{{Short description|French tokamak}} {{coord|43.703626|N|5.764968|E|type:landmark_region:FR-13|display=title}} {{Infobox fusion devices |name = WEST |image = WEST fish-eye lens.jpg |imagetitle = WEST plasma chamber |type = [[Tokamak]] |operation = 2016– |major radius = 2.5 m |minor radius = 0.50 m |volume = <!-- m<sup>3</sup> --> |field = 3.7 [[tesla (unit)|T]] (toroidal) |heating = 17 [[megawatt|MW]] |location = [[Cadarache]], [[France]] }} The '''WEST''', or [[Tungsten]] ([[chemical symbol]] "'''W'''") '''E'''nvironment in '''S'''teady-state '''T'''okamak, (formerly '''Tore Supra''')<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://west.cea.fr/en/Phocea/Vie_des_labos/Ast/|title=WEST – Tungsten (W) Environment in Steady-state Tokamak|website=WEST: Tungsten (W) Environment in Steady-state Tokamak|language=en|access-date=2018-06-07|archive-date=2018-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143617/http://west.cea.fr/en/Phocea/Vie_des_labos/Ast/|url-status=dead}}</ref> is a French [[tokamak]] that originally began operating as Tore Supra after the discontinuation of [[Tokamak de Fontenay-aux-Roses|TFR]] (Tokamak of [[Fontenay-aux-Roses]]) and of Petula (in [[Grenoble]]). The original name came from the words [[torus]] and [[superconductivity|superconductor]], as ''Tore Supra'' was for a long time the only tokamak of this size with [[superconducting]] toroidal magnets, allowing the creation of a strong permanent toroidal [[magnetic field]]. After a major upgrade to install tungsten walls and a divertor, the tokamak was renamed WEST (the name alludes to [[Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak|EAST]],<ref>{{cite web | last=Vereycken |first=Karel |date=June 2, 2024 |title=Thanks to WEST’s new record, world’s nuclear fusion community moving forward |url=https://artkarel.com/with-west-record-fusion-community-moving-formard/ |access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref> another tokamak).
WEST is situated at the nuclear research center of [[Cadarache]], [[Bouches-du-Rhône]] in [[Provence]], one of the sites of the [[Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique]]. Tore Supra operated between 1988 and 2010. Its goal was to create long-duration plasmas. The upgrade to WEST took place between 2013 and 2016. WEST has been operating since 2016.
Tore Supra long held the record for the longest plasma duration time for a tokamak at 6 minutes 30 seconds,<ref name=TS-2003/> with over 1000 MJ of energy injected and extracted in 2003, and it allowed researchers to test critical parts of equipment such as plasma facing wall components or superconducting magnets that will be used in its successor, [[ITER]]. As ITER faced long delays, WEST remained in operation and on 12 February 2025, it set a new record for duration at 22 minutes and 17 seconds, while operating at lower temperatures.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nuclear fusion: WEST beats the world record for plasma duration! |url=https://phys.org/news/2025-02-nuclear-fusion-west-machine-world.html |website=CEA}}</ref>
== Device parameters == Tore Supra as of 1988: * Major plasma radius (machine centre to plasma centre) : 2.25 m * Minor plasma radius: 0.70 m * Toroidal magnetic field on the center of the plasma core: 4.5 [[tesla (unit)|T]] * Plasma current: 1.7 [[ampere|MA]] * Longest plasma discharge (predicted): 1000 s * Auxiliary plasma heating ([[ion cyclotron resonance heating|ion]] and [[electron cyclotron resonance heating]] and [[lower hybrid current drive]]): 20 [[watt|MW]]
Tore Supra as of 2006 (parameters essentially the same):<ref name=TS-index>[http://www-fusion-magnetique.cea.fr/gb/index.html THE TORE SUPRA TOKAMAK]</ref> * Weight of [[Niobium–titanium|NbTi]] superconductor : ~45 tonnes * Maximum magnetic field on the conductor : 9.0 T * Total magnetic energy : 600 MJ * Weight of magnetic circuit : 830 tonnes
WEST as of 2018:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://west.cea.fr/en/Phocea/Vie_des_labos/Ast/ast_visu.php?id_ast=17|title=WEST main plasma parameters|website=WEST: Tungsten (W) Environment in Steady-state Tokamak|language=en|access-date=2018-06-15|archive-date=2018-06-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615163252/http://west.cea.fr/en/Phocea/Vie_des_labos/Ast/ast_visu.php?id_ast=17|url-status=dead}}</ref> * Major plasma radius (machine centre to plasma centre) : 2.5 m * Minor plasma radius: 0.50 m * Toroidal magnetic field on the center of the plasma core: 3.7 [[tesla (unit)|T]] * Plasma current: 1 [[ampere|MA]] * Longest plasma discharge (predicted): 1000 s * Auxiliary plasma heating ([[ion cyclotron resonance heating|ion]] and [[electron cyclotron resonance heating]] and [[lower hybrid current drive]]): 17 [[watt|MW]]
==Tore Supra Operation 1988–2010==
By 1998 it had produced over 20,000 plasma shots of up to 2 minutes duration.<ref name=TS-main-results>[http://www-fusion-magnetique.cea.fr/gb/index.html Tore Supra, description, results.] Select 6. main/major results</ref>
Between 2000 and 2002 the vacuum chamber was completely renewed/relined.<ref>[http://www-fusion-magnetique.cea.fr/cea/ts/chambre.htm Chambre à vide de Tore Supra ]</ref> increasing the power extraction by active cooling to 25 MW (to allow longer plasma duration).<ref name=TS-extracting-power>[http://www-fusion-magnetique.cea.fr/gb/index.html Tore Supra, description, results.] Select 4. Extracting power</ref>
In December 2003, it achieved a record 6.5 minute plasma<ref name=TS-2003>[http://www.iter.org/proj/itermilestones#18 6.5-minute pulse in Tore Supra. Dec 2003]</ref> This was plasma shot #32299, Lower hybrid power ~2.9 MW, total injected energy ~1.1 GJ, plasma current ~500 kA, nl ~ 2.6 × 10<sup>19</sup> m<sup>−2</sup>.<ref name=TS-main-results/>
== WEST ==
Beginning in March 2013<ref name=TS-W>{{Cite web |url=https://www.euro-fusion.org/2013/06/at-25-tore-supra-is-looking-westward/ |title=At 25 Tore Supra is looking WESTward |access-date=2015-12-11 |archive-date=2015-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222093329/https://www.euro-fusion.org/2013/06/at-25-tore-supra-is-looking-westward/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Tore Supra underwent an extensive refit, including new poloidal coils to achieve diverted operation, a new cooling system, and all-metal cladding, mainly for experiments on [[tungsten]] [[divertor]] technology for [[ITER]].<ref>[http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-First-plasma-for-WEST-fusion-reactor-1912161.html First plasma for WEST fusion reactor (World Nuclear News, 19 December 2016)]</ref> The reactor was renamed '''WEST''', for "Tungsten ([[chemical symbol]] "'''W'''") '''E'''nvironment in '''S'''teady-state '''T'''okamak".<ref name=WEST2015>{{Cite web |url=https://www.euro-fusion.org/newsletter/west-winds-up/ |title=WEST winds up for fusion. Dec 2015 |access-date=2015-12-11 |archive-date=2015-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222091509/https://www.euro-fusion.org/newsletter/west-winds-up/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> WEST achieved first plasma in December 2016.<ref name=WEST2016>{{Cite web |url=http://west.cea.fr/en/Phocea/Vie_des_labos/Ast/ast.php?t=newsletter&id_ast=54 |title=WEST: first plasma shot announcement |access-date=2016-12-19 |archive-date=2017-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806020623/http://west.cea.fr/en/Phocea/Vie_des_labos/Ast/ast.php?t=newsletter&id_ast=54 |url-status=dead }}</ref> WEST was able to maintain a plasma for 1,337 seconds on February 12, 2025.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nuclear fusion: WEST beats the world record for plasma duration! |url=https://www.cea.fr/english/Pages/News/nuclear-fusion-west-beats-the-world-record-for-plasma-duration.aspx |access-date=19 February 2025 |work=CEA |date=18 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{Subject bar|auto=y|d=y}} *[http://www-fusion-magnetique.cea.fr/cea/ts/ts.htm Tore Supra Official Site] [[EURATOM]]–[[Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique|CEA]] (in French) *[http://www-fusion-magnetique.cea.fr/gb/index.html Tore Supra Official Site – in English] *[http://www-fusion-magnetique.cea.fr/cea/ts/photots.htm Tore Supra photos] *[http://www-fusion-magnetique.cea.fr/cea/ts/filmts.htm Tore Supra video gallery]
{{fusion experiments}}
[[Category:Tokamaks]] [[Category:Laboratories in France]]