Stellarator

Abstract: The theoretical and experimental development of stellarators has removed some of the specific deficiencies of this configuration, viz., the limitations in β, the high neoclassical transport, and the low collisionless confinement of α particles. These optimized stellarators can best be realized with a modular coil system. The W7‐AS experiment [Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 31, 1579 (1989)] has successfully demonstrated two aspects of advanced stellarators, the improved equilibrium and the modular coil concept. Stellarator optimization will much more viably be demonstrated by W7‐X [Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Research, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference, Nice, 1988 (IAEA, Vienna, 1989), Vol. 2, p. 369], the successor experiment presently under design. Optimized stellarators seem to offer an independent reactor option. In addition, they supplement, in a unique form, the toroidal confinement fusion program, e.g., energy transport is anomalous in stellarators too, but possibly more easily understandable in the frame of existing theoretical concepts than in tokamaks.

Abstract: The future experiment Wendelstein VII-X (W VII-X) is being developed at the Max-Planck-Institut fur Plasmaphysik. A Helical Advanced Stellarator (Helias) configuration has been chosen because of its confinement and stability properties. The goals of W VII-X are to continue the development of the modular stellarator, to demonstrate the reactor capability of this stellarator line, and to achieve quasi-steady-state operation in a temperature regime >5 keV. This temperature regime can be reached in W VII-X if neoclassical transport plus the anomalous transport found in W VII-A prevail. A heating power of 20 MW will be applied to reach the reactor-relevant parameter regime.The magnetic field in W VII-X has five field periods. Other basic data are as follows: major radius R0 = 6.5 m, magnetic induction B0 = 3 T, stored magnetic energy W ≈ 0.88 GJ, and average plasma radius a = 0.65 m. Superconducting coils are favored because of their steady-state field, but pulsed water-cooled copper coils are also bei...

Abstract: An international stellarator database on global energy confinement is presented. It comprises a total of 859 discharges from the ATF, CHS and Heliotron-E heliotron/torsatrons and the W7-A and W7-AS shearless stellarators. Some design aspects and operation techniques of the different devices are discussed. The data in the database represent electron cyclotron heated (ECH) and neutral beam injection (NBI) heated discharges in the L mode confinement regime. Results from enhanced confinement regimes such as H mode will be reported elsewhere. Regression expressions for the energy confinement time are given for the individual devices, for the subsets of heliotron/torsatrons and shearless stellarators and for the combined dataset. The combined scaling ISS-95 is found to describe satisfactorily a large tokamak L mode dataset. The aspects of comparing stellarator and tokamak data are discussed on the basis of various scaling expressions. In order to make this database available to interested colleagues, the structure of the database, which is described in detail, is organized in a similar way as the ITER confinement databases

Abstract: In this paper we summarize the present status of experimental tokamak confinement studies. Under quiescent conditions, ion heat and impurity transport can be close to the neoclassical level. Generally, however, radial transport is enhanced by instabilities. There is evidence that anomalous ion heat and momentum transport may be caused by turbulence driven by the ion temperature gradient. The same level of understanding is not reached in electron heat and particle transport. Electron heat transport is characterized by a highly nonlinear relation between heat flux and temperature gradient. Particle transport is strongly governed by off-diagonal contributions. Where possible, the tokamak results are compared with those from stellarators, in particular with those from W7-AS. Such a comparison is meaningful because stellarators and tokamaks share many transport aspects. In both cases transport is generally anomalous, degrades with heating power and increases toward the edge. Bifurcations such as the tokamak H-mode transition are also observed in the W7-AS stellarator. Transport in stellarators, although anomalous, seems to be less confused by additional complexities such as large off-diagonal contributions, profile resilience, disparities between steady-state and perturbatively determined transport coefficients and an isotopic mass dependence in energy and particle transport. Differences in magnetic field and minor radius scaling seem to be introduced by operational restrictions: rotational transform iota is constant in stellarator field or size scans whereas qa generally varies with current, field, or size in tokamaks.