Inexpensive energy is vital in developed societies. Repetitively, crisis and recession tend to occur after petrol price spikes, i.e. see 'Economic research'.
Nuclear fusion should contribute to inexpensive and clean energy production. However magnetic fusion confinement is still uncompetitive. In general, large, complex and then expensive fusion reactors are planned. It is necessary a radical simplification of the design, construction and operation in order to reach competitiveness. Innovation is critical to overcome the difficulties. Innovation for low cost construction of fusion devices is the main focus of the R&D pursued in the UST_2 project. In parallel, other innovations are required so as to achieve competitive fusion.

UST_1 (built). Successful test of low cost construction methods was performed in UST_1 stellarator, a small stellarator built in a private laboratory. It is the 3rd modular stellarator in the world, the most economical with acceptable quality, and the first designed and built by only one person. UST_1 was devised, designed, built and operated from 2005 up to 2007. It showed good magnetic surfaces as designed and simulated. Low temperature and density plasmas were produced (Te>2eV , n~2e17). . Read more.

Innovative toroidal milling machine used to mechanise the UST_1 stellarator

UST_2 (ongoing). The ongoing project UST_2 is aimed at the construction of a low cost, good confinement, high Beta torus. Therefore, a fast cycle low cost fabrication of different magnetic configurations would be feasible. The focus of the work is the R&D and implementation of low cost innovative fabrication methods. The size of the device will depend on the funds available. UST_1 scaled 2 or 3 fold is the maximum size expected. Read more.

UST_3. The long term UST_3 development (1-2 years plan) is aimed to gather the capabilities of two or maximum three world research groups in the field of stellarator design (or innovative tokamaks). UST_3 would be build by means of the methods developed for UST_2. An ideal UST_3 should fulfil three requirements: i) be turbulence optimised up to certain degree (and also neoclassical), ii) implement radical innovation for power extraction (divertors) and iii) achieve improved plasma-wall interaction for a small device. Anyone is invited to collaborate with specific and practical designs of configurations of coils fulfilling simultaneously the 3 cited requirements.