Nuclear Fusion Reactor Design
- Introduction to Fusion Energy
- The Tokamak Design
- The Stellarator Design
- The Inertial Confinement Fusion
- The Magnetic Confinement Fusion
- The Field-Reversed Configuration and Other Emerging Designs
- Safety, Waste and Environmental Impact
- Future of Fusion & Course Review
The Stellarator Design
Variations of the Stellarator Design
Type of fusion reactor with magnetic confinement in a toroidal vessel and plasma stabilized by the field geometry.
The Stellarator, a type of fusion reactor, is known for its complex and unique design. Over the years, several variations of the Stellarator have been developed, each with its own unique features and advantages. This article will explore these variations, including the Classic Stellarator, the Torsatron, the Heliotron, the Heliac, and the Wendelstein 7-X.
The Classic Stellarator
The Classic Stellarator was the first design of its kind, developed by Lyman Spitzer in 1951. It uses a set of external coils to create a twisting magnetic field that confines the plasma. The design is characterized by its simplicity and symmetry, but it has a significant drawback: the plasma tends to drift out of the confinement area, leading to energy loss.
The Torsatron
The Torsatron is a variation of the Stellarator that was developed to address the energy loss problem of the Classic Stellarator. It uses a more complex set of coils to create a more stable magnetic field. The Torsatron has a higher plasma stability compared to the Classic Stellarator, but its design is more complex and difficult to build.
The Heliotron
The Heliotron takes the Torsatron design a step further by adding a helical coil, which creates a stronger and more stable magnetic field. This design has even better plasma stability and confinement than the Torsatron, but it is even more complex and difficult to build.
The Heliac
The Heliac is another variation of the Stellarator that uses a helical coil, similar to the Heliotron. However, the Heliac has a unique feature: it uses a set of adjustable coils that can change the shape of the magnetic field during operation. This allows for more control over the plasma, but it also adds another layer of complexity to the design.
The Wendelstein 7-X
The Wendelstein 7-X is the most advanced Stellarator design to date. It was developed by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Germany. The Wendelstein 7-X uses a sophisticated set of 50 superconducting magnetic coils to create a highly optimized magnetic field. This design has shown excellent plasma stability and confinement in initial tests, and it is currently the focus of ongoing research.
In conclusion, the Stellarator design has evolved significantly since its inception, with each variation bringing improvements in plasma stability and confinement. However, these improvements often come with increased complexity and difficulty in construction. The ongoing research in this field aims to find the optimal balance between performance and practicality.