Stellarators can stay “on” all the time
The French firm maintains that stellarator heating exhibits superior efficiency: delivering 1 kWh to the plasma consumes 2-3 kWh of electricity in a stellarator, compared to over 100 kWh in laser fusion.
Another advantage is that stellarators can stay “on” all the time, whereas high-power lasers are pulsed and have low repetition rates, claimed Renaissance Fusion.
Instead of relying on plasma currents like tokamaks, stellarators confine the plasma through specially shaped 3D magnetic fields. Historically, this has resulted in complex coils with expensive and time-consuming design, modeling, and manufacturing processes, according to the company.