A DOE/Fusion Energy Sciences Research/Education Program at PVAMU Study of Rotamak Plasmas
- Prairie View A&M Univ., Prairie View, TX (United States)
During recent years (2004-2015), with DOE support, the PVAMU plasma research group accomplished new instrumentation development, conducted several new plasma experiments, and is currently poised to advance with standing-wave microwave plasma propulsion research. On the instrumentation development, the research group completed: (i) building a new plasma chamber with metal CF flanges, (ii) setting up of a 6kW/2450MHz microwave input system as an additional plasma heating source at our rotamak plasma facility, (iii) installation of one programmatic Kepco ATE 6-100DMG fast DC current supply system used in rotamak plasma shape control experiment, built a new microwave, standing-wave experiment chamber and (iv) established a new plasma lab with field reversal configuration capability utilizing 1MHz/200kW RF (radio frequency) wave generator. Some of the new experiments conducted in this period also include: (i) assessment of improved magnetic reconnection at field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma, (ii) introduction of microwave heating experiments, and (iii) suppression of n = 1 tilt instability by one coil with a smaller current added inside the rotamak’s central pipe. These experiments led to publications in Physical Review Letters, Reviews of Scientific Instruments, Division of Plasma Physics (DPP) of American Physical Society (APS) Reports, Physics of Plasmas Controlled Fusion, and Physics of Plasmas (between 2004 and 2015). With these new improvements and advancements, we also initiated and accomplished design and fabrication of a plasma propulsion system. Currently, we are assembling a plasma propulsion experimental system that includes a 5kW helicon plasma source, a 25 cm diameter plasma heating chamber with 1MHz/200kW RF power rotating magnetic field, and a 60 cm diameter plasma exhaust chamber, and expect to achieve a plasma mass flow of 0.1g/s with 60km/s ejection. We anticipate several propulsion applications in near future as we advance our capabilities. Apart from scientific staff members, several students (more than ten undergraduate students and two graduate students from several engineering and science disciplines) were supported and worked on the equipment and experiments during the award period. We also anticipate that these opportunities with current expansions may result in a graduate program in plasma science and propulsion engineering disciplines. *Corresponding Author – Dr. Saganti, Regents Professor and Professor of Physics – pbsaganti@pvamu.edu
- Research Organization:
- Prairie View A&M Univ., Prairie View, TX (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-04ER54777
- OSTI ID:
- 1344072
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-PVAM-54777
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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