U.S. Department of EnergyOffice of Scientific and Technical Information
Application of transient CHI plasma startup to future ST and AT devices
Abstract
Employment of non-inductive plasma start-up techniques would considerably simplify the design of a spherical tokamak fusion reactor. Transient coaxial helicity injection (CHI) is a promising method, expected to scale favorably to next-step reactors. However, the implications of reactor-relevant parameters on the initial breakdown phase for CHI have not yet been considered. Here, we evaluate CHI breakdown in reactor-like configurations using an extension of the Townsend avalanche theory. We find that a CHI electrode concept in which the outer vessel wall is biased to achieve breakdown, while previously successful on NSTX and HIT-II, may exhibit a severe weakness when scaled up to a reactor. On the other hand, concepts which employ localized biasing electrodes such as those used in QUEST would avoid this issue. Assuming that breakdown can be successfully attained, we then apply scaling relationships to predict plasma parameters attainable in the transient CHI discharge. Assuming the use of 1 Wb of injector flux, we find that plasma currents of 1 MA should be achievable. Furthermore, these plasmas are expected to Ohmically self-heat with more than 1 MW of power as they decay, facilitating efficient hand-off to steady-state heating sources. These optimistic scalings are supported by TSC simulations.
- Authors:
-
- OSTI
- Publication Date:
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-09CH11466
- Research Org.:
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- U. S. Department of Energy
- Subject:
- Avalanche
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1562099
- DOI:
- https://doi.org/10.11578/1562099
Citation Formats
Hammond, K C, Raman, R, and Jardin, S C. Application of transient CHI plasma startup to future ST and AT devices. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.11578/1562099.
Hammond, K C, Raman, R, & Jardin, S C. Application of transient CHI plasma startup to future ST and AT devices. United States. doi:https://doi.org/10.11578/1562099
Hammond, K C, Raman, R, and Jardin, S C. 2019.
"Application of transient CHI plasma startup to future ST and AT devices". United States. doi:https://doi.org/10.11578/1562099. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1562099. Pub date:Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 UTC 2019
@article{osti_1562099,
title = {Application of transient CHI plasma startup to future ST and AT devices},
author = {Hammond, K C and Raman, R and Jardin, S C},
abstractNote = {Employment of non-inductive plasma start-up techniques would considerably simplify the design of a spherical tokamak fusion reactor. Transient coaxial helicity injection (CHI) is a promising method, expected to scale favorably to next-step reactors. However, the implications of reactor-relevant parameters on the initial breakdown phase for CHI have not yet been considered. Here, we evaluate CHI breakdown in reactor-like configurations using an extension of the Townsend avalanche theory. We find that a CHI electrode concept in which the outer vessel wall is biased to achieve breakdown, while previously successful on NSTX and HIT-II, may exhibit a severe weakness when scaled up to a reactor. On the other hand, concepts which employ localized biasing electrodes such as those used in QUEST would avoid this issue. Assuming that breakdown can be successfully attained, we then apply scaling relationships to predict plasma parameters attainable in the transient CHI discharge. Assuming the use of 1 Wb of injector flux, we find that plasma currents of 1 MA should be achievable. Furthermore, these plasmas are expected to Ohmically self-heat with more than 1 MW of power as they decay, facilitating efficient hand-off to steady-state heating sources. These optimistic scalings are supported by TSC simulations.},
doi = {10.11578/1562099},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 UTC 2019},
month = {Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 UTC 2019}
}