About

Daniel Andruczyk is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, within the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, where he also serves as the director of the Master of Engineering in Plasma Engineering program. His research focuses on plasma edge studies, particularly the impact of plasma-facing component (PFC) materials such as liquid metals, especially lithium, on plasma performance. Andruczyk leads the HIDRA fusion device as part of the department's fusion research group and has extensive expertise in plasma diagnostics, including the development of diagnostic helium beams. His background includes a Ph.D. in Plasma Physics from the University of Sydney, a Master's in Plasma Physics, and Bachelor's degrees in Physics from the University of Queensland. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Germany and at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in the USA. Andruczyk has contributed significantly to fusion research, including moving the WEGA stellarator to the USA and establishing HIDRA at UIUC. He is a principal investigator in several DOE programs related to liquid metal plasma-facing components and fusion device development. His work emphasizes advancing fusion technology through experimental campaigns, including testing liquid lithium systems in reactors, and fostering collaborations with national laboratories and industry partners.

Research topics

• Materials science
• Metallurgy
• Nuclear physics
• Nuclear engineering
• Composite material
• Physics
• Electrical engineering
• Atomic physics
• Chromatography
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical engineering
• Chemistry
• Mechanical engineering
• Engineering

Selected publications

• The Compelling Need for a Mid-Scale Stellarator Facility

  2024-06-24

  reportOpen access

  In the pursuit of the goal of commercial fusion as an abundant and safe source of energy, the stellarator is a leading concept with compelling attractiveness and demonstrated performance. In this white paper we, as a community of US researchers from Universities, National Laboratories, and Private Industry, involved in studying the stellarator concept, lay out the programmatic and technical motivation for a new mid-size stellarator research facility in the US. This contribution is complementary to several other whitepapers authored by members of our community which address different mid-scale stellarator aspects. A community based technical facility proposal has been prepared by F. Parra, et al: Flexible Stellarator Physics Facility. Two private stellarator companies have submitted proposals supporting the development of a mid-scale stellarator: Thea Energy (C.P.S. Swanson, et al.), Type One Energy (W. Guttenfelder, et al.).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• NSTX-U National Research Program: White Paper in Response to Call from FESAC Sub-Committee

  2024-07-16

  reportOpen access

  Both scientific and technical innovation is needed for the realization of an attractive engineering solution for a timely and cost-effective Pilot Plant, the design and construction of which is the overarching recommendation of the FESAC Long Range Plan, and the 2021 NASEM Pilot Plant reports, which underpin the Bold Decadal Vision. The two most significant plasma physics gaps to close for a Compact Pilot Plant (CPP) are core confinement improvement and heat flux mitigation, neither of which have been closed in an integrated fashion for any planned fusion power production device. High core confinement and stability are essential for producing majority self-driven plasmas in CPPs with reduced size and auxiliary heating power requirements, with an improvement in confinement being the major driver for cost reduction of a CPP. The National Spherical Tokamak Experiment - Upgrade (NSTX-U) is a unique low aspect ratio research facility that will address the fundamental challenge of developing the science and technology basis for a CPP design that integrates high core and edge confinement with the ability to mitigate very high incident heat fluxes. NSTX-U capabilities will enable the high performance, already achieved on NSTX, to extend into physics regimes much closer to those anticipated in Spherical Tokamak (ST)-based CPPs. These confinement and stability properties will be assessed by a full complement of diagnostics and analysis tools, which will also aid in the development of the underlying theory and predictive models needed for further optimization. Both conventional and transformative heat flux mitigation methods, such as liquid lithium plasma-facing components, will be developed and tested in-situ in NSTX-U at incident heat fluxes of ~100 MW/m2, and will inform plans and reduce risk for a subsequent major upgrade to the device to fully heated, high-Z wall and full liquid lithium divertor capability, a technology that potentially could then be implemented on any magnetic confinement device at any aspect ratio. NSTX-U research is fully complementary to programs performed on other STs, nationally and internationally. Furthermore, NSTX-U research has a direct connection to the private sector by informing design choices for future power production facilities being developed by these companies. The NSTX-U program will operate as a national User Facility, with collaborating researchers, engineers, and graduate students from 19 outside institutions, and open to participation and experiments led by researchers from both public and private entities. The research program will advance workforce development through training of young scientists, engineers, and technicians, and it will also serve for further diagnostic innovation, especially for high heat flux and high-Z wall environments, and implementation of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) for plasma and heat flux control.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• NSTX-U liquid metal core-edge facility (LMCE)

  2024-06-18 · 3 citations

  reportOpen access

  NSTX-U/LMCE will provide a unique and world-leading research facility to address the primary challenge to delivering economic and timely magnetic fusion energy, namely the need to develop a power and particle exhaust and first-wall system that can withstand very high edge heat fluxes, maximize energy confinement, and avoid the production of large masses of solid eroded first-wall material. The NSTX-U/LMCE facility will assess the ability of liquid metals (LMs) – especially liquid lithium – to provide a new boundary condition for magnetic fusion systems, to extend the lifetime of the plasma facing components (PFCs) and improve core plasma confinement. Such capability is needed to establish the basis for next-step fusion facilities including fusion pilot plants, and to maintain U.S. world leadership in core-edge integration research. NSTX-U/LMCE will leverage the ability to generate very high divertor perpendicular heat flux q⊥ ~ 100MW/m2, extensive diagnostics, and liquid-metal-applicable infrastructure of NSTX-U. NSTX-U/LMCE will provide access to a high-confinement plasma core with majority self-driven plasma current, the flexibility to test a range of liquid metal divertor concepts, access to a range of separatrix collisionalities (from high to very low), and the ability to controllably vary the first-wall temperature to vary the plasma- wall interaction physics on liquid lithium components. Further, NSTX-U/LMCE will utilize more reactor-relevant high-Z refractory-metal PFC substrates. With these capabilities the NSTX-U/LMCE facility will explore the full continuum of core-edge solutions ranging from high core radiated power, to conditions with radiative losses concentrated in the scrape-off layer (SOL), and ultimately low recycling conditions. The low collisionality SOL that may be accessible in the low recycling regime is relatively unexplored and will require a kinetic treatment of the edge, which can be addressed theoretically, and with experiments in LTX-β. Additional smaller-scale preparatory R&D facilities will be required to reduce the risk of premature technical/engineering failure of liquid metal systems implemented in NSTX-U. The NSTX-U/LMCE facility aligns very well with recommendations in the FESAC Long-Range Plan and NASEM Pilot Plant reports and the Bold Decadal Vision, will be unique in the world program throughout the next decade, and is garnering private company interest in utilizing NSTX-U/LMCE for development of LM PFCs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Compelling Need for a Mid-Scale Stellarator Facility

  2024-06-20

  reportOpen access

  In the pursuit of the goal of commercial fusion as an abundant and safe source of energy, the stellarator is a leading concept with compelling attractiveness and demonstrated performance. A new mid-size stellarator is needed to retire risks and innovate towards a high performance, economically attractive, stellarator Fusion Pilot Plant. In this presentation we, as a community of US researchers from Universities, National Laboratories, and Private Industry, involved in studying the stellarator concept, lay out the programmatic and technical motivation for a new and modern mid-size stellarator research facility. A new mid-scale stellarator is needed to realize the potential predicted by a solid body of theory and simulation along with advances in computational tools for optimization and non-linear turbulence modeling. Notably, it is possible to combine the advantages of the stellarator (steady state, no current drive, no disruptions) with the good confinement regularly achieved in tokamaks. The top priorities for experimental work, and the motivation for a mid-scale stellarator experiment are: turbulence control, non-resonant divertor, MHD stability at large beta, confinement of fast particles, and coil simplification. A new mid-size quasi-symmetric stellarator, built as a user facility, would complement existing research at Wendelstein 7-X and LHD and strongly augment private industry. It would provide a program of innovative research, concept validation, theoretical advancement, and workforce development. Growing support and interest for stellarators by the fusion community and private industry affirms this rationale.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Overview of Liquid-Metal PFC R&D at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  Fusion Science & Technology · 2023-04-11 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  The design and implementation of future flowing liquid-lithium plasma-facing components (LLPFCs) will be dependent on several factors. Of course, one of the most important is the need to be able to deal with high heat fluxes incident on the surface of the LLPFCs, but there are also several other important liquid-metal behaviors that have been identified for their critical impact on the feasibility of a LLPFC. One of these is the ability to constantly wet 100% of the plasma-facing component area and the best way to achieve that. Another key point is knowing and understanding the erosion and corrosion of the surfaces subject to a flowing liquid-lithium system and the ability for hydrogen and helium uptake by the system.The Center for Plasma Material Interactions (CPMI) has been tasked with looking at these various issues. The Mock-up Entry module for EAST device was used to investigate wetting and erosion effects and to design a suitable distribution and collection system with a liquid-lithium loop. The vapor shielding effects of lithium on the surface were also modeled and studied. A model coupling CRANE, an open-source global reaction network solver, and Zapdos, a plasma transport solver, is being developed to better understand the dynamics of the vapor cloud. Experiments on the Magnum-PSI at the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research have been carried out to study the vapor shielding effect and obtain experimental benchmarks to verify the model. Also, initial experiments using the Hybrid Illinois Device for Research and Applications have been performed to understand the pumping effects of lithium on helium.Experiments with a drop of liquid lithium (~100 mg) into a helium plasma have shown the ability of lithium to take out the cold recycling helium gas as well as hydrogen and oxygen impurity gases. The improvement in plasma performance was significant, and further understanding of this effect will have impacts on how future LLPFCs will be designed. Further investigation into the exact mechanism for helium pumping by lithium needs to be performed in the future. This paper presents a summary of the results obtained at the CPMI.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• In-operando Lithium Evaporation Inducing Helium Retention in Long-Pulse HIDRA Helium Plasmas

  Journal of Fusion Energy · 2023-08-30 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Liquid Metal PFC Program Report for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  2023-05-31

  reportOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Final Technical Report for the UIUC contribution to the Domestic liquid metal PFC development program.

  PublisherDOI

• In-operando Lithium Evaporation Inducing Helium Retention in Long-Pulse HIDRA Helium Plasmas

  Research Square · 2023-03-13

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract The Lithium Evaporation EXperiment (LEEX) investigated helium retention effects induced by in-operando lithium evaporations into the Hybrid Illinois Device for Research and Applications (HIDRA) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Lithium droplets were applied to tungsten samples and then exposed to a 600s helium plasma at different distances from the plasma edge (D=0mm, D=25mm, D=47.5mm). Spectrometers, residual gas analyzers (RGAs), and pressure gauges were employed to characterize the plasma throughout the plasma discharge. LEEX data has confirmed previous results at UIUC of in-operando lithium evaporations producing a low-recycling regime for HIDRA helium plasmas and additionally proves the retained specie is helium. The lithium evaporation from the D=25mm case had an 85.3% ± 1% increase in helium retention in the low recycling regime when compared to the steady state plasma of the LEEX control shot. Data presented substantiates previous helium retention claims and advances research surrounding liquid metal PFCs. A retention mechanism has not been identified, but further research utilizing HIDRA and HIDRA-MAT aims to investigate this. This study's outcomes are thoroughly presented and provide an additional justification for conducting further research on lithium's behavior in fusion environments, given its substantial potential impact on the development of plasma-facing components (PFCs).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Corrosion characteristics of Mo and TZM alloy for plasma facing components in molten lithium at 623 K

  Corrosion Science · 2022 · 28 citations

  • Materials science
  • Metallurgy
  • Composite material
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• HIDRA-MAT liquid metal droplet injector for liquid metal applications in HIDRA

  Fusion Engineering and Design · 2022-06-02 · 11 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• D. N. Ruzic

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  55 shared

• Zhen Sun

  37 shared

• Guizhong Zuo

  33 shared

• Jiansheng Hu

  Hefei Institutes of Physical Science

  33 shared

• X.C. Meng

  32 shared

• Davide Curreli

  29 shared

• R. Maingi

  28 shared

• Wei Xu

  27 shared

Labs

• Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological EngineeringPI

Education

• Ph.D., Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering

  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  1990

• M.S., Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering

  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  1986

• B.S., Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering

  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  1984

Awards & honors

• UIUC lead for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (…
• UIUC lead for the Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) p…
• UIUC lead for the Milestone Based Fusion Development (MBFD)…
• UIUC lead for the Domestic Liquid Metal Plasma Facing Compon…