Overview of recent results from the ST40 compact high-field spherical tokamak

the ST40 Team

doi:10.1088/1741-4326/ad6ba7

Overview of recent results from the ST40 compact high-field spherical tokamak

the ST40 Team

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

ST40 is a compact, high-field (BT0 ≤ 2.1 T) spherical tokamak (ST) with a mission to expand the physics and technology basis for the ST route to commercial fusion. The ST40 research programme covers confinement and stability; solenoid-free start-up; high-performance operating scenarios; and plasma exhaust. In 2022, ST40 obtained central deuterium ion temperatures of 9.6 ± 0.4 keV, demonstrating for the first time that pilot plant relevant ion temperatures can be reached in a compact, high-field ST. Analysis of these high-ion temperature plasmas is presented, including a summary of confinement, transport and microstability characteristics, and energetic particle instabilities. Recent scenario development activities have focused on establishing diverted H-mode plasmas across a range of toroidal fields and plasma currents, along with scenarios with high non-inductive current fractions. In future operations, beginning in 2025, a 1 MW dual frequency (104/137 GHz) electron cyclotron (EC) system will be installed to enable the study of EC and electron Bernstein wave plasma start-up and current drive. Predictive modelling of the potential performance of these systems is presented.

Original language	English
Article number	112020
Journal	Nuclear Fusion
Volume	64
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ad6ba7
State	Published - Nov 1 2024

Funding

Contributions from collaborators at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory were supported through U.S. Department of Energy CRADA NFE-19- 07769. The 24 kV neutral beam system was provided on loan from Consorzio RFX. Research on ST40 is partly supported by a first-of-a-kind private-public fusion partnership funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. This partnership enables staff from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) to participate actively in research activities on ST40, including contributing to plasma operations and diagnostic implementation.

Keywords

ST40
high-field
overview
spherical tokamak

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1088/1741-4326/ad6ba7

Cite this

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title = "Overview of recent results from the ST40 compact high-field spherical tokamak",

abstract = "ST40 is a compact, high-field (BT0 ≤ 2.1 T) spherical tokamak (ST) with a mission to expand the physics and technology basis for the ST route to commercial fusion. The ST40 research programme covers confinement and stability; solenoid-free start-up; high-performance operating scenarios; and plasma exhaust. In 2022, ST40 obtained central deuterium ion temperatures of 9.6 ± 0.4 keV, demonstrating for the first time that pilot plant relevant ion temperatures can be reached in a compact, high-field ST. Analysis of these high-ion temperature plasmas is presented, including a summary of confinement, transport and microstability characteristics, and energetic particle instabilities. Recent scenario development activities have focused on establishing diverted H-mode plasmas across a range of toroidal fields and plasma currents, along with scenarios with high non-inductive current fractions. In future operations, beginning in 2025, a 1 MW dual frequency (104/137 GHz) electron cyclotron (EC) system will be installed to enable the study of EC and electron Bernstein wave plasma start-up and current drive. Predictive modelling of the potential performance of these systems is presented.",

keywords = "ST40, high-field, overview, spherical tokamak",

author = "{the ST40 Team} and McNamara, {S. A.M.} and A. Alieva and {Anastopoulos Tzanis}, {M. S.} and O. Asunta and J. Bland and H. Bohlin and Buxton, {P. F.} and C. Colgan and A. Dnestrovskii and {du Toit}, E. and M. Fontana and M. Gemmell and Gryaznevich, {M. P.} and J. Hakosalo and Hardman, {M. R.} and D. Harryman and D. Hoffman and M. Iliasova and S. Janhunen and F. Janky and Lister, {J. B.} and Lowe, {H. F.} and E. Maartensson and C. Marsden and Medvedev, {S. Y.} and Mirfayzi, {S. R.} and M. Moscheni and G. Naylor and V. Nemytov and J. Njau and T. O'Gorman and D. Osin and T. Pyragius and A. Rengle and M. Romanelli and C. Romero and M. Sertoli and V. Shevchenko and J. Sinha and A. Sladkomedova and S. Sridhar and J. Stirling and Y. Takase and Thomas, {P. R.} and J. Varje and E. Vekshina and B. Vincent and Gray, {T. K.} and B. Lomanowski and Unterberg, {E. A.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd on behalf of the IAEA.",

year = "2024",

month = nov,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1088/1741-4326/ad6ba7",

language = "English",

volume = "64",

journal = "Nuclear Fusion",

issn = "0029-5515",

publisher = "IOP Publishing",

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T1 - Overview of recent results from the ST40 compact high-field spherical tokamak

AU - the ST40 Team

AU - McNamara, S. A.M.

AU - Alieva, A.

AU - Anastopoulos Tzanis, M. S.

AU - Asunta, O.

AU - Bland, J.

AU - Bohlin, H.

AU - Buxton, P. F.

AU - Colgan, C.

AU - Dnestrovskii, A.

AU - du Toit, E.

AU - Fontana, M.

AU - Gemmell, M.

AU - Gryaznevich, M. P.

AU - Hakosalo, J.

AU - Hardman, M. R.

AU - Harryman, D.

AU - Hoffman, D.

AU - Iliasova, M.

AU - Janhunen, S.

AU - Janky, F.

AU - Lister, J. B.

AU - Lowe, H. F.

AU - Maartensson, E.

AU - Marsden, C.

AU - Medvedev, S. Y.

AU - Mirfayzi, S. R.

AU - Moscheni, M.

AU - Naylor, G.

AU - Nemytov, V.

AU - Njau, J.

AU - O'Gorman, T.

AU - Osin, D.

AU - Pyragius, T.

AU - Rengle, A.

AU - Romanelli, M.

AU - Romero, C.

AU - Sertoli, M.

AU - Shevchenko, V.

AU - Sinha, J.

AU - Sladkomedova, A.

AU - Sridhar, S.

AU - Stirling, J.

AU - Takase, Y.

AU - Thomas, P. R.

AU - Varje, J.

AU - Vekshina, E.

AU - Vincent, B.

AU - Gray, T. K.

AU - Lomanowski, B.

AU - Unterberg, E. A.

PY - 2024/11/1

Y1 - 2024/11/1

N2 - ST40 is a compact, high-field (BT0 ≤ 2.1 T) spherical tokamak (ST) with a mission to expand the physics and technology basis for the ST route to commercial fusion. The ST40 research programme covers confinement and stability; solenoid-free start-up; high-performance operating scenarios; and plasma exhaust. In 2022, ST40 obtained central deuterium ion temperatures of 9.6 ± 0.4 keV, demonstrating for the first time that pilot plant relevant ion temperatures can be reached in a compact, high-field ST. Analysis of these high-ion temperature plasmas is presented, including a summary of confinement, transport and microstability characteristics, and energetic particle instabilities. Recent scenario development activities have focused on establishing diverted H-mode plasmas across a range of toroidal fields and plasma currents, along with scenarios with high non-inductive current fractions. In future operations, beginning in 2025, a 1 MW dual frequency (104/137 GHz) electron cyclotron (EC) system will be installed to enable the study of EC and electron Bernstein wave plasma start-up and current drive. Predictive modelling of the potential performance of these systems is presented.

AB - ST40 is a compact, high-field (BT0 ≤ 2.1 T) spherical tokamak (ST) with a mission to expand the physics and technology basis for the ST route to commercial fusion. The ST40 research programme covers confinement and stability; solenoid-free start-up; high-performance operating scenarios; and plasma exhaust. In 2022, ST40 obtained central deuterium ion temperatures of 9.6 ± 0.4 keV, demonstrating for the first time that pilot plant relevant ion temperatures can be reached in a compact, high-field ST. Analysis of these high-ion temperature plasmas is presented, including a summary of confinement, transport and microstability characteristics, and energetic particle instabilities. Recent scenario development activities have focused on establishing diverted H-mode plasmas across a range of toroidal fields and plasma currents, along with scenarios with high non-inductive current fractions. In future operations, beginning in 2025, a 1 MW dual frequency (104/137 GHz) electron cyclotron (EC) system will be installed to enable the study of EC and electron Bernstein wave plasma start-up and current drive. Predictive modelling of the potential performance of these systems is presented.

KW - ST40

KW - high-field

KW - overview

KW - spherical tokamak

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85203297329&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/1741-4326/ad6ba7

DO - 10.1088/1741-4326/ad6ba7

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:85203297329

SN - 0029-5515

VL - 64

JO - Nuclear Fusion

JF - Nuclear Fusion

IS - 11

M1 - 112020

ER -

Overview of recent results from the ST40 compact high-field spherical tokamak

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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