Stellarator fusion systems enabled by arrays of planar coils
D. Gates, Mohammed Aslam Shaikh, B. Berzin, P. J. Bonofiglo, A. Côté, Daniel Dudt, E. Flom, D. Fort, A.D. Koen, Thomas Krüger, S. T. A. Kumar, Marie Martin, Angelica Ottaviano, Samuel Pasmann, Paul Romano, Charles Swanson, L. Tang, E. Winkler, Ryan Wu
Abstract
Abstract We present an overview of a novel electromagnetic coil configuration for stellarators and its application to two near-term fusion systems. The novel coil configuration is the planar coil stellarator, able to implement precisely-quasisymmetric 3D magnetic fields using a set of planar, plasma-encircling coils and a set of planar, field-shaping coils situated on a surface surrounding the plasma. This configuration combines the stellarator’s advantages of steady-state operation, stability, low recirculating power fraction, and a mature physics basis, with the benefits of using simpler, planar coils which allow for a maintenance scheme leveraging large ports, and the ability to control magnets individually. The initial near-term use case considered is a steady state deuterium–deuterium stellarator neutron source, called Eos. The second near-term use case considered is a deuterium–tritium stellarator fusion pilot plant, called Helios, that would be approximately twice the linear dimension of the Eos design.