Stellarator Mechanical Workflow

Stellarator coils offer a steady-state and stable plasma confinement design as an alternative to traditional toroidal-shaped tokamaks. The current-carrying coils exert a twisting magnetic field to control the plasma flow. The steady-state nature of stellarators makes them a desirable candidate for fusion power plants because they require less energy to maintain the plasma confinement. Predicting and analyzing complex stresses and coil deformations are integral in developing supportive steel jackets surrounding HTS coils. COMSOL simulations of electromagnetic and mechanical information can help guide design considerations in manufacturing steel that bears Lorentz loads under operating conditions. Efficient and iterable mechanical simulations are desirable for optimization. Here, we develop an easy method to generate CADs for stellarator coils and jackets. The main results establish a promising pathway for creating geometries for FEM analysis and geometry optimization. With greater mechanical stability of the steel jackets, more robust mechanical testing can be conducted, and future stellarator deployment can be accelerated. Our simulated models and workflow can help guide the design and manufacturing process, saving time and money.

仿星器线圈（Stellarator coils）是一种可实现稳态稳定等离子体约束的设计方案，可作为传统环形托卡马克（tokamak）的替代选型。载流线圈会产生扭转磁场以调控等离子体流动。仿星器的稳态特性使其成为聚变发电厂的理想候选方案，因其维持等离子体约束所需的能量更低。预测并分析复杂应力与线圈变形，是研发高温超导（HTS，High Temperature Superconductor）线圈外围支撑钢护套的核心环节。借助COMSOL开展电磁与力学信息仿真，可指导运行工况下承受洛伦兹载荷的钢材制造的设计考量。高效且可迭代的力学仿真对于优化工作而言极具价值。本研究开发了一种简便方法，用于生成仿星器线圈及其护套的计算机辅助设计（CAD，Computer Aided Design）模型。核心研究成果为有限元分析（FEM，Finite Element Method）所用几何模型的构建与几何优化开辟了极具前景的路径。通过提升钢护套的力学稳定性，可开展更可靠的力学测试，进而加速未来仿星器的部署进程。本研究的仿真模型与工作流程可为设计与制造流程提供指导，从而节省时间与成本。