A new high performance field reversed configuration operating regime in the C-2 device

Journal Article · Tue May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3694677· OSTI ID:22072386

Tuszewski, M; Smirnov, A; Thompson, M C; Barnes, D; Binderbauer, M W; Brown, R; Bui, D Q; Clary, R; Conroy, K D; Deng, B H; Dettrick, S A; Douglass, J D; Garate, E; Glass, F J; Gota, H; Guo, H Y; Gupta, D; Gupta, S; Kinley, J S; Knapp, K ^[1] ; others, and

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1. Tri Alpha Energy, Inc., P.O. Box 7010, Rancho Santa Margarita, California 92688 (United States)

Large field reversed configurations (FRCs) are produced in the C-2 device by combining dynamic formation and merging processes. The good confinement of these FRCs must be further improved to achieve sustainment with neutral beam (NB) injection and pellet fuelling. A plasma gun is installed at one end of the C-2 device to attempt electric field control of the FRC edge layer. The gun inward radial electric field counters the usual FRC spin-up and mitigates the n = 2 rotational instability without applying quadrupole magnetic fields. Better plasma centering is also obtained, presumably from line-tying to the gun electrodes. The combined effects of the plasma gun and of neutral beam injection lead to the high performance FRC operating regime, with FRC lifetimes up to 3 ms and with FRC confinement times improved by factors 2 to 4.

• OSTI ID: 22072386
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 19, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRODES
LIFETIME
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NEUTRAL PARTICLES
PARTICLE BEAMS
PLASMA BEAM INJECTION
PLASMA GUNS
REVERSED-FIELD PINCH DEVICES
REVERSE-FIELD PINCH