Anomalous - viscosity current drive
Abstract
An apparatus and method for maintaining a steady-state current in a toroidal magnetically confined plasma. An electric current is generated in an edge region at or near the outermost good magnetic surface of the toroidal plasma. The edge current is generated in a direction parallel to the flow of current in the main plasma and such that its current density is greater than the average density of the main plasma current. The current flow in the edge region is maintained in a direction parallel to the main current for a period of one or two of its characteristic decay times. Current from the edge region will penetrate radially into the plasma and augment the main plasma current through the mechanism of anomalous viscosity. In another aspect of the invention, current flow driven between a cathode and an anode is used to establish a start-up plasma current. The plasma-current channel is magnetically detached from the electrodes, leaving a plasma magnetically insulated from contact with any material obstructions including the cathode and anode.
- Inventors:
-
- Princeton, NJ
- Princeton Junction, NJ
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 866700
- Patent Number(s):
- 4767590
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21B - FUSION REACTORS
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH03073
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- anomalous; viscosity; current; drive; apparatus; method; maintaining; steady-state; toroidal; magnetically; confined; plasma; electric; generated; edge; region; near; outermost; magnetic; surface; direction; parallel; flow; main; density; average; maintained; period; characteristic; decay; times; penetrate; radially; augment; mechanism; aspect; driven; cathode; anode; establish; start-up; plasma-current; channel; detached; electrodes; leaving; insulated; contact; material; obstructions; including; confined plasma; current drive; toroidal magnet; plasma current; toroidal magnetic; current density; electric current; toroidal plasma; current flow; magnetically insulated; magnetically confined; direction parallel; steady-state current; average density; decay time; /376/
Citation Formats
Stix, Thomas H, and Ono, Masayuki. Anomalous - viscosity current drive. United States: N. p., 1988.
Web.
Stix, Thomas H, & Ono, Masayuki. Anomalous - viscosity current drive. United States.
Stix, Thomas H, and Ono, Masayuki. Fri .
"Anomalous - viscosity current drive". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/866700.
@article{osti_866700,
title = {Anomalous - viscosity current drive},
author = {Stix, Thomas H and Ono, Masayuki},
abstractNote = {An apparatus and method for maintaining a steady-state current in a toroidal magnetically confined plasma. An electric current is generated in an edge region at or near the outermost good magnetic surface of the toroidal plasma. The edge current is generated in a direction parallel to the flow of current in the main plasma and such that its current density is greater than the average density of the main plasma current. The current flow in the edge region is maintained in a direction parallel to the main current for a period of one or two of its characteristic decay times. Current from the edge region will penetrate radially into the plasma and augment the main plasma current through the mechanism of anomalous viscosity. In another aspect of the invention, current flow driven between a cathode and an anode is used to establish a start-up plasma current. The plasma-current channel is magnetically detached from the electrodes, leaving a plasma magnetically insulated from contact with any material obstructions including the cathode and anode.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1988},
month = {1}
}