Overview of the SPARC tokamak
Journal article, 2020
The SPARC tokamak is a critical next step towards commercial fusion energy. SPARC is designed as a high-field (B-0 = 12.2 T), compact (R-0 = 1.85 m, a = 0.57 m), superconducting, D-T tokamak with the goal of producing fusion gain Q > 2 from a magnetically confined fusion plasma for the first time. Currently under design, SPARC will continue the high-field path of the Alcator series of tokamaks, utilizing new magnets based on rare earth barium copper oxide high-temperature superconductors to achieve high performance in a compact device. The goal of Q > 2 is achievable with conservative physics assumptions (H-98,H- y2 = 0.7) and, with the nominal assumption of H-98,H- y2 = 1, SPARC is projected to attain Q approximate to 11 and P-fusion approximate to 140 MW. SPARC will therefore constitute a unique platform for burning plasma physics research with high density (< n(e)> approximate to 3 x 10(20) m(-3)), high temperature (< Te > approximate to 7 keV) and high power density (P-fusion/V-plasma approximate to 7 MWm(-3)) relevant to fusion power plants. SPARC's place in the path to commercial fusion energy, its parameters and the current status of SPARC design work are presented. This work also describes the basis for global performance projections and summarizes some of the physics analysis that is presented in greater detail in the companion articles of this collection.
plasma devices
fusion plasma
plasma confinement
Author
A. J. Creely
Commonwealth Fusion Systems
M. J. Greenwald
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
S. B. Ballinger
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
D. Brunner
Commonwealth Fusion Systems
J. Canik
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
J. Doody
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Tünde Fülöp
Chalmers, Physics, Subatomic, High Energy and Plasma Physics
D. T. Garnier
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
R. Granetz
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
T. K. Gray
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
C. Holland
University of California
N. T. Howard
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
J. W. Hughes
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
J. H. Irby
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
V. A. Izzo
Fiat Lux
G. J. Kramer
Princeton University
A. Q. Kuang
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
B. LaBombard
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Y. Lin
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
B. Lipschultz
University of York
N. C. Logan
Princeton University
J. D. Lore
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
E. S. Marmar
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
K. Montes
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
R. T. Mumgaard
Commonwealth Fusion Systems
C. Paz-Soldan
General Atomics
C. Rea
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
M. L. Reinke
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
P. Rodriguez-Fernandez
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Konsta Särkimäki
Chalmers, Physics, Subatomic, High Energy and Plasma Physics
F. Sciortino
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
S. D. Scott
Commonwealth Fusion Systems
A. Snicker
Aalto University
P. B. Snyder
General Atomics
B. N. Sorbom
Commonwealth Fusion Systems
R. Sweeney
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
R. A. Tinguely
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
E. A. Tolman
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
M. Umansky
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Oskar Vallhagen
Chalmers, Physics, Subatomic and Plasma Physics
J. Varje
Aalto University
D. G. Whyte
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
J. C. Wright
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
S. J. Wukitch
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
J. Zhu
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
The SPARC Team
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Journal of Plasma Physics
0022-3778 (ISSN) 1469-7807 (eISSN)
Vol. 86 5 865860502Subject Categories
Fusion, Plasma and Space Physics
DOI
10.1017/S0022377820001257