Overview of the SPARC tokamak

SPARC Team

doi:10.1017/S0022377820001257

Overview of the SPARC tokamak

SPARC Team

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268 Scopus citations

Abstract

The SPARC tokamak is a critical next step towards commercial fusion energy. SPARC is designed as a high-field (B₀ = 12.2 T), compact (R₀ = 1.85 m, a = 0.57 m), superconducting, D-T tokamak with the goal of producing fusion gain Q > 2 from a magnetically confined fusion plasma for the first time. Currently under design, SPARC will continue the high-field path of the Alcator series of tokamaks, utilizing new magnets based on rare earth barium copper oxide high-temperature superconductors to achieve high performance in a compact device. The goal of Q > 2 is achievable with conservative physics assumptions (H_98,y2 = 0.7) and, with the nominal assumption of H_98,y2 = 1, SPARC is projected to attain Q ≈ 11 and P_fusion ≈ 140 MW. SPARC will therefore constitute a unique platform for burning plasma physics research with high density (〈n_e〉 ≈ 3 × 10²⁰ m⁻³), high temperature (〈T_e〉 ≈ 7 keV) and high power density (P_fusion/V_plasma ≈ 7 MW m⁻³) relevant to fusion power plants. SPARC’s place in the path to commercial fusion energy, its parameters and the current status of SPARC design work are presented. This work also describes the basis for global performance projections and summarizes some of the physics analysis that is presented in greater detail in the companion articles of this collection.

Original language	English
Article number	865860502
Journal	Journal of Plasma Physics
Volume	86
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022377820001257
State	Published - 2020

Funding

This work was funded by Commonwealth Fusion Systems. Parts of this work were also funded by CFS under MIT PSFC RPP005; under INFUSE grant 2702 awarded to CFS (INFUSE is a DOE SC FES private–public partnership programme); by CFS through ORNL Strategic Partnership Project no. NFE-19-07728; by the SPARC Fellowship Fund; by the S. W. Ing (1953) Memorial Fund, a gift of Mimi and Frank Slaughter; by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under grant no. 1122374; and by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, under Award Numbers DE-SC0014264, DE-SC0018287 and DE-AC02-09CH11466.

Keywords

fusion plasma
plasma confinement
plasma devices

UN SDGs

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

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10.1017/S0022377820001257

Cite this

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title = "Overview of the SPARC tokamak",

abstract = "The SPARC tokamak is a critical next step towards commercial fusion energy. SPARC is designed as a high-field (B0 = 12.2 T), compact (R0 = 1.85 m, a = 0.57 m), superconducting, D-T tokamak with the goal of producing fusion gain Q > 2 from a magnetically confined fusion plasma for the first time. Currently under design, SPARC will continue the high-field path of the Alcator series of tokamaks, utilizing new magnets based on rare earth barium copper oxide high-temperature superconductors to achieve high performance in a compact device. The goal of Q > 2 is achievable with conservative physics assumptions (H98,y2 = 0.7) and, with the nominal assumption of H98,y2 = 1, SPARC is projected to attain Q ≈ 11 and Pfusion ≈ 140 MW. SPARC will therefore constitute a unique platform for burning plasma physics research with high density (〈ne〉 ≈ 3 × 1020 m−3), high temperature (〈Te〉 ≈ 7 keV) and high power density (Pfusion/Vplasma ≈ 7 MW m−3) relevant to fusion power plants. SPARC{\textquoteright}s place in the path to commercial fusion energy, its parameters and the current status of SPARC design work are presented. This work also describes the basis for global performance projections and summarizes some of the physics analysis that is presented in greater detail in the companion articles of this collection.",

keywords = "fusion plasma, plasma confinement, plasma devices",

author = "{SPARC Team} and Creely, {A. J.} and Greenwald, {M. J.} and Ballinger, {S. B.} and D. Brunner and J. Canik and J. Doody and T. F{\"u}l{\"o}p and Garnier, {D. T.} and R. Granetz and Gray, {T. K.} and C. Holland and Howard, {N. T.} and Hughes, {J. W.} and Irby, {J. H.} and Izzo, {V. A.} and Kramer, {G. J.} and Kuang, {A. Q.} and B. LaBombard and Y. Lin and B. Lipschultz and Logan, {N. C.} and Lore, {J. D.} and Marmar, {E. S.} and K. Montes and Mumgaard, {R. T.} and C. Paz-Soldan and C. Rea and Reinke, {M. L.} and P. Rodriguez-Fernandez and K. S{\"a}rkim{\"a}ki and F. Sciortino and Scott, {S. D.} and A. Snicker and Snyder, {P. B.} and Sorbom, {B. N.} and R. Sweeney and Tinguely, {R. A.} and Tolman, {E. A.} and M. Umansky and O. Vallhagen and J. Varje and Whyte, {D. G.} and Wright, {J. C.} and Wukitch, {S. J.} and J. Zhu",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2020.",

year = "2020",

doi = "10.1017/S0022377820001257",

language = "English",

volume = "86",

journal = "Journal of Plasma Physics",

issn = "0022-3778",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

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T1 - Overview of the SPARC tokamak

AU - SPARC Team

AU - Creely, A. J.

AU - Greenwald, M. J.

AU - Ballinger, S. B.

AU - Brunner, D.

AU - Canik, J.

AU - Doody, J.

AU - Fülöp, T.

AU - Garnier, D. T.

AU - Granetz, R.

AU - Gray, T. K.

AU - Holland, C.

AU - Howard, N. T.

AU - Hughes, J. W.

AU - Irby, J. H.

AU - Izzo, V. A.

AU - Kramer, G. J.

AU - Kuang, A. Q.

AU - LaBombard, B.

AU - Lin, Y.

AU - Lipschultz, B.

AU - Logan, N. C.

AU - Lore, J. D.

AU - Marmar, E. S.

AU - Montes, K.

AU - Mumgaard, R. T.

AU - Paz-Soldan, C.

AU - Rea, C.

AU - Reinke, M. L.

AU - Rodriguez-Fernandez, P.

AU - Särkimäki, K.

AU - Sciortino, F.

AU - Scott, S. D.

AU - Snicker, A.

AU - Snyder, P. B.

AU - Sorbom, B. N.

AU - Sweeney, R.

AU - Tinguely, R. A.

AU - Tolman, E. A.

AU - Umansky, M.

AU - Vallhagen, O.

AU - Varje, J.

AU - Whyte, D. G.

AU - Wright, J. C.

AU - Wukitch, S. J.

AU - Zhu, J.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - The SPARC tokamak is a critical next step towards commercial fusion energy. SPARC is designed as a high-field (B0 = 12.2 T), compact (R0 = 1.85 m, a = 0.57 m), superconducting, D-T tokamak with the goal of producing fusion gain Q > 2 from a magnetically confined fusion plasma for the first time. Currently under design, SPARC will continue the high-field path of the Alcator series of tokamaks, utilizing new magnets based on rare earth barium copper oxide high-temperature superconductors to achieve high performance in a compact device. The goal of Q > 2 is achievable with conservative physics assumptions (H98,y2 = 0.7) and, with the nominal assumption of H98,y2 = 1, SPARC is projected to attain Q ≈ 11 and Pfusion ≈ 140 MW. SPARC will therefore constitute a unique platform for burning plasma physics research with high density (〈ne〉 ≈ 3 × 1020 m−3), high temperature (〈Te〉 ≈ 7 keV) and high power density (Pfusion/Vplasma ≈ 7 MW m−3) relevant to fusion power plants. SPARC’s place in the path to commercial fusion energy, its parameters and the current status of SPARC design work are presented. This work also describes the basis for global performance projections and summarizes some of the physics analysis that is presented in greater detail in the companion articles of this collection.

AB - The SPARC tokamak is a critical next step towards commercial fusion energy. SPARC is designed as a high-field (B0 = 12.2 T), compact (R0 = 1.85 m, a = 0.57 m), superconducting, D-T tokamak with the goal of producing fusion gain Q > 2 from a magnetically confined fusion plasma for the first time. Currently under design, SPARC will continue the high-field path of the Alcator series of tokamaks, utilizing new magnets based on rare earth barium copper oxide high-temperature superconductors to achieve high performance in a compact device. The goal of Q > 2 is achievable with conservative physics assumptions (H98,y2 = 0.7) and, with the nominal assumption of H98,y2 = 1, SPARC is projected to attain Q ≈ 11 and Pfusion ≈ 140 MW. SPARC will therefore constitute a unique platform for burning plasma physics research with high density (〈ne〉 ≈ 3 × 1020 m−3), high temperature (〈Te〉 ≈ 7 keV) and high power density (Pfusion/Vplasma ≈ 7 MW m−3) relevant to fusion power plants. SPARC’s place in the path to commercial fusion energy, its parameters and the current status of SPARC design work are presented. This work also describes the basis for global performance projections and summarizes some of the physics analysis that is presented in greater detail in the companion articles of this collection.

KW - fusion plasma

KW - plasma confinement

KW - plasma devices

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U2 - 10.1017/S0022377820001257

DO - 10.1017/S0022377820001257

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85092265784

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VL - 86

JO - Journal of Plasma Physics

JF - Journal of Plasma Physics

IS - 5

M1 - 865860502

ER -

Overview of the SPARC tokamak

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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