Efficient and self-sustaining fusion power requires effective heat confinement in the plasma. However, particle and energy losses due to turbulence limit plasma confinement. A recent analysis utilized a powerful supercomputer to investigate this turbulence phenomenon.
The study delved into the intricate interaction between the slow, large-scale motion of hydrogen fuel ions and the fast, small-scale motion of electrons. The study discovered that the so-called “multi-scale turbulence” primarily contributes to the heat losses in the edge region of tokamak experiments, which are crucial for achieving optimized fusion reactor conditions. The findings have been published in the journal Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion.
Prior simulations focused on turbulence driven by the large-scale motion of hydrogen fuel ions. With recent advances in computing capabilities, new simulations are now able to integrate the space and time scales of hydrogen ions with the smaller spatial scales and faster time scales of electrons. Notably, hydrogen ions are 1800 times heavier than electrons.
In this study, scientists utilized the Summit supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, a Department of Energy user facility, to conduct simulations of plasma turbulence at the edge of tokamaks. These simulations accurately predicted the heat losses observed in experiments conducted in the DIII-D tokamak. The findings highlight the significant role of small-scale electron turbulence in driving heat loss in the tokamak edge.
Plasma turbulence poses a challenge to fusion reactor performance. The edge region of the tokamak plasma plays a critical role in overall energy confinement. The supercomputer simulations provide valuable predictions of edge turbulence, which will assist fusion science researchers in designing next-generation fusion reactors, including ITER, with optimal fusion performance.
More information:
E A Belli et al, Spectral transition of multiscale turbulence in the tokamak pedestal, Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion (2022). DOI: 10.1088/1361-6587/aca9fa
Citation:
Fusion simulations reveal the multi-scale nature of tokamak turbulence (2023, June 21)
retrieved 21 June 2023
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