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DOE OSTI · 2997710

Validation of a comprehensive first-principles-based framework for predicting the performance of future stellarators

Agapito Fernando, D. L. C. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000316305901)·Bañón Navarro, A. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000304876395)·Carralero, D. [Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain)] (ORCID:0000000278243307)·Alonso, A. [Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain)] (ORCID:0000000168638578)·Di Siena, A. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000254306713)·Velasco, J. L. [Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain)] (ORCID:0000000185101422)·Wilms, F. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000198597420)·Merlo, G. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000348771456)·Jenko, F. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany); Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000166861469)·Bozhenkov, S. A. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000342893532)·Pasch, E. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)]·Fuchert, G. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000266402139)·Brunner, K. J. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000209740457)·Knauer, J. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000173596472)·Langenberg, A. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000221075488)·Pablant, N. A. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)] (ORCID:0000000166178459)·Gonda, T. [Auburn Univ., AL (United States)] (ORCID:0009000286016531)·Ford, O. P. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000256464758)·Vanó, L. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000178836471)·Windisch, T. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:000900079781106X)·Estrada, T. [Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain)] (ORCID:0000000162052656)·Maragkoudakis, E. [Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain)] (ORCID:0000000173294001)
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Abstract

This paper presents the validation of the GENE-KNOSOS-Tango framework for recovering both the steady-state plasma profiles in the considered radial domain and selected turbulence trends in a stellarator. This framework couples the gyrokinetic turbulence code GENE, the neoclassical transport code KNOSOS, and the transport solver Tango in a multi-timescale simulation feedback loop. Ion-scale kinetic-electron and electron-scale adiabatic-ion flux-tube simulations were performed to evolve the density and temperature profiles for four OP1.2b W7-X scenarios. The simulated density and temperature profiles showed good agreement with the experimental data using a reasonable set of boundary conditions. Equally important was the reproduction of observed trends for several turbulence properties, such as density fluctuations and turbulent heat diffusivities. Key effects were also touched upon, such as electron-scale turbulence and the neoclassical radial electric field shear. The validation of the GENE-KNOSOS-Tango framework enables credible predictions of physical phenomena in stellarators and reactor performance based on a given set of edge parameters.

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Gyrokinetic simulationsPlasma confinementPlasma fluctuationsPlasma properties and parametersPlasma temperaturePlasma turbulenceStellaratorsThermal diffusivity

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Agapito Fernando, D. L. C. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000316305901), Bañón Navarro, A. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000304876395), Carralero, D. [Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain)] (ORCID:0000000278243307), Alonso, A. [Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain)] (ORCID:0000000168638578), Di Siena, A. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000254306713), Velasco, J. L. [Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain)] (ORCID:0000000185101422), Wilms, F. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000198597420), Merlo, G. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000348771456), Jenko, F. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany); Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000166861469), Bozhenkov, S. A. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000342893532), Pasch, E. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)], Fuchert, G. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000266402139), Brunner, K. J. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000209740457), Knauer, J. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000173596472), Langenberg, A. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000221075488), Pablant, N. A. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)] (ORCID:0000000166178459), Gonda, T. [Auburn Univ., AL (United States)] (ORCID:0009000286016531), Ford, O. P. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000256464758), Vanó, L. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000178836471), Windisch, T. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany)] (ORCID:000900079781106X), Estrada, T. [Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain)] (ORCID:0000000162052656), Maragkoudakis, E. [Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain)] (ORCID:0000000173294001). 2025-07-24. Validation of a comprehensive first-principles-based framework for predicting the performance of future stellarators. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0267879

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