A framework for discrete optimization of stellarator coils

Abstract: Designing magnets for three-dimensional plasma confinement is a key task for advancing the stellarator as a fusion reactor concept. Stellarator magnets must produce an accurate field while leaving adequate room for other components and being reasonably simple to construct and assemble. In this paper, a framework for coil design and optimization is introduced that enables the attainment of sparse magnet solutions with arbitrary restrictions on where coils may be located. The solution space is formulated as a "wireframe" consisting of a mesh of interconnected wire segments enclosing the plasma. Two methods are developed for optimizing the current distribution on a wireframe: Regularized Constrained Least Squares (RCLS), which uses a linear least-squares approach to optimize the currents in each segment, and Greedy Stellarator Coil Optimization (GSCO), a fully discrete procedure in which loops of current are added to the mesh one by one to achieve the desired magnetic field on the plasma boundary. Examples are presented of solutions obtainable with each method, some of which achieve high field accuracy while obeying spatial constraints that permit easy assembly.