Radiative pulsed L-mode operation in ARC-class reactors
Name
Frank_2022_Nucl._Fusion_62_126036.pdf
Description
Published version
Size
2.07 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
138c01b5f7d452ca25742de16ce50f8d
Author(s)
Frank, SJ
Perks, CJ
Nelson, AO
Qian, T
Jin, S
Cavallaro, A
Rutkowski, A
Reiman, A
Freidberg, JP
Rodriguez-Fernandez, P
Date Issued
2022
Journal
Nuclear Fusion
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Citation
Frank, SJ, Perks, CJ, Nelson, AO, Qian, T, Jin, S et al. 2022. "Radiative pulsed L-mode operation in ARC-class reactors." Nuclear Fusion, 62 (12).
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Abstract
A new ARC-class, highly-radiative, pulsed, L-mode, burning plasma scenario is developed and evaluated as a candidate for future tokamak reactors. Pulsed inductive operation alleviates the stringent current drive requirements of steady-state reactors, and operation in L-mode affords ELM-free access to ∼ 90 % core radiation fractions, significantly reducing the divertor power handling requirements. In this configuration the fusion power density can be maximized despite L-mode confinement by utilizing high-field to increase plasma densities and current. This allows us to obtain high gain in robust scenarios in compact devices with P fus > 1000 MW despite low confinement. We demonstrate the feasibility of such scenarios here; first by showing that they avoid violating 0D tokamak limits, and then by performing self-consistent integrated simulations of flattop operation including neoclassical and turbulent transport, magnetic equilibrium, and radiofrequency current drive models. Finally we examine the potential effect of introducing negative triangularity with a 0D model. Our results show high-field radiative pulsed L-mode scenarios are a promising alternative to the typical steady state advanced tokamak scenarios which have dominated tokamak reactor development.
A new ARC-class, highly-radiative, pulsed, L-mode, burning plasma scenario is developed and evaluated as a candidate for future tokamak reactors. Pulsed inductive operation alleviates the stringent current drive requirements of steady-state reactors, and operation in L-mode affords ELM-free access to ∼ 90 % core radiation fractions, significantly reducing the divertor power handling requirements. In this configuration the fusion power density can be maximized despite L-mode confinement by utilizing high-field to increase plasma densities and current. This allows us to obtain high gain in robust scenarios in compact devices with P fus > 1000 MW despite low confinement. We demonstrate the feasibility of such scenarios here; first by showing that they avoid violating 0D tokamak limits, and then by performing self-consistent integrated simulations of flattop operation including neoclassical and turbulent transport, magnetic equilibrium, and radiofrequency current drive models. Finally we examine the potential effect of introducing negative triangularity with a 0D model. Our results show high-field radiative pulsed L-mode scenarios are a promising alternative to the typical steady state advanced tokamak scenarios which have dominated tokamak reactor development.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/AC95AC
