Acceleration of compact toroid plasma rings for fusion applications
We describe experimental results for a new type of collective accelerator based on magnetically confined compact torus (CT) plasma rings and discuss applications to both inertial and magnetic fusion. We have demonstrated the principle of CT acceleration in the RACE device with acceleration of 0.5 mg ring masses to 400 km/s and 0.02 mg ring masses to 1400 km/s at greater than or equal to30% efficiency. Scaling the CT accelerator to the multi-megajoule level could provide an efficient, economical driver for inertial fusion (ICF) or magnetically insulated inertial fusion. Efficient conversion to x-rays for driving hohlraum-type ICF targets has been modeled using a radiation-hydrodynamics code. At less demanding conditions than required for ICF, a CT accelerator can be applied to fueling and current drive in tokamaks. Fueling is accomplished by injecting CTs at the required rate to sustain the particle inventory and at a velocity sufficient to penetrate to the magnetic axis before CT dissolution. Current drive is a consequence of the magnetic helicity content of the CT, which is approximately conserved during reconnection of the CT fields with the tokamak. Major areas of uncertainty in CT fueling and current drive concern the mechanism by which CTs will stop in a tokamak plasma and the effects of the CT on energy confinement and magnetic stability. Bounds on the required CT injection velocity are obtained by considering drag due to emission of an Alfven-wave wake and rapid reconnection and tilting on the internal Alfven time scale of the CT. Preliminary results employing a 3-D, resistive MHD code show rapid tilting with the CT aligning its magnetic moment with the tokamak field. Requirements for an experimental test of CT injection and scenarios for fueling a reactor will also be discussed. 14 refs., 4 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 6758537
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-98504; CONF-881015-12; ON: DE88017165; TRN: 88-036468
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 12. international conference on plasma physics and controlled nuclear fusion research, Nice, France, 12 Oct 1988; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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