The SMART device has successfully generated its first tokamak plasma

Summary

The SMART device has successfully generated its first tokamak plasma, marking a significant advance in fusion energy technology. SMART is part of the Fusion2Grid strategy, aiming to establish foundations for the smallest possible fusion power plant design, with a milestone goal of achieving solenoid-driven plasma.

The SMART device has taken a significant step in fusion energy by creating its first tokamak plasma, moving us closer to clean and limitless energy through controlled fusion reactions.

The University of Seville‘s Plasma Science and Fusion Technology Laboratory created SMART, an advanced fusion device with unique flexible shaping capabilities. It aims to demonstrate the benefits of Negative triangularity-shaped plasmas for compact fusion power plants.

Prof. Manuel García Muñoz called this achievement significant, believing it could revolutionize fusion performance and power handling in future reactors. Prof. Eleonora Viezzer also expressed excitement over the first magnetically confined plasma and the global interest in SMART.

Triangularity describes the plasma shape in a tokamak. Most have a “D” shaped positive triangularity, but flipping the “D” creates a negative triangularity, which has several benefits:

• Improved performance by suppressing instabilities that can damage the tokamak wall.
• Better power handling by covering a larger area for heat distribution will aid in future compact fusion power plant design.

A liquid metal evaporator could protect the inside of the tokamak from intense heat

SMART is the first step in the Fusion2Grid strategy, aiming to create the most compact and efficient fusion power plant using Negative Triangularity shaped Spherical Tokamaks. Its goal is to establish the physics and engineering foundations for the smallest possible fusion power plant design. A key milestone is achieving solenoid-driven plasma, which brings SMART closer to becoming the most compact fusion device.

Journal Reference:

1. D.J. Cruz-Zabala et al, Performance prediction applying different reduced turbulence models to the SMART tokamak, Nuclear Fusion (2024). DOI: 10.1088/1741-4326/ad8a70