Exploring high performance scenarios for a Fusion Pilot Plant by integrated modeling

A 1.5-Dimensional (1.5D) core-pedestal integrated modeling workflow has been developed to explore the possible high performance scenarios for a Fusion Pilot Plant (FPP). The workflow starts with a set of 0-Dimensional (0D) parameters calculated by the General Atomics System Code (GASC)^[1,2], and explores advanced scenarios with the well-validated OMFIT STEP integrated models^[3]. This workflow predicts self-consistent core transport, current profile, particle/heat source and sink, the pedestal structure, as well as the plasma equilibrium. The discrepancies of predicted plasma performance and fusion power between the 0D and 1.5D calculations are substantially reduced by optimizing the heating and current drive strategy, impurity seeding with different species, and plasma fueling via pellet injection. The modeling also shows that impurity seeding can improve the fusion performance in a significant way. The plasma performance benefits more from the increase of the impurities of moderate-Z elements, but the improvement of fusion performance levels off at higher Zeff (>2).



Work supported by General Atomics internal fund.



[1] R. D. Stambaugh, V. S. Chan, A. M. Garofalo and et al, 2010 Fusion Science and Technology 59 279-307

[2] M.R. Wade and J. A. Leuer, 2021 Fusion Science and Technology 77 119-143

[3] O. Meneghini, G. Snoep, B. C. Lyons and et al, 2021 Nucl. Fusion 61 026006