Divertor shaping with neutral baffling as a solution to the tokamak power exhaust challenge

Exhausting power from the hot fusion core to the plasma-facing components is one fusion energy's biggest challenges. The MAST Upgrade tokamak uniquely integrates strong containment of neutrals within the exhaust area (divertor) with extreme divertor shaping capability. By systematically altering the divertor shape, this study shows the strongest evidence to date to our knowledge that long-legged divertors with a high magnetic field gradient (total flux expansion) deliver key power exhaust benefits without adversely impacting the hot fusion core. These benefits are already achieved with relatively modest geometry adjustments that are more feasible to integrate in reactor designs. Benefits include reduced target heat loads and improved access to, and stability of, a neutral gas buffer that 'shields' the target and enhances power exhaust (detachment). Analysis and model comparisons shows these benefits are obtained by combining multiple shaping aspects: long-legged divertors have expanded plasma-neutral interaction volume that drive reductions in particle and power loads, while total flux expansion enhances detachment access and stability. Containing the neutrals in the exhaust area with physical structures further augments these shaping benefits. These results demonstrate strategic variation in the divertor geometry and magnetic topology is a potential solution to one of fusion's power exhaust challenge.

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Publication Details

Journal
Communications Physics
Published
2025-05-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02121-1
Citations
10
Primary Topic
Magnetic confinement fusion research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
18.70

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article

Divertor shaping with neutral baffling as a solution to the tokamak power exhaust challenge

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10 citations
Communications Physics
Magnetic confinement fusion research
18.70
article

Divertor shaping with neutral baffling as a solution to the tokamak power exhaust challenge

D. Brida, S. Henderson, B. Kool, L. Xiang, F. Federici, Peter G. Ryan, Gijs Derks, N. Vianello, J. Harrison, B. Lipschultz, A. Thornton, H. Reimerdes, C. Cowley, N. Lonigro, C. Theiler, O. Février, M. Wischmeier, D. Moulton, R.S. Doyle, Nicholas J. Osborne, K. Verhaegh, A. Hakola, T. Wijkamp
article en
10 citations

Abstract

Exhausting power from the hot fusion core to the plasma-facing components is one fusion energy's biggest challenges. The MAST Upgrade tokamak uniquely integrates strong containment of neutrals within the exhaust area (divertor) with extreme divertor shaping capability. By systematically altering the divertor shape, this study shows the strongest evidence to date to our knowledge that long-legged divertors with a high magnetic field gradient (total flux expansion) deliver key power exhaust benefits without adversely impacting the hot fusion core. These benefits are already achieved with relatively modest geometry adjustments that are more feasible to integrate in reactor designs. Benefits include reduced target heat loads and improved access to, and stability of, a neutral gas buffer that 'shields' the target and enhances power exhaust (detachment). Analysis and model comparisons shows these benefits are obtained by combining multiple shaping aspects: long-legged divertors have expanded plasma-neutral interaction volume that drive reductions in particle and power loads, while total flux expansion enhances detachment access and stability. Containing the neutrals in the exhaust area with physical structures further augments these shaping benefits. These results demonstrate strategic variation in the divertor geometry and magnetic topology is a potential solution to one of fusion's power exhaust challenge.

Communications PhysicsVol. 8(1)
ITER (FR), Warsaw University of Technology (PL), National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (IT), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (SG), University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT), Roma Tre University (IT), Uppsala University (SE), HOGENT University of Applied Sciences and Arts (BE), Queen's University Belfast (GB), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), University of Helsinki (FI), Università degli Studi della Tuscia (IT), École Polytechnique (FR), Loughborough University (GB), TU Wien (AT), University of Liverpool (GB), University of California, Los Angeles (US), William & Mary (US), Forschungszentrum Jülich (DE), University of Cagliari (IT), National Technical University of Athens (GR), Politecnico di Torino (IT), University of Strathclyde (GB), Durham University (GB), Universität Innsbruck (AT), Florida International University (US), University of California, Irvine (US), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR), Aix-Marseille Université (FR), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BG), Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR), Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (US), Barcelona Supercomputing Center (ES), Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology (UA), Ghent University Hospital (BE), University of Manchester (GB), Institute of High Performance Computing (SG), Jožef Stefan Institute (SI), Ghent University (BE), University of California San Diego (US), University of Catania (IT), University of Warwick (GB), University of Oxford (GB), Graz University of Technology (AT), Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (NO), National Centre for Nuclear Research (PL), National Institute for Laser Plasma and Radiation Physics (RO), Sweco (Sweden) (SE), Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences (PL), CEA Cadarache (FR), Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plasma Physics (CZ), Philip Morris International (Germany) (DE), Institute of Electronics (BG), Fusion (United States) (US), Plasma Technology (United States) (US), Lithuanian Energy Institute (LT), Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (DE), Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion (PL), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (IT), Atmospheric and Space Technology Research Associates (United States) (US), Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (NL), Institut Jean Lamour (FR), Institute for Nuclear Research (UA), Fusion Academy (US), Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (FR), Instituto Superior de Tecnologias Avançadas (PT), Institute for the Science and Technology of Plasmas (IT), Consorzio CREO (Italy) (IT), HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research (HU), Dublin City University (IE), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (DE), United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (GB), Imperial College London (GB), Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (ES), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH), University of York (GB), General Atomics (United States) (US), University of Milano-Bicocca (IT), Chalmers University of Technology (SE), UiT The Arctic University of Norway (NO), Columbia University (US), Universidad de Sevilla (ES), Eindhoven University of Technology (NL), Sapienza University of Rome (IT), The University of Texas at Austin (US), KTH Royal Institute of Technology (SE), V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (UA), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (FI), Politecnico di Milano (IT), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (ES), Technical University of Denmark (DK), Aalto University (FI), KU Leuven (BE)
U.S. Department of Energy, EUROfusion, European Commission, Euratom Research and Training Programme, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Staatssekretariat für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation, Fusion Energy Sciences, FP7 Fusion Energy Research
Climate action, Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Magnetic confinement fusion research
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