In the global quest to build the first fusion reactor (ITER) in France to harness energy, a team of Indian researchers has made a small but significant contribution.

The team led by Manugula Vijayalakshmi from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) has shown that the friction stir welding (FSW) technique can be used to join hard steel components used in nuclear fusion reactors, especially the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), in which India is a partner.

The FSW method is an improvement on conventional techniques such as the fusion welding technique, in the fabrication of steel components. The team used RAFM steel (Reduced Activation Ferritic Martensitic) for the purpose. “Our paper is the first in scientific literature using this process,” Vijayalakshmi claimed.

Fusion Power

Fusion, the nuclear reaction that powers the sun and the stars, is a potential source of safe, non-carbon emitting and virtually limitless energy. Harnessing fusion's power is the key experimental step between today's fusion research machines and tomorrow's fusion power plants, says the ITER.

The multi-billion dollar ITER project was launched in 2007, to build a Tokamak reactor and demonstrate the feasibility of fusion. Nearly 35 nations are involved in the research work.

Conventional nuclear energy produced in reactors in several countries, including India, uses the fission reaction. In this process the uranium atom is split in a reactor to produce energy. Uranium, thorium and other hybrid fuels are used to produce nuclear power. But, these fuel resources are finite. Hence, the search for establishing the fusion process.

Award for work

The doctoral work done by Vijayalakshmi in the School of Engineering Sciences and Technology, UoH, under Koteswararao V Rajulapati and G Madhusudhan Reddy of the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, won the Indian National Engineering Academy Innovative Student Projects Award 2018.

This work was supported by a research grant from the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences, Department of Atomic Energy.