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This theme issue collects together papers summarising the conceptual design of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP). In 2019, the UK government funded the first design stages of a prototype fusion powerplant based on a compact toroidal geometry, called STEP. The primary technical aims of STEP are to produce net energy, to be self-sufficient in tritium fuel and to demonstrate a maintenance regime that would extrapolate to appropriate availability for commercial powerplants. After 5 years and over 1000 person-years of detailed scientific and engineering conceptual design, this theme issue acts as a compendium of the current design basis for STEP, noting that this is a snapshot in time and that the design will continue to evolve. This article is part of the theme issue 'Delivering Fusion Energy – The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP)'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence that research involving young people in conceptual stages of the design can be empowering, leading to a sense of personal agency, sustainable outcomes, interventions and resilience. Yet, despite calls for greater involvement of young people in services that affect them, in reality this is often tokenistic or a 'tick box' exercise. This article presents the findings from a practical 'on-the-ground' project, drawing on visual methods and coproduction with young people enrolled in a social–emotional and behavioural difficulties school in the UK and practitioners, to gain insight into how they make sense of their mental health. Applying coproduction, our approach was centred around the process of knowledge production, rather than 'data gathering'. With this in mind, we adopted two mutual and reciprocal phases, the steering group phase and the knowledge production phase, consisting of young people, practitioners and researchers. Results highlight visual methods, in this case drawing/doodling on tablecloths, enabled young people to articulate implicit emotions and affective experiences. Whilst this study does not offer a 'standard model of coproduction', by framing coproduction within critical realist ontology and positioning theory, we have come some way in addressing issues around power imbalance and reciprocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this paper is to present a curriculum design model that extends the 'Powerful Knowledge' ideas of social realist theory. The Model called 'Curriculum Design Coherence' (CDC) hypothesizes an approach in which subject concepts and the subject's epistemic structure are central to the design process to enable deep learning. The model differentiates and then links subject concepts, subject content, subject competencies, and assessment. The underlying premise is that deep learning for students is more likely if teachers utilize and make visible the epistemic structure of the area of study; the subject concepts and subject competencies to be taught and their inter-relationships as 'knowledge-that' (epistemic knowledge) and 'knowledge-how-to' (procedural knowledge). The usefulness of the model for coherence in curriculum design is currently being tested by primary and secondary school teachers in New Zealand and England. The study takes a realist approach utilizing qualitative methods including workshops, analysis of curricular materials, and teacher interviews. The model is in the early stages of testing and some initial findings indicate its usefulness along with the challenges for teachers in engaging deeply with the structure of their subject [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) Programme aims to deliver a UK prototype fusion energy plant, targeting 2040, and a path to commercial viability of fusion. To deliver on this aim, we have performed initial scoping to identify the design point for a spherical tokamak prototype powerplant producing at least 100 MW e of net electric output and that is self-sufficient in tritium production. We have developed a rapid workflow that starts with the systems code process to develop an initial design point that can then be iterated with the plasma codes jetto and fiesta to add fidelity. Promising solutions can then be taken forward for further analysis of the tritium breeding ratio, inboard build, exhaust and power balance. Solutions that are best matched to the requirements are then taken on by a wider team to assess. We have applied this technique using a number of different input technology options and assumptions and arrived at the most promising design point for the STEP Prototype Powerplant (SPP). The unique features of this device are no inboard breeding blanket, the use of remountable magnet joints, high β and bootstrap plasma operation, a Super-X divertor, the use of just microwave heating, and enclosing poloidal field coils inside the toroidal field cage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The city-regional scale is increasingly being considered the most suitable level for planning and development, yet city-regions have often been established for purely economic reasons in the UK. This paper argues that city-regions are not mere socioeconomic units through which competitiveness can be achieved, but also rich, socioecological spaces. Although the progressive regionalist literature has taken significant steps in this direction, concerns remain that critical contemporary issues such as environmental sustainability, cultural viability, social exclusion or political (dis)empowerment have not been addressed in a holistic way. We attempt to advance the debate and overcome some of the shortcomings by connecting progressive regionalism with two other literature strands: collaborative governance and regenerative development. Based on the synergies found, we design a conceptual framework that can be used to study, understand and improve policy processes and practice, paving pathways towards regenerative city-regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the suitability of precast components for standardized UK bridges. The conventional design and construction of UK bridges is often criticized for being inefficient and unsafe as the majority of the work is carried out on-site, which requires lots of time and temporary works. The concept of Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) is employed in this study to overcome the limitations of the current bridge construction practice. First, underlying DfMA criteria for bridge construction are identified and a suitability analysis of precast components based on the identified DfMA criteria identified is conducted via an interview. Second, a case study on a bridge recently built for a highway bridge project is conducted to identify the feasibility of the potential precast components selected from the suitability analysis. The result of the case study demonstrates that the recommended precast components can be successfully used for future standardized bridges of the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The formulation of policies requires the selection and configuration of effective and acceptable courses of action to reach explicit goals. A one-size-fits-all policy is unlikely to achieve the desired goals; as a result, the identification of a suite of alternative policies, together with clear indications of their trade-offs, is crucial to accommodate the diversity of stakeholders’ preferences. At present, the formulation of transport policies is done manually; this fact, together with the size of the space of possible policies, results in a large part of that space being left unexplored. A six-step framework to explore the space of alternative transport policies in order to achieve environmental targets is proposed. The process starts with a user-defined set of specific policy measures, using them as building blocks in the generation of alternative policy packages, clusters and future images according to the user''s preferences and goals. The analysis framework is based on the visioning and backcasting approach used in the VIBAT report [Banister, D., & Hickman, R. (2006a). Visioning and backcasting for UK transport policy (VIBAT) project. Department for Transport''s Horizons Research Programme 2004/06. The Bartlett school of planning and Halcrow Group Ltd. Retrieved 1/18/2008 http://www.ucl.ac.uk/∼ucft696/vibat2.html]. The framework is being implemented as a prototype decision support system around a case study: the formulation and analysis of policies required to achieve CO2 emission targets for the transport sector in the UK. Important insights on how to develop the framework have also been elicited from engineering design. The goal is to accelerate the task of policy-making and improve the effectiveness of the resulting policies. The proposed method and computer implementation is fundamentally different from the tools commonly used in the transport sector and is intended to assist (not replace) transport policy makers, and complement (not substitute nor compete with) existing mathematical modelling tools. This research constitutes the first step towards the development of a general family of computer-based systems that support the design of policies to achieve environmental targets—not only for transport, but also for other sectors such as energy and water. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The design of electricity markets determines the technologies, services and modes of operation that can access value, consequently shaping current and future electricity landscapes. This paper highlights that the efficacy of Great Britain's electricity market design in facilitating net zero is inadequate and must be reconfigured. The rules of the current electricity market design are remnants of an electricity sector dominated by large-scale, centralised, fossil fuel technologies. Therefore, routes to market for the provision of necessary services to support net zero, not least flexibility, are largely inaccessible for distributed energy resources and, despite their benefits to the system, are thus undervalued. Based upon a review and consolidation of 30 proposed electricity market designs from liberalised electricity sectors, this paper proposes a new electricity market design for Great Britain. This design is presented alongside a new institutional framework to aid in the efficient operation of the market. Specifically, this paper proposes a new local balancing and coordinating market located at each grid supply point (the transmission and distribution interface). This is realised through the implementation of a distributed locational marginal pricing structure which is governed by the evolution of the current distributed network operator, known as the distributed service provider (DSP). The DSP also operates a local balancing and ancillary market for their geographical area. The wholesale market is reconfigured to coordinate with these new local markets and to harmonise the actors across the distribution and transmission network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely acknowledged that faced with diverse future impacts (including extreme weather events, economic instability, energy supply vulnerabilities and pandemics) buildings and communities' worldwide need to become increasingly resilient. The work presented in this paper investigates how Community Design and Decision Making (CDDM) processes can be enhanced using smart decision making techniques involving Building Performance Simulation (BPS). This work presents action research based on findings from a real-world case study project involving the design of a mixed-use zero carbon community centre, planned for the Findhorn Eco-Community, in Scotland, UK. Throughout the conceptual and early design stages the community played a crucial part in the decision-making process. BPS results coupled with the use of sensitivity analysis (SA) techniques incorporating resilience as a performance criterion contributed to establishing a multi-criteria evidence base from which to inform the CDDM process. Although not yet fully implemented in commercial simulation tools, the approaches used (e.g. uncertainty analysis, using resilience as a performance objective) proved to be invaluable in informing and facilitating the CDDM process. Overall an integrated two-way communication process (using BPS and uncertainty analysis for decision support) enabled the community to play an informed role in the design decision-making process. • Building simulation is poorly integrated in Community Design and Decision Making (CDDM). • Action research was used to assess building simulation in designing a zero-carbon community centre. • Resilience was evaluated as a design objective using smart decision making and building simulation. • Expert explanation of the 'how and why' of simulation facilitated acceptance of building simulation. • When used transparently building simulation showed great potential to enhance the CDDM process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]