Running a fusion experiment
Maintaining day-to-day operation of a medium-scale fusion experiment requires orchestrating a huge number of people and sub-systems in concert. TCV normally operates from 8:30am till 5:45pm from Tuesday to Friday performing experiments approximately every 15 minutes; and achieving on average 30 experiments a day. Mondays are used to make minor repairs, install equipment and perform tests outside of longer, month-long shutdown periods required for upgrades.
A TCV discharge lasts only around 2s, but during that time, several MWs of microwave and neutral beam heating can be injected and controlled in real time. These complex systems enable the plasma to reach the intense temperatures relevant for fusion experiments. Simultaneously, the experiment is measured by up to 40 independent diagnostic systems which provide the experimental data necessary for probing the underlying physics. Many of these are bespoke systems sitting at the cutting edge of measurement capabilities that provide novel insights into the physics of these plasmas.
These systems provide the solid foundation necessary for running TCV and facilitate research into finding answers to the questions that must be overcome to achieve commercially viable fusion energy.
Explore further
Heating the plasma
Learn more about the microwave and particle beam heating systems of TCV
TCV’s diagnostics
Learn more about the sophisticated diagnostic systems used to observe our experiment