Experience with deuterium-tritium plasmas heated by high power neutral beams
The Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor has operated since November of 1993 with a deuterium-tritium fuel mixture for selected discharges. The majority of the tritium has been introduced as energetic neutral atoms of up to 120 keV injected by the neutral beam systems, with some of the twelve ion sources run on pure tritium and some on deuterium to optimize the fuel mixture in the core plasma. A maximum beam power of 39.6 megawatts has been injected, and deuterium-tritium fusion power production has reached 10.7 megawatts, achieving central fusion power densities comparable to or greater than those expected for the International Thermonuclear Reactor, and allowing the first studies of fusion-produced alpha particle behaviour in reactor grade plasmas. Energy confinement in deuterium-tritium plasmas is better than in similar deuterium plasmas for most plasma regimes. Innovative techniques to manipulate the plasma current and pressure profiles are permitting studies of enhanced confinement regimes. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}
- Research Organization:
- Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH03073
- OSTI ID:
- 580112
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961110-; ISSN 0094-243X; TRN: 98:004007
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 392, Issue 1; Conference: 14. international conference on the application of accelerators in research and industry, Denton, TX (United States), 6-9 Nov 1996; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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