C9
Paper 2
Disclaimer — This paper partially fulfills a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering students at the University
of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. This paper is a student, not a professional, paper. This paper is based on
publicly available information and may not be provide complete analyses of all relevant data. If this paper is used for any
purpose other than these authors’ partial fulfillment of a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering students at
the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, the user does so at his or her own risk.
THE MAXIMIZED MAGNETO-FLUID DYNAMICS IN STELLARATOR
REACTORS FOR THE OPTIMIZED EFFICIENCY OF HOT FUSION ENERGY
PRODUCTION
Andrew Golio, amg242@pitt.edu, Sanchez, 10:00, Peter Collins, pec47@pitt.edu, Mahboobin, 4:00
are optimized in Stellarator reactors, the four main areas are
the shape and features of the Stellarator, the applications and
abilities of the Stellarator, the Wendelstein 7-X reactor
specifically, and the comparison to other types of reactors and
how the Stellarator is better, and ultimately how all of these
aspects relate to the magnetic dynamics of the reactor. Thus,
the research team will use specific papers/manuals and
publications from current companies involved in research of
the industry and the details of their designs of the Stellarator
and how Stellarators can accomplish efficient power
production.
In addition to traditional manuals and
publications, the research team will attempt to contact with at
least one university or program leader, hopefully the team
behind the Wendelstein 7-X, to gain their perspective onto
how the Stellarator and maximizing its shape and magnetism
can usher us into a new era of energy.
Introduction
Nuclear Fusion occurring in Stellarator type reactors is
essential to the future of energy production because of its near
limitless potential to produce power. Today, commercial
nuclear fusion power is just becoming a feasible idea. This
research paper is focused on the development of hot fusion
energy production by means of the magnetic fields and fluid
dynamics within Stellarator type reactors and their effect on
making nuclear fusion power production efficient and readily
available.
Stellarator design began in the 1960's with the creation of
the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory by Dr. Lyman
Spitzer Jr [1]. A Stellarator generator is much like the older,
well-known Tokamak generator in that it uses a torus shaped
shell wrapped with electromagnetic coils to control a flow of
plasma which with its high energy is conducive to nuclear
fusion [2]. The Stellarator differs from the Tokamak because
of the Stellarator's shape, size, resistance, and substance,
which have been optimized by its coils and super computers
in order to optimize the plasma flow and make power
production more efficient.
Stellarator reactors such as the currently developing
Wendelstein 7-X reactor in Germany are very exciting and
instrumental to the modern field of engineering because they
are breaking barriers in the kinds of fusion reactions that are
able to occur. Because of its unique structure of magnetic
coils, a Stellarator reactor can hold super-heated plasma up to
100 million degrees Celsius in the air with a magnetic field so
that the plasma does not touch the walls of the reactor and
cool down [2]. Because of this amazing feat, higher energy
fusion reactions may occur such as that of Helium, and these
reactions are much more efficient given the immense amount
of force of the reaction and the energy that is harnessed from
it [3]. The world's constant search for more efficient energy
will have a great option to turn to with Stellarators in the
future, and using them in turn may fuel more breakthroughs
in the field of engineering, which is why engineers should be
very interested in this topic.
The research team for this topic will focus on four major
areas when writing the paper and performing research. Since
the topic revolves around how the magneto-fluid dynamics
TOPIC AREA: ENERGY
Using Stellarator reactors for hot nuclear fusion energy
production lies within the topic area of Energy. Fusion is a
chemical reaction that involves the collision of atomic nuclei,
producing massive heat and phase changes of the matter
involved, which is then harnessed for efficient power
production [2]. There are many physicists and engineers
working on making Nuclear Fusion power production more
efficient by studying the interactions between subatomic
particles and the control of plasma with superconducting
magnets. The reactor design being analyzed in this paper uses
what physicists and engineers have learned about the volatile
energetics of these types of matter and applies it to Nuclear
Fusion in a more efficient manner than was ever possible for
the energy market.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
[3] C. Beidler. (2001). “Stellarator Fusion Reactors- An
Overview” EURATOM Association. (online research
publication) http://fire.pppl.gov/itc12_wobig_paper.pdf
This publication is from the research for the European
Atomic Energy Commission. It details every component and
design parameter of the Stellarator reactor. Specifically for
University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering
2016/01/30
1
Golio
Collins
our use, it highlights the requirements for sustaining a strong
enough magnetic field such as a 3-dimensional blanket design
to accommodate the toroidal fusion components. This will
allow us to expand upon specific features within the
Stellarator to describe how it actually optimizes its magnetic
field for energy production.
This paper was published by a researcher working in the
Princeton University Plasma Physics Laboratory. The article
is a review of the physics of plasma confinement in
stellarators, and specifically in regards to how the shape of the
reactor has an effect on the movement of the plasma. This
information is important to our research because it is the shape
of the stellarator that makes it significantly different from the
tokomak, a very similar reactor.
C. C. Hegna (2012). “Plasma Flow Healing of Magnetic
Islands in Stellarators.” Physics of Plasmas. (Peer reviewed
journal)
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=28&sid=
213d90c6-2f6a-4cf0-964a895bcd207868%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4106&bdata=JnN
pdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=76273059&db=ap
h
This source is a peer review journal called “Physics of
Plasma.” The publication is on the physics behind the control
of plasma in a confined space like a stellarator. It places
emphasis on the interaction of the walls of the reactor with the
superheated gases that make up the plasma which drives the
fusion process.
[4] T. Klinger. (2011). “Wendelstein 7-X.” Max-PlanckInstitut
fur
Plasmaphysik.
(online
article).
http://www.ipp.mpg.de/16900/w7x
The head of the Wendelstein 7-X project at the MaxPlanck Institute boasts in this article that the Wendelstein 7X has solved most issues faced by other fusion reactors and
that it may be ready for commercial power production. It
states that this Stellarator’s plasma fluid confinement, flow,
and equilibrium are optimized by the magnet coils to a degree
incomparable to earlier reactors. This gives us a currently
developing application of the power capabilities of
Stellarators. It may also give us a first-hand perspective, as
we plan on contacting the head of this project.
[2] A. Hellemans. (2014). "Fusion Stellarator Starts Up."
IEEE
Spectrum.
(online
magazine
article)
http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/nuclear/fusion-stellaratorstarts-up
Part of the world’s largest professional engineering
organization’s magazine, this article describes the design and
startup of the first Stellarator ‘done right’, the Wendelstein 7X. It argues that the key component of finding success in
fusion power is the use of arranged electromagnets to prevent
plasma from escaping the reaction field, which will help us to
present a modern example of magneto-fluid dynamics
optimizing nuclear power.
R. A. El-Nabulsi (2015). “Modified Plasma-Fluid Equations
from Nonstandard Lagrangians with Applications to Nuclear
Fusion.” Canadian Journal of Physics. (Peer reviewed
journal).
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=16&sid=
213d90c6-2f6a-4cf0-964a895bcd207868%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4106&bdata=JnN
pdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=1002991
64
This source is from the Canadian Journal of Physics, a peer
reviewed journal which published science and technical
papers. It is an analysis of the dynamics of plasma as a fluid
and how it relates to magnetic field control. This information
will be used to explain the importance of the magnetic fields
in a stellarator reactor.
S. P. Hirshman (1999). “Physics of Compact Stellarators.”
Physics
of
Plasmas.
(Peer
reviewed
journal)
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=24&sid=
213d90c6-2f6a-4cf0-964a895bcd207868%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4106&bdata=JnN
pdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=1350901
5
This source is from a peer reviewed journal called
“Physics of Plasmas,” a publication dedicated to publishing
articles related to studying the mechanics of plasma. This
article is on compact stellarators, with a particular focus on
optimizing the plasma controlling magnetic coils. This
information will be used to investigate the process of
designing stellarators.
(2015). “Nuclear Fusion Power.” World Nuclear Association.
(online
database).
http://www.worldnuclear.org/info/current-and-future-generation/nuclearfusion-power/
This source comes from the World Nuclear Association’s
information portion of their website. It is a description of
Nuclear Power, its development, and its inspiration. This
source will be used to help describe the process of Nuclear
Fusion and controlling it via electromagnetic coils.
V. D. Pustovitov (2011). “Integral Energy Balance in the
Equilibrium Plasma during its Fast Heating in Tokamaks and
Stellarators.” Plasma Physics & Controlled Fusion. (Peer
reviewed
journal)
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=33&sid=
213d90c6-2f6a-4cf0-964a895bcd207868%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4106&bdata=JnN
J. L. Johnson (1949). “The Stellarator Approach to Toroidal
Plasma Confinement.” Princeton University, Plasma Physics
Laboratory.
(Research
publication)
http://www.iaea.org/inis/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Pu
blic/13/690/13690529.pdf
2
Golio
Collins
pdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=57710773&db=ap
h
This source is a peer reviewed journal called “Plasma
Physics & Controlled Fusion,” a publication which places a
focus on reviewing and publishing papers related to Nuclear
Physics with a significant focus on Nuclear Fusion. This
article is an analysis on the energy efficiency of plasma use in
tokomak and stellarator power generators. This information
will be used to determine the efficiency of stellarator reactors.
[1] L. Zyga (2007). "Coil Design Confines Plasma in
Stellarator Fusion Reactor." Physics.Org. (online article)
http://phys.org/news/2007-08-confines-plasma-stellaratorfusion-reactor.html
This article is part of Science X, a network of websites
highlighting significant scientific news written by
professionals in the field. This article argues that Stellarators
can contain fusion reactions between deuterium and tritium to
produce helium ions, whose energy once harnessed can create
clean electrical energy, specifically because of their unique
coil shape. This will help us to show how the reactor shape
affects magnetic fields and can sufficiently confine superheated plasma.
3