Zero-dimensional model of a reversed field pinch fusion reactor

Technical Report · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5578145

Veerasingam, R

A zero-dimensional model for the energy balance for electrons and ions of a Reversed Field Pinch (RFP) device has been developed. The model can be used as a tool for parametric studies and has been applied to simulate some ZT-40M experiments. In the model multiplicative coefficients C/sub 1/, C/sub 2/, C/sub 3/ and C/sub 4/ are introduced to treat anomalous resistivity, electron and ion energy confinement times and to account for the instability driven ion heating that is observed in RFP experiments. Parametric studies were performed to determine the sensitivity of the model to changes in multiplicative coefficients. A set of coefficients which can simulate a number of ZT-40M experiments have been obtained and the sensitivity of T/sub e/ and T/sub i/ to these coefficients was examined. Both flat top and ramp current waveforms were studied. The effects of different levels of impurities were also examined. The results showed that while all the three impurities used, viz., carbon, oxygen and nickel contributed to Z/sub eff/, nickel dominated the impurity radiation power. The results were then applied to study the behavior of the ZT-H device which is being built in the Confinement Physics Research Facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. 30 refs., 39 figs., 12 tabs.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-87ER53252
• OSTI ID: 5578145
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/53252-4; ON: DE88005213
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700200* -- Fusion Energy-- Fusion Power Plant Technology
CARBON
CONFINEMENT TIME
ELECTRIC HEATING
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ELEMENTS
HEATING
IMPURITIES
ION TEMPERATURE
JOULE HEATING
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METALS
NICKEL
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
PINCH EFFECT
PLASMA HEATING
RESISTANCE HEATING
REVERSE-FIELD PINCH
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZT-40 DEVICES