Reversed field pinch boundary study: Annual progress report for the period March 14, 1986-March 13, 1987

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6680221

Dexter, R N; Prager, S C; Sprott, J C

This report summarizes our present status and progress during the second year of support of our program to investigate the RFP boundary. It is a year in which we formed and studied a sustained RFP, demonstrated that the RFP state survived the insertion of a toroidal rail limiter at least 20% of the minor radius of the plasma, and investigated curvature-related fluctuations as a function of safety factor from tokamak into the RFP state. We demonstrated self-reversal at startup voltages of about 200 volts, no liner being present to protect the poloidal gap. These key steps towards MST, the Madison Symmetric Torus, now approaching completion as a vacuum tank in Italy, were carried to a secure point, then terminated in favor of the scheduled installation of four rings to form a magnetic divertor RFP configuration. This upgrade was smoothly accomplished, but unlike the case without rings, we have been unable to form a sustained RFP so far, by self-reversal or with aided reversal. We have not shown that replacing the conducting shell with a conducting separatrix is a possible configuration for a sustained RFP, but neither have we found any evidence that it is impossible. We simply have not been able to apply the poloidal gap voltage levels required.

• Research Organization: Wisconsin Univ., Madison (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-85ER53198
• OSTI ID: 6680221
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/53198-104; ON: DE87006815
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700200* -- Fusion Energy-- Fusion Power Plant Technology
BOUNDARY LAYERS
LAYERS
LIMITERS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
PINCH EFFECT
REVERSE-FIELD PINCH
SPECIFICATIONS