Carbon fibre composites offer considerable potential for mass reduction in automotive applications. However, raw material cost is one of the major factors that constraints its extensive use in this mass market. Here we report a systematic study that presents the cost contributors by considering the entire process chain of the carbon fibre manufacturing. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the final cost of Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor and carbon fibres were strongly influenced by tow size. It was observed that a prompt decrease in the precursor and carbon fibre cost per kg for tow sizes from 3k to 12k, later this decrement was gradual and almost became stable above 50k. Moreover, with an increase in tow size from 3k to 50k, the contribution of the precursor on the final carbon fibre cost decreased from 76.6% to 49.6%. On the other hand, the contribution of the other factors increased with increase in the tow size, for instance, labour (9.86%–17.78%), Energy (2.49%–6.48%) and Depreciation (6.11%–11.01%). Nevertheless, precursor holds the major share in determining the final price of the carbon fibres.
Construction of the JT-60SA tokamak was completed on schedule in March 2020. Manufacture and assembly of all the main tokamak components satisfied technical requirements, including dimensional accuracy and functional performances. Development of the plasma heating systems and diagnostics have also progressed, including the demonstration of the favourable electron cyclotron range of frequency (ECRF) transmission at multiple frequencies and the achievement of long sustainment of a high-energy intense negative ion beam. Development of all the tokamak operation control systems has been completed, together with an improved plasma equilibrium control scheme suitable for superconducting tokamaks including ITER. For preparation of the tokamak operation, plasma discharge scenarios have been established using this advanced equilibrium controller. Individual commissioning of the cryogenic system and the power supply system confirmed that these systems satisfy design requirements including operational schemes contributing directly to ITER, such as active control of heat load fluctuation of the cryoplant, which is essential for dynamic operation in superconducting tokamaks. The integrated commissioning (IC) is started by vacuum pumping of the vacuum vessel and cryostat, and then moved to cool-down of the tokamak and coil excitation tests. Transition to the super-conducting state was confirmed for all the TF, EF and CS coils. The TF coil current successfully reached 25.7 kA, which is the nominal operating current of the TF coil. For this nominal toroidal field of 2.25 T, ECRF was applied and an ECRF plasma was created. The IC was, however, suspended by an incident of over current of one of the superconducting equilibrium field coil and He leakage caused by insufficient voltage holding capability at a terminal joint of the coil. The unique importance of JT-60SA for H-mode and high-β steady-state plasma research has been confirmed using advanced integrated modellings. These experiences of assembly, IC and plasma operation of JT-60SA contribute to ITER risk mitigation and efficient implementation of ITER operation.
JT-60SA, the largest tokamak that will operate before ITER, has been designed and built jointly by Japan and Europe, and is due to start operation in 2020. Its main missions are to support ITER exploitation and to contribute to the demonstration fusion reactor machine and scenario design. Peculiar properties of JT-60SA are its capability to produce long-pulse, high-β, and highly shaped plasmas. The preparation of the JT-60SA Research Plan, plasma scenarios, and exploitation are producing physics results that are not only relevant to future JT-60SA experiments, but often constitute original contributions to plasma physics and fusion research. Results of this kind are presented in this paper, in particular in the areas of fast ion physics, highbeta plasma properties and control, and non-linear edge localised mode stability studies.
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