Thea Energy, a fusion energy company, is developing a stellarator, a magnetic confinement device that shapes plasma into a twisted, three-dimensional form to sustain fusion reactions. Unlike tokamaks, which rely on a large current running through the plasma, stellarators use magnetic fields alone to contain and stabilize it, which aims to reduce disruptions. To bring this design to life, Thea Energy is collaborating with NVIDIA, Ansys, Argonne National Laboratory, and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory to build a digital twin of its planned “Helios” power plant.
Within this collaboration, Ansys software plays a central role in the simulation process. The company uses Ansys Maxwell, an electromagnetic field solver, to model the magnetic fields generated by its flat, programmable coils. These results then feed into Ansys Mechanical, which assesses the structural and mechanical loads acting on the magnets. For the system’s high temperature superconducting magnets, the team pairs Ansys Icepak with Mechanical to simulate thermal behavior and the mechanical stress that cooling introduces.
Together, these simulations allow Thea Energy to test and refine its magnet designs digitally before physical fabrication, helping the company work through engineering challenges as it scales its manufacturing infrastructure and moves closer to realizing a functional fusion power plant.
Image courtesy: Ansys
