Doubling Fusion Power with Volumetric Optimization in Magnetic Confinement Fusion Device

POSTER

Abstract

Using a new technique, volumetric optimization, it is demonstrated that fusion power can be substantially increased by shifting the burning area to a larger volume with a minimal perturbation to the shape of the plasma boundary. This edge perturbation – squareness [1,2] -- is analogous to pinching and stretching the edge boundary. Analysis shows that this edge alteration is compatible with plasma instability. This novel method for varying the fusion power of a power plant holds significant potential for optimizing magnetic fusion devices such as tokamaks and stellarators.

[1] Leonard, A.W. et al, 2007. Pedestal performance dependence upon plasma shape in DIII-D. Nuclear fusion, 47(7), p.552.

[2] Parisi, J.F. et al, 2024. Geometric Burn Control for Tokamaks. arXiv preprint arXiv:2404.04387.

*We are grateful to G. W. Hammett for discussions. This work was funded under the INFUSE program – a DOE SC FES public-private partnership – under contract no. 2706 between Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Tokamak Energy Ltd. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under contract number DE-SC0022270.

Publication: Parisi, J.F. et al, 2024. Geometric Burn Control for Tokamaks. arXiv preprint arXiv:2404.04387

Presenters

  • Jason F Parisi

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University
    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

Authors

  • Jason F Parisi

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University
    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

  • Jack W Berkery

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

  • alsu sladkomedova

    • Tokamak Energy

  • Sophia Guizzo

    • Columbia University

  • michael R hardman

    • Tokamak Energy Ltd, 173 Brook Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4SD, United Kingdom

  • Justin Ball

    • Swiss Plasma Center, EPFL
    • EPFL, SPC

  • Andrew Oakleigh O Nelson

    • Columbia
    • Columbia University

  • Stanley Martin Kaye

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

  • Michail Anastopoulos-Tzanis

    • Tokamak Energy

  • Steven McNamara

    • Tokamak Energy Ltd

  • Julien Dominski

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

  • Salomon Janhunen

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Michele Romanelli

    • Tokamak Energy Ltd

  • David Dickinson

    • University of York

  • Ahmed Diallo

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)

  • aleksei dnestrovskii

    • Tokamak Energy

  • Walter R Guttenfelder

    • Type One Energy
    • Type One Energy Group, 40 New York Avenue, Suite 200, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830
    • Type One Energy Group Inc.
    • Type One Energy Group

  • Christopher J Hansen

    • Columbia University

  • Omkar Myatra

    • UKAEA

  • Howard R Wilson

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory