Compact experimental negative triangularity reactor (CENTAUR): a design study for a compact, affordable breakeven tokamak
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This work presents the compact experimental negative triangularity (NT) reactor (CENTAUR), a low overnight cost, high-field tokamak, breakeven reactor design, achieving a predicted total fusion power of 40 MW and scientific energy gain of 1.3. Ballooning stability calculations confirm that the device’s pedestal is within the first stability regime, which is consistent with the expected ELM-free operation associated with NT plasmas. The geometry of the NT divertor allows for high fraction of radiated power (13.5 % ) between the separatrix and plasma facing components. Heat transport modeling based on simulations of the edge region show heat loads into plasma facing components well below material limits. The magnet system employs rare-earth barium copper oxide high-temperature superconductors in 18 toroidal field coils, an hourglass-shaped central solenoid, and six poloidal field coils to support high-field ( B 0 = 10.9 T) plasma confinement, shaping, and current drive. Neutronics analysis shows that a 12 cm B 4 C shield keeps superconducting magnet heating below the 33 K quench limit during 10 s, 40 MW DT pulses. With this shielding, the modeled fluence indicates HTS components can survive more than ten times the 3000-pulse design lifetime. Iteration of economic analysis in tandem with the technical design process allows CENTAUR to achieve its overnight cost goal of $2 billion US determined using a custom costing model that predicts a total overnight cost of 1.6 B ± 0.2 B US.
Authors: S Freiberger, E M Bursch, J Chiriboga, H J Farre-Kaga, E Felske, S Guizzo, J A Labbate, S Seethalla, F Sheehan, J L Xia, A Braun, D A Burgess, N Chen, J Halpern, M Haque, A Hyder, A Lachmann, R Lopez, K Orr, K Richardson, M Russo, A Veksler, C J Hansen, A Holm, N Leuthold, O Meneghini, A O Nelson, M Pharr, T Slendebroek, I Stewart, F Scotti, M Tobin, H Wilson, C F B Zimmermann, C Paz-Soldan
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,325
OpenAlex ID: W7204258408
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