Laboratory for Complex Energy Processes
 

The Laboratory for Complex Energy Processes

The Laboratory for Complex Energy Processes was established as the core institution for cross-field studies in the Institute of Advance Energy (IAE), off ering the basic functions of the cooperative studies in the field of advanced energy science and technology.
     
 

The core facilities and fundamental equipments of the Institute

The Laboratory is promoting the research programs of the Institute of Advanced Energy, and consolidating the facilities necessary for researches. Three core research fields were set in FY 2004, which are "Interdisciplinary Field of Plasma Energy", "lnterdisciplinary Field of Bioenergy" and "Interdisciplinary Field of Photon and Quantum Energy". Outlines of the facilities which are used in these research projects are described in the following pages. The Laboratory was reorganized in FY 2006. The research Fields were unified to the two fields, "Advanced studies of science and technology on plasma energy and quantum energy" and "Innovative studies of functional materials for power generation".
In our Institute, a new helical device with a unique concept of "helical-axis heliotron", Helitoron J is now in operation to investigate the high-level compatibility between (i) good particle confinement and (ii) MHD stability due to its magnetic well in the heliotron line. This Institute project is expected to open up the frontier of the novel plasma parameter regime in the toroidal fusion devices, thus confinement improvement studies have been performed since FY 2000. The radius of the torus is 1.2 m and the maximum magnetic field strength is 1.5 T.
In DuET and MUSTER systems, the multiple charged particle and quantum beams available at the Beam-Material Interaction Research Facility are utilized for fundamental studies oriented to ultra-functional material synthesis, surface modification of functional materials and severe environment performance evaluation. The outstanding research utilizing the unique facility for multi-scale testing and evaluation is extensively on-going.
The KU-FEL is to be realized a compact, economical, and easy-to-operate FEL system which provides coherent and tunable laser in IR region. For the first step, the KU-FEL has achieved FEL lasing from a 4 to 13 μm. The tunable IR laser will be utilized for basic study of high-efficiency solar cells, separation of DNA and/or RNA, etc.
Four NMR machines, including three 600 MHz machines equipped with the superhigh sensitivity cryogenic probe, are operated to elucidate the three-dimensional structure and dynamics of biomass and biomolecules at atomic resolution. On the basis of the obtained knowledge, we are developing the way to extract the energy and valuable materials from the biomass and biomolecules.

     
 

Objectives

The Laboratory was founded when the institute was reorganized in May, 1996. The organization of the Laboratory consisted of research and technical staffs, who performed the maintenance and development of the existing facilities so that the research programs which were large compared with those in each research section, could be promoted smoothly.
On the other hand, resource and energy problems as well as global warming problems become very serious in recent years. We must concentrate all our knowledge and wisdom to find solutions to these problems. From such a viewpoint, the Laboratory has been reorganized in FY 2006 so that the research targets of the Laboratory should be focused on two specific fields, (i) "advanced studies of science and technology on plasma energy and quantum energy" and (ii) "innovative studies of nano-bio functional materials for power generation".
The activities of the interdisciplinary studies are promoted by the research divisions of (i) and (ii) mentioned above. The division of international collaboration R&D arranges and promotes international and domestic research collaborations. In the succession to the 21st COE program, the Global COE Program for "Energy Science in the Age of Global Warming-Toward a CO2 Zero-emission Energy System" has been started in 2008. In these programs, we promote fostering leaders and core human resource in the advanced energy field. Joining the Bidirectional Collaborative Research Program in National Institute for Fusion Science, the study of plasma energy is promoted for the domestic collaboration with university researchers. By these activities, we will form a node of the research network of energy science and technology for resolving global problems of energy and environment.

     
 

Activities of the Laboratory

The Laboratory has been developing several large-scale research devices as core facilities. They are, (1) Advancedenergy conversion experimental devices (Heliotron J and DuET), (2) Free electron laser (KU-FEL), (3) NMR machines, (4) Multi-scale testing and evaluation research systems (MUSTER), (5) High-intensity, ultra-short pulse laser, (6) Compact and portable inertial-electrostatic confinement fusion neutron/ proton source, (7) System for creation and functional analysis of catalytic materials, and so on. On the basis of three core-research projects such as "plasma and fusion energy", "bioenergy" and "photon and quantum energy", a number of scientific papers have been published from the activities of the Laboratory. As original researches, we are investigating the mechanisms of protein folding, protein aggregation, and molecular recognition with the emphasis on the roles of water. The development of a reliable method for predicting the native structure of a protein and the improvement of drug-design processes are also in progress. In addition, the Laboratory organizes the cooperative research programs for the scientists of different fields inside/ outside IAE. The Laboratory also provides the functions for exchanging the scientific information among the collaboration members by holding various kinds of symposiums, seminars for the specific topics on the fields of energy science and technology.

Cooperative Research in Laboratory

The Laboratory organizes the cooperative research programs of the Institute of Advanced Energy as shown in the table below. The Laboratory also provides various functions such as symposium and seminar for specific topics on the field of energy science.

Category
No. of adopted subjects
By internal groups
By external groups
A1.Section of Promotion for Advanced Plasma and Quantum Energy
19*
4*
15
A2.Section of Promotion for Photon and Energy Nano-Science Research
28*
15*
13
A3.Section of promotion for international collaborative research
24*
13*
11
B. Cooperative use of facilities and equipments
4
0
3
Total
75*/72
(Excluding field-overlapped applications）
32*
43
(*: Including field-overlapped applications)
FY 2010(Apr. 2010 - Mar. 2011)
 
 

Research Facilities

Heriotron J
Dual-Beam Facility for Energy Science and Technology(DuET)
Mid-infrared Free Electron Laser Facility(KU-FEL)
NMR machines
Multi-scale testing and research facility(MUSTER)
Research Facilities for Energy Nanoscience
Functional Analytical Systems for the Generation of Catalytic Materials
Plasma Energy Direct Conversion Experiment Device
Advanced energy conversion experiment
CEP-stabilized high-intensity, ultrashort-pulse laser
 

Heriotron J

One of the objectives of the Heliotron J experiments is to study the confinement optimization of a "helical-axis heliotron" device, which is original to Kyoto University, in order to develop the advanced and high-performance fusion reactor. Heliotron J started its plasma operation in 2000 after its completion of construction during four years.
   
 
 

Dual-Beam Facility for Energy Science and Technology(DuET)

DuET is a powerful tool for introduction of lattice defects, modification of surface structure, and in-beam analysis. Two ion-beams of a different species are able to simultaneously hit the metals and/or ceramics under various environmental conditions.
   
 
 

Mid-infrared Free Electron Laser Facility(KU-FEL)

KU-FEL is a tunable MIR laser which is generated by a relativistic electron beam interacted with synchrotron radiation in the periodic magnetic field. Researches on energy materials by using selective excitation of the specific molecular vibration have been performed.
     
   
 

NMR machines

Four NMR machines, including three 600 MHz machines equipped with the super-high sensitivity probe, are operated to develop the way to extract the energy and valuable materials from biomass and biomolecules.
   
 
 

Multi-scale testing and research facility(MUSTER)

MUSTER is a research facility installed with high-resolution microscopes, TEM, FE-TEM, SEM and FE-SEM, chemical analyzers, FE-AES and FE-EPMA, and mechanical testing machines, fatigue test machine, impact test machine, hightemperature tensile test machine and nano-indenter, etc.

   
 
 

Research Facilities for Energy Nanoscience

Analytical devices for energy functional nanocomposites and macromaterials involve scanning probe microscopes, atomic force microscopy, fluorescence microscope, CD spectrometer, ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometers, a fluorescence spectrometer, iso-thermal titration calorimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer, ESI mass spectrometer, FT-IR spectrometer and photo-electron spectroscopy.
   
 
 

Functional Analytical Systems for the Generation of Catalytic Materials

We exploit a variety of analytical instruments aimed at achieving purification, chemical composition and structural analysis , and functional evaluation of various energy materials consisting of biomolecules, organic and inorganic molecules. 300 and 600 MHz NMRs, a protein purifycation apparatus, a DNA sequencer, a time-resolved fluorescence spectrometer, a FESEM, and a solar simulator are mainly in operation now.

   
 
 

Plasma Energy Direct Conversion Experiment Device

This device can generate 30kV-6A hydrogen beam, and had been used for direct energy conversion researches through deceleration of charged particles. Currently, it is under modifycation and modernization for high heat and particle load experiments of liquid metal cooled divertor concept.
   
 
 

Advanced energy conversion experiment

This device simulates the high particle and heat flux environment on the fusion plasma facing components by hydrogen beam, and 950 C LiPb liquid metal loop for the study of interaction between material and energy on the energy conversion components such as divertor, blanket and heat exchanger with advanced materials and heat transfer media.
   
 
 

CEP-stabilized high-intensity, ultrashort-pulse laser

This Ti:sapphire laser using the chirped-pulsed amplification technique can produce intense few-cycle optical pulses with the stabilized carrier-envelope-phase, which allows us to approach new strong-field and attosecond regimes in studying interaction of light with matter.