I work at HSX and “produceability” is really a set of three or four constraints. Picking their relative weights in optimizers is still in the “art” category be

I work at HSX and “produceability” is really a set of three or four constraints. Picking their relative weights in optimizers is still in the “art” category because we simply don’t have the computational resources needed to search all spaces with all simulated plasma parameters. A flux surface is optimized with the preferred model of the day, then coils are optimized to this surface. A few good candidates are chosen then the realized flux surfaces are calculated and plasma parameters simulated. It’s very far from the ideal plug-n-chug that it could be, but these models are also incomplete and benefit from people understanding them. We simply need people tending the machines if we want to make a better stellarator. On that front: keep an ear out for an HTS stellarator in the next decade.