The use of an electrothermal plasma gun to simulate the extremely high heat flux conditions of a tokamak disruption

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Journal of Fusion Energy; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01079675· OSTI ID:5144086

Gilligan, J; Bourham, M ^[1]

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1. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)

Disruption damage conditions for future large tokamaks like ITER are nearly impossible to simulate on current tokamaks. The electrothermal plasma source SIRENS has been designed, constructed, and operated to produce high density (> 10[sup 25]/m[sup 3]), low temperature (1-3 eV) plasma formed by the ablation of the insulator with currents of up to 100 kA (100 [mu]s pulse length) and energies up to 15 kJ. The source heat fluence (variable from 0.2 to 7 MJ/m[sup 2]) is adequate for simulation of the thermal quench phase of plasma disruption in future fusion tokamaks. Different materials have been exposed to the high heat flux in SIRENS, where comparative erosion behavior was obtained. Vapor shield phenomena has been characterized for different materials, and the energy transmission factor through the shielding layer is obtained. The device is also equipped with a magnet capable of producing a parallel magnetic field (up to 16 T) over a 8 msec pulse length. The magnetic field is produced to decrease the turbulent energy transport through the vapor shield, which provides further reduction of surface erosion (magnetic vapor shield effect).

• OSTI ID: 5144086
• Journal Information: Journal of Fusion Energy; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Fusion Energy; (United States) Vol. 12:3; ISSN JFENDS; ISSN 0164-0313
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700480* -- Fusion Technology-- Component Development
DIVERTORS
EROSION
MATERIALS
MATERIALS TESTING
Ma
Materials Studies-- (1992-)
PLASMA DISRUPTION
PLASMA GUNS
SHIELDS
TESTING
THERMAL SHIELDS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS