Although the idea of containing a plasma within a magnetic field seems straightforward at first, plasmas are highly dynamic systems that will happily escape magnetic confinement if given half a chance. This poses a major problem in nuclear fusion reactors and similar, where escaping particles like alpha (helium) particles from the magnetic containment will erode the reactor wall, among other issues. For stellarators in particular the plasma dynamics are calculated as precisely as possible so that the magnetic field works with rather than against the plasma motion, with so far pretty good results.
Now researchers at the University of Texas reckon that they can improve on these plasma system calculations with a new, more precise and efficient method. Their suggested non-perturbative guiding center model is published in (paywalled) Physical Review Letters, with a preprint available on Arxiv.
The current perturbative guiding center model admittedly works well enough that even the article authors admit to e.g. Wendelstein 7-X being within a few % of being perfectly optimized. While we wouldn’t dare to take a poke at what exactly this ‘data-driven symmetry theory’ approach exactly does differently, it suggests the use machine-learning based on simulation data, which then presumably does a better job at describing the movement of alpha particles through the magnetic field than traditional simulations.
Top image: Interior of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator during maintenance.
I’m not sure “non-perturbative” is a good description of their system, but it seems reasonable. I just wonder about the necessary control systems to implement this
the only successful model of fusion energy, which I power my house from, use’s gravity for plasma containment and of course the heat to generate it at enourmous pressure.
but unfortunately all the atempts at magnetic confinement are counfounded by the weak, but pervasive presence of a (so called)
1G field.
the operational system I am useing has an absoultely perfect 3 dimensionaly symetric gravitational containment system, and is stable over very extended time periods
the key bieng perfect symetry when dealing with anything as squirly as plasma, and is likely impossible to achive in the presence of an asymetric gravitational field
ie: gravity has zero latency, whereras all of the scheams involve some sort of “feedback” and will never be fast enough to play plasma whackamole
And you won’t be around billions of years from now when it evaporates the oceans and then (possibly) engulfs the Earth, so why not take advantage of it while you can?
and is likely impossible to achive in the presence of an asymetric gravitational field
Well, this rules out all of reality.
That’s some spherical cow thinking right there!
Jun 23, 2021
End of the Line
Why is Fusion Power is Always 50 Years Away?
https://www.engineering.com/why-is-fusion-power-is-always-50-years-away/
And around 2010 there was a breakthrough in magnetic field strength. Fusion return is proportional to the fourth power of the magnetic field strength, so the new magnets allow for less pressure and time (for the same return), making the new designs feasible.
The MIT people behind the breakthrough started a company, they’re currently building an overunity proof-of-concept reactor in Devons, MA and are so certain that their system will work that they have already purchased land in Virginia and are going through the (long and involved) regulatory process to build a fusion powergen plant there.
Their demonstration plant (Devons) should see first spark by the end of next year, and Virginia should be operating in the early 2030’s.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/06/climate/nuclear-fusion-commonwealth-tokamak-breakthrough
https://cfs.energy/
So… more like five years away.
Is that you, Steven Wright?