August 2011

Conference Paper

Super-X Divertors and High Power Density Fusion Devices

By:
Valanju, P.; Kotschenreuther, M.; Mahajan, S.; Canik, John M
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Page Number:
56110
Volume:
16
Issue Number:
5
Publication Date:
August 2011
Conference Name:
50th Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics of the American Physical Society
Conference Location:
Dallas, Texas, United States of America
Conference Sponsor:
American Physical Society (APS)
View DOI Listing:
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3110984

Abstract

The Super-X Divertor (SXD), a robust axisymmetric redesign of the divertor magnetic geometry that can allow a fivefold increase in the core power density of toroidal fusion devices, is presented. With small changes in poloidal coils and currents for standard divertors, the SXD allows the largest divertor plate radius inside toroidal field coils. This increases the plasma-wetted area by 2-3 times over all flux-expansion-only methods (e.g., plate near main X point, plate tilting, X divertor, and snowflake), decreases parallel heat flux and hence plasma temperature at plate, and increases connection length by 2-5 times. Examples of high-power-density fusion devices enabled by SXD are discussed; the most promising near-term device is a 100 MW modular compact fusion neutron source "battery" small enough to fit inside a conventional fission blanket.