Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)

Like building an intricate ?? jigsaw puzzle, teams at the Lab are pre-fitting a range of components on the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) in preparation for permanent reassembly. From installing about 4,000 graphite tiles to lifting and lowering the center stack casing, to testing electrical systems and magnets ??, the process of pre-fitting and testing components is essential to ensure NSTX-U is built well and efficiently. When NSTX-U begins operations, the experiment will be essential to proving whether spherical tokamaks, a fusion device that is smaller and more compact than traditional ?? doughnut-shaped tokamaks, could provide a more efficient and cost-effective model for a fusion energy pilot plant. ?? Read more: https://bit.ly/4iElEpz.

When the plasma inside a fusion system starts to misbehave, it needs to be quickly cooled to prevent damage to the device. ??? Researchers from PPPL, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, General Atomics and Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) have identified the optimal gas injection setup for the SPARC fusion system, using six strategically placed valves to cool the plasma rapidly and protect the vessel from damage. SPARC is a collaborative effort between the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT and the CFS, a private fusion company. The high-fidelity simulations were made possible via the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s INFUSE program, which accelerates fusion research by promoting private-public partnerships. ?? https://bit.ly/41Ucezo

"We're very much a mission-driven place," says Lisa Dixon. "To see that sort of talent and dedication around a technical field is very inspiring." Dixon leads the Instrumentation and Control (I&C) Group at the Lab, which manages the software and computer systems that make up the "nervous system" of the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade — the Lab's primary fusion experiment — and other similar experiments like the Facility for Laboratory Reconnection and the Lithium Tokamak Experiment-β. A physicist turned engineer, Dixon is drawn to building the systems that support research. Read more about her work ?? https://bit.ly/4ipsOy4.

Today, we announced the successful operation of the world’s first superconducting planar coil 3x3 magnet array system! This magnet array demonstrates that small and simple electromagnets can practically, precisely, and dynamically create and control stellarator-relevant magnetic fields. ?? More details of the operation and results that include the hardware validation to the leading approach for a maintainable and controllable #stellarator #fusion system can be found here: https://ow.ly/Gc0Y50Vloaq ?? Full preprint being submitted for peer-review is available on the Company's "Presentations & Publications" page: https://lnkd.in/ehYeRccH ?? Also posted via arXiv at: https://lnkd.in/eHrTyFXZ “A herculean effort from the Thea Energy team to establish the processes, infrastructure, and know-how to manufacture and test all magnets in-house has resulted in the successful hardware validation of the peer-reviewed physics basis of our novel system architecture that shows stellarators can be built without complicated coils. The operation and notably, the controllability of this magnet array demonstrates a new key enabler to commercialized fusion energy. We have built a system that uses simpler hardware paired with dynamic software controls to adjust magnet parameters in real time.” - David Gates, Ph.D., co-founder and CTO of Thea Energy “The stellarator is a well-studied form of fusion technology and the practicality brought to the design by the team at Thea Energy, combined with the established physics basis since its invention over 70 years ago at PPPL, presents another possible fusion system design. This magnet array milestone confirms a concept that was created at PPPL - that arrays of planar magnets can be utilized to create and control the magnetic fields required to stabilize the plasma to produce sustained fusion energy. I am excited to see the Company build and scale its hardware while sharing its breakthroughs and results with the broader community."? - Steven Cowley, Ph.D., laboratory director at the ?U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), managed by Princeton University

What is a spherical tokamak? Physicist Jason Parisi explains in #60Seconds.?? To make fusion an efficient and cost-effective energy source, scientists are exploring a compact fusion system design known as a spherical tokamak. Shaped more like a cored apple ?? than the doughnut-like shape ??of conventional tokamaks, spherical tokamaks can produce high-pressure plasmas — essential ingredients for fusion reactions — with less energy at lower costs. See how the compact design of the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) could be a viable model for a future fusion pilot plant in the latest #FastPhysics video. ??

Three researchers at the Lab have been featured in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Early Career Collection, which highlights top research papers from all areas of plasma physics by individuals who defended their dissertations within the past five years. Congratulations?? to Frances Kraus, Jason Parisi and Willca Villafana, PhD on being added to the collection. Research by Joseph Abbate, who worked at the Lab as part of his time in the Princeton Program in Plasma Physics at Princeton University, was also published as a part of the collection. Read more about their research. ?? https://bit.ly/4hhX8t6

As reported by The Cool Down, scientists at the Universidad de Sevilla in Spain have used an innovative method called "negative triangularity" inside the Small Aspect Ratio Tokamak (SMART), a fusion reactor created in collaboration with researchers here at the Lab. ?? As fusion occurs inside doughnut-shaped tokamaks like SMART, they can experience edge instabilities (also known as edge localized modes or ELM), which can lead to significant energy loss and damage to the device's walls. Negative triangularity has been shown to minimize ELM issues. ?? See how. ??

What role does electromagnetism ?? play in our primary fusion experiment, the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U)? ?? Find out on #ScienceEducationDay as Shannon Swilley Greco demonstrates how induction works and why this process of generating an electric current in a conductor by placing it in a changing magnetic field is important for doughnut-shaped ?? fusion systems known as tokamaks. ??

Help shape the future of fusion communication! ?? Researchers are conducting a study to understand how the public perceives key terms and ideas related to fusion energy in science news. Your input will help improve how information about this transformative technology is shared with the world ?? and directly impact how communicators can bridge the gap between cutting-edge fusion research and public understanding. Take the short, anonymous survey now ?? https://bit.ly/4hXeUCP. (No fusion experience necessary! Please share with friends and colleagues.)

According to a new report from the Special Competitive Studies Project - SCSP's Commission on the Scaling of Fusion Energy, to fully realize the transformative potential of fusion energy the U.S. must lead in research, development and at-scale deployment. ?? In this issue of #HotScience, see how PPPL is playing a leading role in the future of fusion energy. Plus don’t miss: ??Some fuel lodges in the inner walls of fusion vessels. Thanks to research at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, researchers now have a better idea of how much. ?Fatima Ebrahimi joined Neil deGrasse Tyson on Star Talk to chat about fusion and rocket science. ??What are geothermal wells? Watch as Kyle Jacobs, P.E. explains how a geo-exchange system is being built for the Princeton Plasma Innovation Center.? ??Take our communications survey. Your insights will help scientists better understand public perception of key fusion energy terms and ideas. Want to get the coolest discoveries in plasma research delivered to your feed or inbox? ?? Subscribe: ?? https://bit.ly/3SGgU8e.