Impact of mechanical constraints on tokamak design and implications for high field power plants
New models reveal mechanical constraints limit high-field tokamak designs.
Researchers have developed two analytical models to size toroidal field coils and central solenoids in tokamaks, integrated within the D0FUS system code.
A refined thick-cylinder and winding packs model shows good agreement with existing designs and the MADE magnet design code.
Exploration of high-field designs for DEMO-class power plants (2 GW, Q=40) up to 20 T reveals that radial build becomes the dominant constraint, preventing viable designs beyond this field strength without alternative strategies like high-strength steels or modified mechanical architectures.
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