The Compact Advanced Tokamak (CAT) is a possibly cost-effective option for blend energy production that takes advantage of advances in simulation and innovation. Credit: Image thanks to General Atomics. Tokamak graphic customized from F. Najmabadi et al., The ARIES-AT advanced tokamak, Advanced innovation blend power plant, Fusion Engineering Design, 80, 3-23 (2006 ).
Fusion power plants utilize magnetic fields to hold a ball of current-carrying gas (called a plasma). The Compact Advanced Tokamak (CAT) principle uses state-of-the-art physics designs to possibly improve combination energy production. The designs reveal that by thoroughly shaping the plasma and the circulation of existing in the plasma, combination plant operators can reduce turbulent eddies in the plasma.
In this technique to tokamak reactors, the enhanced performance at reduced plasma current lowers tension and heat loads. This minimizes some of the engineering and products difficulties dealing with combination plant designers. Greater pressure likewise increases a result where the motion of particles in the plasma naturally produces the present required. This considerably minimizes the need for expensive current drive systems that sap a fusion plants possible electrical power output. It also enables a stationary “always-on” setup. This technique leads to plants that suffer less tension during operation than common pulsed techniques to fusion power, making it possible for smaller sized, less expensive power plants.
Over the previous year, the Department of Energys (DOE) Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have actually released roadmaps calling for the aggressive development of blend energy in the United States. Researchers combined modern theory verified at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility with leading-edge computing utilizing the Cori supercomputer at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing.
By U.S. Department of Energy
November 8, 2021
Recommendation: “The advanced tokamak path to a compact net electric blend pilot plant” by R.J. Buttery, J.M. Park, J.T. McClenaghan, D. Weisberg, J. Canik, J. Ferron, A. Garofalo, C.T. Holcomb, J. Leuer, P.B. Snyder and The Atom Project Team, 19 March 2021, Nuclear Fusion.DOI: 10.1088/ 1741-4326/ abe4af.
This work was supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, based upon the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, a DOE Office of Science user center, and the AToM Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing project.
The Compact Advanced Tokamak (CAT) is a possibly economical option for combination energy production that takes benefit of advances in simulation and technology. Tokamak graphic customized from F. Najmabadi et al., The ARIES-AT advanced tokamak, Advanced technology combination power plant, Fusion Engineering Design, 80, 3-23 (2006 ).
The Compact Advanced Tokamak (CAT) idea uses cutting edge physics models to possibly improve combination energy production. Over the past year, the Department of Energys (DOE) Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have actually released roadmaps calling for the aggressive development of fusion energy in the United States.
