Mark Hoffman of Science World Report wrote about the advances that could result from Germany’s new Stellarator that is currently under construction. Named the Wendelstein 7-X, the new fusion machine will use 3D simulation to better understand the nature of plasmas, potentially leading to advances in plasma confinement. From the article:

The stellarator, like the tokamak, uses magnetic fields to control hot plasmas in which fusion reactions can be created to produce energy. Where it differs is in the way these fields are created. To confine the plasma, it is necessary to put a twist in the magnetic field. The tokamak drives an electric current through the plasma to produce this twist. With the stellarator, the twist is provided by twisted magnetic coils outside of the plasma. Stellarators have actually been around for longer than tokamaks, dating back to the early 1950s, but the challenges of building such intricate machines have slowed progress. However, the construction of the advanced W 7-X stellarator at Greifswald in Germany is set to change all that, with assembly due for completion this year, first tests in 2014 and first plasma expected for 2015.

To read the full article, click here.

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