Configuration Effect on Energy Confinement and Local Transport in LHD and Contribution to the International Stellarator Database

New stellarator experiments have been launched since the last compilation of the international stellarator database in 1995. Parameter regimes have been extended by Large Helical Device (LHD), and a variety of improved modes have been found since then. The revision of the international stellarator database has been initiated, driven by these emerging interests and by the requirements for a reactor assessment. Some provisional issues are discussed. An understanding of configurational effects is a prerequisite to the derivation of a unified scaling. Differences in magnetic geometry are influential in characterizing energy confinement. The results from the magnetic axis and elongation scans in LHD are highlighted. Comparison with tokamak confinement is also addressed. The revision of the database is in progress, and this paper is an interim report.