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Title: Particle Control and Plasma Performance in the Lithium Tokamak Experiment (LTX)

Abstract

The Lithium Tokamak eXperiment (LTX) is a small, low aspect ratio tokamak, which is fitted with a stainless steel-clad copper liner, conformal to the last closed flux surface. The liner can be heated to 350{degree}C. Several gas fueling systems, including supersonic gas injection, and molecular cluster injection have been studied, and produce fueling efficiencies up to 35%. Discharges are strongly affected by wall conditioning. Discharges without lithium wall coatings are limited to plasma currents of order 10 kA, and discharge durations of order 5 msec. With solid lithium coatings discharge currents exceed 70 kA, and discharge durations exceed 30 msec. Heating the lithium wall coating, however, results in a prompt degradation of the discharge, at the melting point of lithium. These results suggest that the simplest approach to implementing liquid lithium walls in a tokamak - thin, evaporated, liquefied coatings of lithium - does not produce an adequately clean surface.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1073495
Report Number(s):
PPPL-4852
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-ACO2-09CH11466
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; Edge Plasma, Tokamaks, TFTR

Citation Formats

Richard Majeski, et al. Particle Control and Plasma Performance in the Lithium Tokamak Experiment (LTX). United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.2172/1073495.
Richard Majeski, et al. Particle Control and Plasma Performance in the Lithium Tokamak Experiment (LTX). United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1073495
Richard Majeski, et al. 2013. "Particle Control and Plasma Performance in the Lithium Tokamak Experiment (LTX)". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1073495. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1073495.
@article{osti_1073495,
title = {Particle Control and Plasma Performance in the Lithium Tokamak Experiment (LTX)},
author = {Richard Majeski, et al},
abstractNote = {The Lithium Tokamak eXperiment (LTX) is a small, low aspect ratio tokamak, which is fitted with a stainless steel-clad copper liner, conformal to the last closed flux surface. The liner can be heated to 350{degree}C. Several gas fueling systems, including supersonic gas injection, and molecular cluster injection have been studied, and produce fueling efficiencies up to 35%. Discharges are strongly affected by wall conditioning. Discharges without lithium wall coatings are limited to plasma currents of order 10 kA, and discharge durations of order 5 msec. With solid lithium coatings discharge currents exceed 70 kA, and discharge durations exceed 30 msec. Heating the lithium wall coating, however, results in a prompt degradation of the discharge, at the melting point of lithium. These results suggest that the simplest approach to implementing liquid lithium walls in a tokamak - thin, evaporated, liquefied coatings of lithium - does not produce an adequately clean surface.},
doi = {10.2172/1073495},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1073495}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Feb 21 00:00:00 EST 2013},
month = {Thu Feb 21 00:00:00 EST 2013}
}