Design scoping and systems modelling of ST-E1 using the PyTok power plant simulation code
- 1Tokamak Energy
Abstract
To support the pre-concept design of Tokamak Energy’s (TEs) ST-E1 fusion power plant, we developed a new systems code, PyTok. PyTok codifies plasma physics and engineering constraints within a pure Python, object-oriented framework designed for rapid design iteration and exploration of the power-plant parameter space. The code base and its human- and machine-readable data structures enable coupling to external physics codes and data-analysis tools. Informed by TEs design philosophy and techno-economic analyses, the code was used to identify an initial reference design point for ST-E1. A commercially competitive fusion power plant is achievable with a tokamak power core of major radius 5.0 m, aspect ratio 1.9 ⩽ A ⩽ 2.3 and toroidal field 3.25 ⩽ B T ⩽ 5.25 T. The selected design point serves both as a pilot plant and as a commercially competitive reactor using the same permanent power core hardware, enabled by an in-vessel component upgrade phase. The commercial phase targets steady-state operation and a normalised capital expenditure of $12 000–15 000 per kW e , corresponding to a fusion power of 2.0–2.5 GW and a net electric power of 800–1000 MW.
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BibTeX
@article{wilson2026design,
title = {{Design scoping and systems modelling of ST-E1 using the PyTok power plant simulation code}},
author = {C.L. Wilson and Jack O. Astbury and M.J. Ginsberg and N. Hinton and E.N.J. Maartensson and Steven McNamara and J. Willis and Emrah Yıldırım and the ST-E1 Team},
journal = {Nuclear Fusion},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1088/1741-4326/ae5d55},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ae5d55},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Design scoping and systems modelling of ST-E1 using the PyTok power plant simulation code
AU - C.L. Wilson
AU - Jack O. Astbury
AU - M.J. Ginsberg
AU - N. Hinton
AU - E.N.J. Maartensson
AU - Steven McNamara
AU - J. Willis
AU - Emrah Yıldırım
AU - the ST-E1 Team
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/10
JO - Nuclear Fusion
DO - 10.1088/1741-4326/ae5d55
UR - https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ae5d55
AB - To support the pre-concept design of Tokamak Energy’s (TEs) ST-E1 fusion power plant, we developed a new systems code, PyTok. PyTok codifies plasma physics and engineering constraints within a pure Python, object-oriented framework designed for rapid design iteration and exploration of the power-plant parameter space. The code base and its human- and machine-readable data structures enable coupling to external physics codes and data-analysis tools. Informed by TEs design philosophy and techno-economic analyses, the code was used to identify an initial reference design point for ST-E1. A commercially competitive fusion power plant is achievable with a tokamak power core of major radius 5.0 m, aspect ratio 1.9 ⩽ A ⩽ 2.3 and toroidal field 3.25 ⩽ B T ⩽ 5.25 T. The selected design point serves both as a pilot plant and as a commercially competitive reactor using the same permanent power core hardware, enabled by an in-vessel component upgrade phase. The commercial phase targets steady-state operation and a normalised capital expenditure of $12 000–15 000 per kW e , corresponding to a fusion power of 2.0–2.5 GW and a net electric power of 800–1000 MW.
SN - 0029-5515
SN - 1741-4326
ER -