A Note on Optimal Tokamak Control for Fusion Power Simulation

TL;DR

This paper investigates an optimal control problem for plasma confinement in a Tokamak device, aiming to transiently guide plasma flow to desired states using mathematical models of MHD fluids, Navier-Stokes, and Maxwell equations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel optimal control framework for transient plasma flow management in Tokamaks based on coupled MHD, Navier-Stokes, and Maxwell equations.

Findings

Effective transient plasma flow control strategies identified.

Mathematical models successfully guide plasma to desired states.

Potential for improved Tokamak operation and fusion power generation.

Abstract

The Tokamak device is the most promising candidate for producing sustainable electric power by nuclear fusion. It is a torus-shaped device that confines plasma by a strong magnetic field. The development, design and control of the design has been an important area of research, and a significant target is to effectively confine the extremely hot plasma inside its hollow torus-shaped body without touching its boundary for a prolonged period of time. In an attempt to control a Tokamak device, this paper investigates an optimal control problem for an incompressible, viscous, electrically conducting MHD fluid confined in a closed toroidal region in the presence of an applied current. The objective functional for the optimal control problem are subject to set of constraint equations, Navier-Stokes and Maxwell equations. We target the transient control of guiding the plasma to a desired flow at a particular short time instant, where it is expected that the flow had been designed offline to be the desired one from the point of view of steady state operation.