Multi-Region OpenFOAM Solver Development for Compact Toroid Transport in Drift Tube

Compact toroid (CT) injection, with its characteristics of high plasma density and extremely high injection velocity, is considered a highly promising method for core fueling in fusion reactors. Previous studies have lacked investigation into the transport process of CT within drift tubes. To invest...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kun Bao, Feng Wang, Chengming Qu, Defeng Kong, Jian Song
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7569
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Compact toroid (CT) injection, with its characteristics of high plasma density and extremely high injection velocity, is considered a highly promising method for core fueling in fusion reactors. Previous studies have lacked investigation into the transport process of CT within drift tubes. To investigate the dynamic processes of CT in drift tubes, this study developed a compressible magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) solver and a magnetic diffusion solver based on the OpenFOAM platform. They were integrated into a multi-region coupling framework to create a multi-region coupled MHD solver, mhdMRF, for simulating the dynamic behavior of CT in drift tubes and its interaction with finite-resistivity walls. The solver demonstrated excellent performance in simulations of the Orszag–Tang MHD vortex problem, the Brio–Wu shock tube problem, analytical verification of magnetic diffusion, and validation of internal coupling boundary conditions. Additionally, this work innovatively explored the effects of the geometric structure at the end of the inner electrode and finite-resistivity walls on the transport processes of CT. The results indicate that optimizing the geometric structure at the end of the inner electrode can significantly enhance the confinement performance and stability of CT transport. The resistivity of the wall profoundly influences the magnetic field structure and density distribution of CT.
ISSN:2076-3417