Fusion energy produced in a stellarator has been investigated for some time as a possible means of producing sustainable and renewable energy. Have scientists finally cracked the code?
Fusion energy: what is it and why is it important?
Fusion energy is the energy that powers the sun and stars in our universe. Though scientists have been experimenting with fusion energy for quite some time now, the method of producing energy from fusion has yet to be formalised.
One of the main challenges faced by scientists in the generation of fusion energy is ensuring the plasma retains its heat and that it remains stable within the magnetic field. Recent innovations in fusion energy have used software to calculate the optimal conditions for fusion energy production. These codes, however, have their own challenges.
The process of creating fusion energy typically uses up more energy than is produced and at exorbitant costs. Now, a potential solution to the balancing act that fusion energy requires between engineering and science has been introduced, changing the landscape of fusion energy.
Optimising fusion through code: using software to solve fusion
Scientists at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) in the U.S. have developed a code, called QUADCOIL, that is designed to help scientists identify the optimal conditions for the heating of plasma and the harnessing of the resultant fusion energy.
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) first came up with the idea of a creating stellarators (systems in which fusion energy could be generated) 70 years ago. These systems use magnets to heat plasma and convert it into electrical energy (much like this potentially revolutionary power system using magnets).
QUADCOIL works by roughly calculating which plasma shapes will be the easiest and cheapest to convert into fusion energy. QUADCOIL is intended to be used early on in the process of fusion energy generation so that unviable plasma shapes can be discarded and viable ones identified.
Revolutionising fusion: how QUADCOIL is turning the industry on its head
Without QUADCOIL, the typical process for identifying viable plasma shapes can take anywhere from 20 minutes to multiple hours. QUADCOIL takes only 10 seconds. The code helps scientists quickly adjust their systems before investment is made in developing task-specific magnets.
QUADCOIL is also flexible. Scientists can input engineering specifications like the information relating to the desired magnet material and shape, as well as magnet topologies. Using the input criteria, the code then generates the optimal magnet shapes to meet the scientists’ needs.
QUADCOIL is streamlining the process of generating fusion energy with fascinating results
QUADCOIL marks a shift from traditional computational means of identifying optimal plasma shapes for fusion. Traditional computational designs function using a two step process.
First, one computer identifies the plasma shape with the properties needed. Then another computer calculates the optimal shape and design of magnet required to generate fusion from the plasma identified. These two systems do not communicate much with one another.
QUADCOIL changes this. The two stages of the process work hand in hand, combining the science with the engineering, to produce rough results quickly to enable a preliminary assessment of the system.
QUADCOIL can also calculate the magnets’ curvature and how much magnetic force they experience – a feat that other codes have been unable to achieve.
What could the use of QUADCOIL in stellarators mean for future of renewables?
Because QUADCOIL’s stages work in tandem, the code does not generate magnet designs that are too complex to be feasibly and economically built. In this way, QUADCOIL has the potential to dramatically reduce the energy and capital needs for producing fusion energy.
QUADCOIL is bringing us one step closer to producing stellarator fusion facilities that can generate energy from fusion for lower costs at scale. As innovations in the field of fusion energy continue to emerge (like this recent development of a 5000 degree Celsius battery), it will be interesting to see how QUADCOIL will aid in the development of this technology.
