News

Tijdens het SIA-congres presenteerde Stan Gielen (voorzitter NWO) de eerste L.INT lector die zowel bij een hogeschool als bij een NWO-instituut wordt aangesteld. Dr. Peter Thüne van Fontys Hogescholen wordt per 1 februari 2017 lector Solar Fuels en gaat deels aan het werk bij Fontys en deels bij DIFFER - het Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research.

On 23 November 2016 the new superconducting magnet for Magnum-PSI was ramped up to its maximum field of 2.5 tesla for the first time after its arrival at DIFFER in October 2016.

DIFFER has started the assembly of an upgraded version of its successful Pilot-PSI (Plasma Surface Interaction) project. By connecting the device with its powerful plasma source and steady state magnets to a beamline of the Ion Beam Facility, Pilot-PSI Upgrade will be able to deliver new insights in the real-time dynamics of how materials react to a plasma.

What can industry and research do to accelerate the energy transition? During the Topsector Energy Conference 2016, DIFFER's Erik Langereis led a brainstorm on multidisciplinary approaches to implement sustainable energy. "Collaboration is key to create innovative solutions and scale them up to mature systems."

With the installation of a superconducting magnet on its unique facility Magnum-PSI, DIFFER can now study the long-term behaviour of materials under the harsh conditions in future fusion reactors. On Saturday 8 October, the 17 ton magnet arrived at DIFFER and was carefully lifted onto its chassis by a 400 ton crane.