On November 13, the first Quasi-Circular Symmetric Simulator Testing Platform (CFQS-T) in China held a meeting at Southwest Jiaotong University. Professor Xu Yuhong, Chief Scientist of the university's Fusion Science Research Institute, presented a report on the research progress of CFQS and the achievements of CFQS-T. Experts in attendance acknowledged that the operation of CFQS-T has internationally confirmed the "quasi-circular symmetric" magnetic field configuration for the first time, filling a gap in China’s simulator research and positioning the country as the third nation, following the United States and Germany, to master the high-precision manufacturing process of "three-dimensional non-planar modular coils."
Xinhua News Agency reported with the title "New Breakthrough in China’s Quasi-Circular Symmetric Simulator Research," while the Science and Technology Daily titled its report "China's First Quasi-Circular Symmetric Simulator Testing Platform Achieves Major Milestone." The importance and international impact of this research have been extensively covered, with various media outlets such as Reference News, People's Daily, and Global Times also providing coverage.
Xinhua News Report:
Xinhua reported from Chengdu on November 15 that the quasi-circular symmetric simulator testing platform, independently developed and manufactured in China, has experimentally confirmed the feasibility and advancement of the quasi-circular symmetric magnetic field configuration, laying a foundation for the high-parameter operation of the simulator in the later stages.
This information was revealed during the meeting held on November 13 in Chengdu. The quasi-circular symmetric simulator project, led by Southwest Jiaotong University, is a major scientific infrastructure project for Sichuan Province during the 14th Five-Year Plan and has now entered the construction phase.
A simulator is a controlled nuclear fusion device. Designed to mimic the nuclear fusion reactions occurring within stars, the simulator confines and heats plasma states of hydrogen isotopes, deuterium and tritium, to approximately 100 million degrees Celsius to achieve nuclear fusion and obtain continuous energy. The most representative simulator currently operating internationally is Germany's "Wendelstein 7-X."
Professor Xu Yuhong, Director of the Fusion Science Research Institute at Southwest Jiaotong University, explained that achieving fusion energy generation as quickly as possible is a common goal of major industrial countries worldwide. Magnetic confinement nuclear fusion is one of the primary technological routes for developing controllable nuclear fusion energy, with tokamaks and simulators being the two mainstream types of magnetic confinement fusion devices internationally. While simulators are technically more complex than tokamaks, they offer advantages such as no need for current drive and steady-state operation, avoiding major disruptions caused by plasma current.
Three-dimensional modular coils are key components of the quasi-circular symmetric simulator. Professor Xu noted that traditional simulators have lower confinement performance than tokamaks. The "quasi-circular symmetric" configuration is an advanced magnetic field configuration for simulators, combining the high confinement performance of tokamaks with the steady-state operation advantages of simulators, aligning with future commercial fusion reactor needs and development directions.
"The research team has designed and manufactured three-dimensional modular coils over five years, achieving a precision of less than 1 millimeter and obtaining an ultra-high precision quasi-circular symmetric magnetic field configuration. This has reduced new classical transport losses and improved plasma confinement performance, paving new pathways for magnetic field configuration optimization in steady-state magnetic confinement fusion devices," stated Professor Xu.
Professor Robert Wolf, Chair of the IEA "Simulator-Tokamak" Technology Cooperation Project Committee, expressed at the meeting that the launch of the quasi-circular symmetric simulator testing platform brings new advanced configurations to the scientific community, providing new methods and technologies for future magnetic confinement fusion through magnetic field optimization.
It is reported that the quasi-circular symmetric simulator project is expected to be operational by 2027.
Science and Technology Daily Report:
On November 13, the meeting for China's first Quasi-Circular Symmetric Simulator Testing Platform (CFQS-T) was held in Chengdu, Sichuan. During the meeting, it was revealed that the platform has achieved significant milestone results, marking the first time in the world that an ultra-high precision "quasi-circular symmetric magnetic field configuration" has been obtained using three-dimensional modular coils, making China the third country to master high-precision manufacturing processes for "three-dimensional non-planar modular coils" after the United States and Germany.
At the conference, Professor Xu Yuhong presented a report on the research progress of China’s first Quasi-Circular Symmetric Simulator (CFQS) and the achievements of CFQS-T. The report indicated that CFQS-T's operation has internationally confirmed the "quasi-circular symmetric magnetic field configuration" for the first time, reducing new classical transport losses and opening new pathways for magnetic field configuration optimization in "steady-state magnetic confinement fusion devices."
Academicians Zhang Weiyan, Wan Baonian, and Lin Haiqing, along with Professor Yasuhiko Takeiri from Japan’s National Institute for Fusion Science, acknowledged that CFQS-T has verified the "quasi-circular symmetric magnetic field configuration" and its advancements, filling a gap in China’s simulator research and laying a solid foundation for the future high-parameter operation of the CFQS device. The results of this platform will significantly enhance understanding of frontier physical issues related to three-dimensional plasma and elevate the overall level of magnetic confinement fusion research in China, complementing the tokamak configuration roadmap and making important contributions to accelerating China’s magnetic confinement fusion research and development process. Professor Robert Wolf congratulated the conference and the achievements of CFQS-T via video, stating that the launch of CFQS-T not only introduces a new advanced configuration simulator to the scientific community but will also attract more attention to the simulator concept. The optimization of the magnetic field configuration for simulators provides new physical insights for future magnetic confinement fusion. The multiple degrees of freedom in simulators mean that there is more space for exploration, and CFQS precisely fills this gap.
In 2020, as a signatory from China, Southwest Jiaotong University joined the IEA Simulator Technology Cooperation Organization. During the development process of China’s first quasi-circular symmetric simulator, the Fusion Science Institute at Southwest Jiaotong University has engaged in extensive international cooperation, collaborating with Japan’s National Institute for Fusion Science on physical and engineering design. The research into China’s first quasi-circular symmetric simulator has received strong support from Sichuan Province, Chengdu, and Tianfu New Area, becoming a major scientific infrastructure project approved for construction in Sichuan Province. It has now entered the construction phase and is expected to achieve operational status by 2027. This device, a domestic first, aims to achieve the world’s most advanced magnetic field configurations, enabling China to walk on "two legs" (tokamak and simulator) in the field of controlled magnetic confinement fusion. The significant achievements of CFQS-T serve as a principle verification for Sichuan Province’s major scientific infrastructure, laying a solid foundation for subsequent infrastructure development.
