Strengthening digital models for stellarator Fusion Pilot Plant design validation and optimization

Achieving the ambitious goal of completing an initial Fusion Pilot Plant (FPP) design by 2028 will require integrating many tools to aid in optimizing and verifying the design. Stellarator design by nature demands a tighter integration of physics and engineering analyses. Here we present a subset of ongoing efforts and future plans centered at PPPL with multiple collaborators to more firmly establish tools and metrics for stellarator digital models, useful for physics and engineering design validation and optimization. This includes better integrating various high-fidelity simulation codes, establishing open-source systems codes, and including more detailed engineering analyses in stellarator optimization. Focus will be given to describing the planned roadmap, and inviting a broader community discussion on synergism and collaboration.