Method and apparatus for the formation of a spheromak plasma

Patent · Thu Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:864436

Yamada, Masaaki ^[1]; Furth, Harold P ^[2]; Stix, Thomas H ^[2]; Todd, Alan M. M. ^[3]

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1. Lawrenceville, NJ
2. Princeton, NJ
3. Princeton Junction, NJ

A method and apparatus for forming a detached, compact toroidally shaped spheromak plasma by an inductive mechanism. A generally spheroidal vacuum vessel (1) houses a toroidally shaped flux ring or core (2) which contains poloidal and toroidal field generating coils. A plasma discharge occurs with the pulsing of the toroidal field coil, and the plasma is caused to expand away from the core (2) and toward the center of the vacuum vessel (1). When the plasma is in an expanded state, a portion of it is pinched off in order to form a separate, detached spheromak plasma configuration. The detached plasma is supported by a magnetic field generated by externally arranged equilibrium field coils (5).

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-02-3073
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4363776
• OSTI ID: 864436
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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