World’s Most Powerful Stellarator Begins Experiment For Better Fusion Energy

The stellarator Wendelstein 7-X, the largest and most modern in the world, is back in operation at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Greifswald. Thus, a new milestone starts taking shape in seeking nuclear fusion as a potential clean and renewable source of power.

In February 2023, the Wendelstein 7-X achieved plasma pulses of up to eight minutes with a final gained energy of 1.3 gigajoules. Since these experiments, the stellarator has been under maintenance and had new modules mounted. Updated control systems, enhanced plasma diagnostics, and more reliable hardware constituted the improvements undertaken by the team ago. A failure mode analysis was undertaken by the team to enhance system reliability for better performance during the upcoming experiment phase, OP2.2.

Starralators such as Wendelstein 7-X, which were first developed by Lyman Spitzer in 1951, use torus-shaped magnetic fields to confine plasma. It is possible for scientists to sustain the fusion-requiring circumstances because of this magnetic arrangement. Stellarators are a viable option for producing fusion energy since they have more design flexibility and require less injected power than tokamaks.

The Wendelstein 7-X aims to explore whether stellarators can be used for energy generation on a commercial scale. Key enhancements in the latest phase include the addition of a heating element capable of injecting over 1 megawatt of power into the plasma via microwaves and a steady-state pellet injector that supplies hydrogen particles to the plasma.

With experiments running through December 2024, researchers aim to increase plasma heating power and energy throughput, bringing fusion energy closer to reality. The results of these experiments will be crucial in understanding the potential of stellarators for future energy needs.