ENN is planning the next generation experimental device EHL-2 with the goal to verify the thermal reaction rates of p-^(11)B fusion,establish spherical torus/tokamak experimental scaling laws at 10’s keV ion temperature,and provide a design basis for subsequent experiments to test and realize the p-^(11)B fusion burning plasma.Based on 0-dimensional(0-D)system design and 1.5-dimensional transport modelling analyses,the main target parameters of EHL-2 have been basically determined,including the plasma major radius,R0,of 1.05 m,the aspect ratio,A,of 1.85,the maximum central toroidal magnetic field strength,B0,of 3 T,and the plasma toroidal current,Ip,of 3 MA.The main heating system will be the neutral beam injection at a total power of 17 MW.In addition,6 MW of electron cyclotron resonance heating will serve as the main means of local current drive and MHD instabilities control.The physics design of EHL-2 is focused on addressing three main operating scenarios,i.e.,(1)high ion temperature scenario,(2)high-performance steady-state scenario and(3)high triple product scenario.Each scenario will integrate solutions to different important issues,including equilibrium configuration,heating and current drive,confinement and transport,MHD instability,p-^(11)B fusion reaction,plasma-wall interactions,etc.Beyond that,there are several unique and significant challenges to address,including●establish a plasma with extremely high core ion temperature(T_(i,0)>30 keV),and ensure a large ion-to-electron tempera-ture ratio(T_(i,0)/Te,0>2),and a boron concentration of 10%‒15%at the plasma core;●realize the start-up by non-inductive current drive and the rise of MA-level plasma toroidal current.This is because the volt-seconds that the central solenoid of the ST can provide are very limited;●achieve divertor heat and particle fluxes control including complete detachment under high P/R(>20 MW/m)at rela-tively low electron densities.This overview will introduce the advanced progress in the physics design of EHL-2.
This study analyzes fast ion losses in the EHL-2 fusion device,focusing on both beam ions and alpha particles as p-11B fusion reaction products.Using the Monte Carlo orbit-following code TGCO,we evaluate particle confinement under various operational scenarios,including co-injected tangential neutral beam injection at beam energies of 60 keV,80 keV,and 200 keV.Our simulations estimate the heat load driven by lost beam ions and find it to be within acceptable material limits for a plasma current on the order of mega-amperes.Additionally,we simulate the distribution of fusion products and observe a higher particle loss fraction for alpha particles compared to beam ions.However,due to the relatively low fusion power,these lost alpha particles are unlikely to significantly impact the plasma-facing materials.To assess the impact of the magnetic ripple,we compute the ripple field distribution by modelling the toroidal field(TF)coils as current filaments.The results indicate that the ripple field effect on particle confinement is minimal,primarily due to the large distance of over 1 m between the TF coils and the plasma on the low-field side.The analysis based on the test particle model is a foundational step in ensuring the basic safety aspects of the new device,which is essential for developing a robust design,optimizing performance,and maintaining safe operation.
EHL-2 is an ENN second-generation device aimed at studying proton-boron(p-11B)fusion reactions in a spherical torus.The design parameters are Ti0~30 keV,Ti/Te>2,n_(e0)~1×10^(20)m^(-3),I_(p)~3 MA,B_(t)~3 T,andτ_(E)~0.5 s.High ion temperature is one of the standard operation scenarios of EHL-2,aiming to reduce bremsstrahlung radiation while enhancing plasma parameters by elevating the ion to electron temperature ratio.In order to achieve high ion temperature,neutral beam injection is considered the primary heating method during the flat-top phase.The neutral beam system for EHL-2 comprises 3-5 beams with energy/power ranging from 60 keV/4 MW,80-100 keV/10 MW,to 200 keV/3 MW.This work conducts predictive analysis on core transport during the flat-top phase of EHL-2’s high-ion-temperature scenario utilizing ASTRA.The study delineates the potential operating range of core temperature and other parameters given the designed heating capacity.Specifically,the study presents predictive simulations based on CDBM,GLF23,Bohm-gyro-Bohm,and IFSPPPL transport models,evaluating the steady-state power balance,energy confinement time,and impact of various parameters such as plasma density and NBI power on core ion temperature.The simulations demonstrate that the design parameters of the EHL-2 high-Ti scenario,although sensitive to varying transport models,are hopefully attainable as long as adequate ion heating and controlled ion transport levels are ensured.
ENN He Long-2(EHL-2)is the next-generation large mega-Ampere(MA)spherical torus(ST)proposed and funded by the ENN company.The design parameters are:Ti0>30 keV,n_(e0)~1×10^(20)m^(-3),Ip~3 MA,Bt~3 T.One of the biggest challenges of EHL-2 is how to achieve several MA current flat-tops with limited voltage-seconds(Vs)of the center solenoid(CS)coils.In order to minimize the consumption of Vs,a fully non-inductive start-up by electron cyclotron resonance heating(ECRH)will be applied in EHL-2.The ramp-up phase will be accomplished with the synergetic mode between the CS and non-inductive methods.The strategy of non-inductive start-up and ramp-up with synergetic mode has been verified on EXL-50U’s experiments.Based on this strategy,numerical simulations indicate the feasibility of EHL-2 achieving 3 MA plasma current.A high-performance steady-state scenario with Ip~1.5 MA is also designed.In this scenario,the bootstrap current fraction fBS>70%,the safety factor q at the magnetic axis q0>2,the minimum safety factor qmin>1,the poloidal betaβp>3 and normalized betaβN>2.3.Each design iteration integrates the validation of physical models with the constraints of engineering implementation,gradually optimizing the performance of the heating and current drive(H&CD)systems.Numerical simulation results for general auxiliary H&CD systems such as neutral beam injection(NBI),electron cyclotron(EC)wave,ion cyclotron wave(ICW),and lower hybrid wave(LHW)are presented.These simulation results ensure that the 31 MW H&CD systems comprehensively cover all scenarios while maintaining engineering feasibility.
Dysregulation of microRNA(miRNA)expression following the development of obesity is closely linked to the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Identifying differentially expressed miRNAs and their roles in regulating glucose metabolism will provide a theoretical foundation for the molecular mechanisms underlying obesity-induced T2DM.Here,we perform a genome-wide association study involving 5 glycolipid metabolism traits in 1783 Kazakh and 1198 Uyghur individuals to identify miRNAs associated with fasting plasma glucose(FPG)levels.A miR-548ab mimic and inhibitor are administered to hepatocytes and adipocytes,as well as obese and diabetic mice,to determine miR-548ab-related downstream signalling pathways.The effects of miR-548ab on glucose metabolism are validated using the glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test.Collectively,these results indicate that miR-548ab is significantly associated with FPG levels and obesity-related T2DM in both Kazakh and Uyghur populations.The miR-548ab-GULP1/SLC25A21-GLUT4 network exerts regulatory effects on glucose metabolism,obesity,and T2DM,positioning it as a candidate risk factor,potential diagnostic marker,and therapeutic target for obesity-induced T2DM.Additionally,through evolutionary analysis,the authentic variants or haplotypes of GULP1 and SLC25A21 are categorized according to their genetic susceptibility to T2DM.The miR-548ab inhibitor shows beneficial effects in obese and diabetic mice.
The EXL-50U is China’s first large spherical torus device with a toroidal field reaching 1 T.The major radius of the EXL-50U ranges from 0.6 m to 0.8 m,with an aspect ratio of 1.4−1.8.The goal of plasma current in the first experimental phase is 500 kA,and in the future second phase,the goal of plasma current is 1 MA.On the EXL-50U project,the ENN fusion team expeditiously accomplished a series of comprehensive tasks including physical and engineering design,main component construction installation,and system commissioning,all within a mere eighteen-month timeframe.In the experiments of 2024,the EXL-50U achieved a 500 kA limiter configuration discharge using ECRH(Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating)for non-inductive current start-up and a current ramp-up with the synergetic effect of ECRH and central solenoid(CS).Preliminary divertor configuration plasmas were also obtained under 200 kA plasma current.The core ion temperature of 1 keV was achieved with low-power NBI heating,and the energy confinement time of 30 ms was reached with Ohmic heating in the flat-top phase.The current and future experiments of EXL-50U will strongly support the physical design and operational scenarios of EHL-2 in the areas of current drive,high ion temperature exploration,energy transport and confinement,and hydrogen-boron physical characteristics.At the same time,the experience in the design,construction,and commissioning of the engineering,heating,and diagnostics systems on EXL-50U is also very beneficial for enhancing the feasibility of the engineering design for EHL-2.
The EHL-2(ENN He-Long 2)spherical torus(ST)project focuses on advancing spherical torus technology to address the unique challenges of p-^(11)B fusion,which demands significantly higher ion temperature and heat flux to the divertor plate compared to traditional deuterium-tritium fusion.With a major radius of 1.05 m and a plasma current of 3 MA,the project aims to evaluate and optimize advanced divertor configurations,specifically the Super-X and X-point target(XPT)divertors.The design incorporates an up-down double-null configuration featuring a conventional inner divertor and an XPT outer divertor to effectively reduce the heat flux.The poloidal field(PF)coil system is meticulously optimized to balance engineering constraints with the flexibility in equilibrium configurations.This design is expected to provide a reference equilibrium configuration for other physics design issues and offer critical insight into heat load management.
Xiang GUGang YINYuejiang SHILili DONGYu WANGHong ZANGYuanming YANGHuasheng XIEJiaqi DONGYueng-Kay Martin PENGBaoshan YUANQingwei YANGYunfeng LIANGXianming SONGMinsheng LIUthe EHL-2 Team
