Towards realizing stellarator fusion: a new quasisymmetric stellarator experiment

Bolstered by recent advances in stellarator theory and computation [1] and the successes of Wendelstein 7-X, the stellarator is poised to play a more prominent role in the magnetic fusion program.   Recent theoretical advances are determining ways to use 3D shaping to improve energetic ion confinement and lower turbulent transport rates consistent with favorable neoclassical transport properties.  Moreover, advances in optimization techniques have improved our ability to design new configurations and simplify coil design.  Quasi-symmetric stellarators have additional advantages including the presence of minimal neoclassical flow damping in the symmetry direction which potentially enables enhanced confinement regimes and more robust magnetic surface quality.  Coupled with the intrinsic advantages of the stellarator including high density operation, availability of steady state and low disruptivity, quasi-symmetric stellarators can be an ideal candidate for fusion power plants.   In this work, we detail how these recent advantages can be realized in a new proposed stellarator experiment whose operation can be used to demonstrated improve stellarator confinement properties and test the viability of non-resonant divertors.

 

[1] C. C. Hegna et al, IAEA Fusion Energy Conference 2020.