Review of deuterium--tritium results from the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor*

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1995 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.871303· OSTI ID:64021

McGuire, K. M.; Adler, H.; Alling, P.; Ancher, C.; Anderson, H.; Anderson, J. L.; Anderson, J W.; Arunasalam, V.; Ascione, G.; Ashcroft, D.; Barnes, C. W.; Barnes, G.; Batha, S.; Bateman, G.; Beer, M; Bell, M. G.; Bell, R.; Bitter, M.; Blanchard, W.; Bretz, N. L. ; Brunkhorst, C.; Budny, R.; Bush, C. E.; Camp, R.; Caorlin, M.; Carnevale, H.; Cauffman, S.; Chang, Z.; Chang, C. S.; Cheng, C. Z.; Chrzanowski, J.; Collins, J.; Coward, G.; Cropper, M.; Darrow, D. S; Daugert, R.; DeLooper, J.; Dendy, R.; Dorland, W.; Dudek, L.; Duong, H.; Durst, R.; Efthimion, P. C.; Ernst, D.; Evenson, H.; Fisch, N.; Fisher, R.; Fonck, R. J.; Fredd, E.; Fredrickson, E.; Fromm, N.; Fu, G. Y.; Fujita, T.; Furth, H. P.; Garzotto, V.; Gentile, C.; Gilbert, J.; Gioia, J.; Gorelenkov, N.; Grek, B.; Grisham, L. R.; Hammett, G.; Hanson, G. R.; Hawryluk, R. J.; Heidbrink, W.; Herrmann, H. W.; Hill, K. W.; Hosea, J.; Hsuan, H.; Hughes, M.; Hulse, R.; Janos, A.; Jassby, D. L.; Jobes, F. C.; Johnson, D. W.; Johnson, L. C.; Kalish, M.; Kamperschroer, J.; Kesner, J.; Kugel, H.; Labik, G.; Lam, N. T.; LaMarche, P. H.; Lawson, E.; LeBlanc, B.; Levine, J.; Levinton, F. M.; Loesser, D.; Long, D.; Loughlin, M. J.; Machuzak, J.; Majeski, R.; Mansfield, D. K.; Marmar, E. S.; Marsala, R.; Martin, A.; Martin, G.; Mazzucato, E.; Mauel, M.; McCarthy, M. P.; McChesney, J.; McCormack, B.; McCune, D. C.; McKee, G.; Meade, D. M.; Medley, S. S.; Mikkelsen, D. R.; Mirnov, S. V.; Mueller, D.; Murakami, M.; Murphy, J. A.; Nagy, A.; Navratil, G. A.; Nazikian, R.; Newman, R.; Norris, M.; O`Connor, T.; Oldaker, M.; Ongena, J.; Osakabe, M.; Owens, D. K.; Park, H.; Park, W.; Parks, P.; Paul, S. F.; Pearson, G.; Perry, E.; Persing, R.; Petrov, M.; Phillips, C. K.; Phillips, M.; Pitcher, S.; Pysher, R.; Qualls, A. L.; Raftopoulos, S.; Ramakrishnan, S.; Ramsey, A.; Rasmussen, D. A.; Redi, M. H.; Renda, G.; Rewoldt, G.; Roberts, D.; Rogers, J.; Rossmassler, R.; Roquemore, A. L.; Ruskov, E.; Sabbagh, S. A.; Sasao, M.; Schilling, G.; Schivell, J.; Schmidt, G.; Scillia, R.; Scott, S. D.; Semenov, I.; Senko, T.; Sesnic, S.; Sissingh, R.; Skinner, C. H.; Snipes, J.; Stencel, J.; Stevens, J.; Stevenson, T.; Stratton, B. C.; Strachan, J. D.; Stodiek, W.; Swanson, J.; Synakowski, E.; Takahashi, H.; Tang, W.; Taylor, G.; Terry, J.; Thompson, M. E.; Tighe, W.; Timberlake, J. R.; Tobita, K.; Towner, H. H.; Tuszewski, M.; Halle, A. Von; Vannoy, C.; Viola, M.; Goeler, S. Von; Voorhees, D.; Walters, R. T.; Wester, R.; White, R.; Wieland, R.; Wilgen, J. B.; Williams, M.; Wilson, J. R.; Winston, J.; Wright, K.; Wong, K. L.; Woskov, P.; Wurden, G. A.; Yamada, M.; Yoshikawa, S.; Young, K. M.; Zarnstorff, M. C.; Zavereev, V.; Zweben, S. J.

The first magnetic fusion experiments to study plasmas using nearly equal concentrations of deuterium and tritium have been carried out on TFTR. At present the maximum fusion power of 10.7 MW, using 39.5 MW of neutral-beam heating, in a supershot discharge and 6.7 MW in a high-β_p discharge following a current rampdown. The fusion power density in a core of the plasma is ≈ 2.8 MW m^₋3, exceeding that expected in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) at 1500 MW total fusion power. The energy confinement time, τ_E, is observed to increase in D–T, relative to D plasmas, by 20% and the n_i (0) T_i(0) τ_E product by 55%. The improvement in thermal confinement is caused primarily by a decrease in ion heat conductivity in both supershot and limiter-H-mode discharges. Extensive lithium pellet injection increased the confinement time to 0.27 s and enabled higher current operation in both supershot and high-β_p discharges. Ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) heating of a D–T plasma, using the second harmonic of tritium, has been demonstrated. First measurements of the confined alpha particles have been performed and found to be in good agreement with TRANSP simulations. Initial measurements of the alpha ash profile have been compared with simulations using particle transport coefficients from He gas puffing experiments. The loss of alpha particles to a detector at the bottom of the vessel is well described by the first-orbit loss mechanism. No loss due to alpha-particle-driven instabilities has yet been observed. D–T experiments on TFTR will continue to explore the assumptions of the ITER design and to examine some of the physics issues associated with an advanced tokamak reactor.

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 64021
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 2, Issue 6; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1995
• Publisher: American Institute of Physics (AIP)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION
TFTR TOKAMAK
FUSION YIELD
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
DEUTERIUM
TRITIUM
HIGH-BETA PLASMA
ALPHA PARTICLES
CONFINEMENT TIME
POWER DENSITY
ICR HEATING