Visit of State Secretary Pirscher at the Fusion Materials Laboratory

Besuch FML — M. Müller, N. Hirsch, Prof. Dr. Chr. Kirchlechner, Prof. Dr.-Ing. I. Schieferdecker, J. Pirscher, Prof. Dr. O. Kraft, Prof. Dr.-Ing. H. Hanselka (from left to right)

Energy research and information technologies were the topics of the visit of State Secretary Pirscher (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) on July 13, 2022. Regarding fusion research, she visited the fusion materials laboratory of the IAM with President Holger Hanselka and Vice President Oliver Kraft.

Of particular interest were the existing challenges in materials for a future fusion reactor, the cross-scale methods for materials characterization used at the IAM, the role of the European Fusion Neutron Source IFMIF-DONES, and the role of the Fusion Materials Laboratory in future materials qualification.

Equally important topics were the role of fusion as an interdisciplinary technology driver and the synergy between fusion and hydrogen technology. The latter is practiced, for example, with the tritium loading and release facility for the TRITIME ERC Consolidator Grant [LINK] work, allowing simultaneous measurement of local hydrogen content and local mechanical properties in materials.

The image on the left side shows the group in front of the tritium release measurement facility - from left to right: Regierungsdirektor Mitja Müller, Regierungsdirektor Nicolas Hirsch, Prof. Dr. Christoph Kirchlechner, Ministerialdirektor Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ina Schieferdecker, State Secretary Judith Pirscher, Vice President Prof. Dr. Oliver Kraft, President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka