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The DEMO Quasisymmetric Stellarator

Published

Author(s)

Paul R. Garabedian, Geoffrey B. McFadden

Abstract

The NSTAB code solves differential equations in conservation form, and the TRAN test particle code tracks guiding center orbits in a fixed background, to provide simulations of equilibrium, stability, and transport in tokamaks and stellarators. These codes are well correlated with experimental observations and have been validated by convergence studies. Bifurcated 3D solutions of the 2D tokamak problem have been calculated that model persistent disruptions and ELMs crashes occurring in ITER, which does not pass the NSTAB simulation test for nonlinear stability. So we have designed a quasiaxially symmetric (QAS) stellarator with similar proportions as a candidate for the DEMO fusion reactor that does pass the test. The configuration has two field periods and an exceptionally accurate 2D symmetry that furnishes excellent thermal confinement and good control of the prompt loss of alpha particles. Robust coils are found from a filtered form of the Biot-Savart law based on a distribution of current over a control surface for the coils and the current in the plasma defined by the equilibrium calculation. Computational science has addressed the issues of equilibrium, stability, and transport, so it remains to develop an effective plan to construct the coils and build a divertor.
Citation
Energy
Volume
3

Keywords

computational science, magnetic fusion, plasma physics

Citation

Garabedian, P. and McFadden, G. (2010), The DEMO Quasisymmetric Stellarator, Energy, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=904630 (Accessed March 19, 2024)
Created February 25, 2010, Updated October 12, 2021