In the realm of fusion energy research, a team of scientists from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, led by Dr. Víctor Fernández-Pacheco, has made a significant stride in the design of stellarator reactors. These researchers have introduced a novel magnetic configuration that could potentially enhance the performance and viability of fusion reactors.
The team’s work, published in the journal Nuclear Fusion, focuses on the concept of piecewise omnigenity in magnetic fields. This concept extends the traditional notion of omnigenity, which is the theoretical principle underlying most existing magnetic fusion reactor designs, including tokamaks. Piecewise omnigenity allows for a broader range of stellarator reactor candidates by relaxing the requirement of continuous magnetic field strength. However, this relaxation could pose challenges in designing magnetohydrodynamic equilibria.
The researchers have presented a stellarator magnetic configuration that not only satisfies the ideal magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium equation but also achieves unprecedented levels of piecewise omnigenity. This configuration exhibits several favorable transport characteristics, including reduced bulk radial transport (both neoclassical and turbulent), minimized bootstrap current, and decreased fast ion losses. Moreover, the configuration demonstrates robust magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability across a range of beta (β) values, which is a measure of the ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic pressure. Additionally, it possesses a rotational transform profile compatible with an island divertor, a crucial component for managing heat and particle exhaust in fusion reactors.
These features collectively satisfy the standard set of physics criteria required for a viable reactor candidate. Until now, these criteria were believed to be attainable only by certain types of omnigenous stellarators. The researchers’ findings could open up new possibilities for the design and optimization of fusion reactors, potentially bringing us closer to the realization of clean, sustainable, and virtually limitless fusion energy.
The research was published in Nuclear Fusion, a leading journal in the field of plasma physics and fusion energy research. This work represents a significant contribution to the ongoing efforts to harness the power of fusion, offering a promising avenue for advancing the development of practical and efficient fusion reactors.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.