OSTP Director’s Subcommittee on Safe andInclusive Research Environments.
– Since 2016, SC has used the Annual Laboratory Plans to evaluate thenational laboratories’ efforts in DEI; each of the six SC offices does a reviewof the DEI plan for each of the labs.
– SC is convening a panel of experts later this year to evaluate the DEI effortsof all SC labs.
– At its next meeting, FESAC will be briefed on the details of these activities.

• APS is considering establishment of a Forum on Diversity and Inclusion
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Sincere appreciation to FESAC members• Retiring members– Siegrid Close (Stanford)– Charles Greenfield (GA)– Richard Groebner (GA)– George (“Hutch”) Neilson(PPPL)– Juergen Rapp (ORNL)– Amy Wendt (Wisconsin)

27• New members– Ralph Izzo (PSEG)– Charles Kessel (ORNL)– Lorin Matthews (Baylor)– Scott Parker (Colorado)– Fred Skiff (Iowa)– Philip Snyder (GA)