Engineering topics

Beidler, C. D. (ORCID:000000024395239X)

Publications and source records attributed to Beidler, C. D. (ORCID:000000024395239X).

3 records

DOE OSTI2024

Direct optimization of neoclassical ion transport in stellarator reactors

Abstract We directly optimize stellarator neoclassical ion transport while holding neoclassical electron transport at a moderate level, creating a scenario favorable for impurity expulsion and retaining good ion confinement. Traditional neoclassical stellarator optimization has focused on minimizing ϵ eff , the geometric factor that characterizes the amount of radial transport due to particles in the 1 / ν regime. Under expected reactor-relevant conditions, core electrons will be in the 1 / ν regime and core fuel ions will be in the ν regime. Traditional optimizations thus minimize electron transport and rely on the radial electric field ( E r ) that develops to confine the ions. This often results in an inward-pointing E r that drives high- Z impurities into the core, which may be troublesome in future reactors. In this work, we increase the ratio of the thermal transport coefficients L 11 e / L 11 i , which previous research has shown can create an outward-pointing E r . This effect is very beneficial for impurity expulsion. We obtain self-consistent density, temperature, and E r profiles at reactor-relevant conditions for an optimized equilibrium. This equilibrium is expected to enjoy significantly improved impurity transport properties.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Demonstration of reduced neoclassical energy transport in Wendelstein 7-X

Research on magnetic confinement of high-temperature plasmas has the ultimate goal of harnessing nuclear fusion for the production of electricity. Although the tokamak is the leading toroidal magnetic-confinement concept, it is not without shortcomings and the fusion community has therefore also pursued alternative concepts such as the stellarator. Unlike axisymmetric tokamaks, stellarators possess a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic field geometry. The availability of this additional dimension opens up an extensive configuration space for computational optimization of both the field geometry itself and the current-carrying coils that produce it. Such an optimization was undertaken in designing Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), a large helical-axis advanced stellarator (HELIAS), which began operation in 2015 at Greifswald, Germany. A major drawback of 3D magnetic field geometry, however, is that it introduces a strong temperature dependence into the stellarator’s non-turbulent ‘neoclassical’ energy transport. Indeed, such energy losses will become prohibitive in high-temperature reactor plasmas unless a strong reduction of the geometrical factor associated with this transport can be achieved; such a reduction was therefore a principal goal of the design of W7-X. In spite of the modest heating power currently available, W7-X has already been able to achieve high-temperature plasma conditions during its 2017 and 2018 experimental campaigns, producing record values of the fusion triple product for such stellarator plasmas. The triple product of plasma density, ion temperature and energy confinement time is used in fusion research as a figure of merit, as it must attain a certain threshold value before net-energy-producing operation of a reactor becomes possible. Here we demonstrate that such record values provide evidence for reduced neoclassical energy transport in W7-X, as the plasma profiles that produced these results could not have been obtained in stellarators lacking a comparably high level of neoclassical optimization.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Understanding detachment of the W7-X island divertor

The fundamental behavior of the W7-X island divertor under detached conditions, which has been theoretically predicted with the EMC3-Eirene code, is re-examined here under the experimental conditions achieved so far and compared with the first experimental results. Both simulations and experiments cover a range of divertor configurations and plasma parameters, and show the following common trends: (1) with rising impurity radiation, the target heat load decreases 'uniformly' over the entire target surface in the sense that both the peak and average heat loads can drop by an order of magnitude. Impurity radiation (mainly from intrinsic carbon) occurs primarily at the plasma edge and the resulting negative impact on the stored energy is less than 10%. (2) When the total radiation exceeds a critical level, the target particle flux (the recycling flux Γrecy) begins to fall and can drop by a factor of 3–5 at high radiation levels without an obvious indication of significant volume recombination. (3) While Γ recy decreases, the divertor neutral pressure continues to build up and reaches a maximum, at which point Γ recy has declined significantly. (4) During detachment, the electron temperature at the last closed flux surface falls in a way that is not quantitatively understandable from parallel classical heat conduction processes. This paper presents a physical explanation of the numerical/experimental results described above. Furthermore, using the EMC3-Eirene code as a diagnostic tool, we are able, apparently for the first time, to provide a full quantitative analysis of each transport channel in the island divertor, aiming to clarify how the island divertor plasma self-regulates to maintain particle, energy, and momentum balance under detached conditions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗