Method and apparatus for the formation of a spheromak plasma

Patent · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:864912

Jardin, Stephen C ^[1]; Yamada, Masaaki ^[2]; Furth, Harold P ^[1]; Okabayashi, Mitcheo ^[1]

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1. Princeton, NJ
2. Lawrenceville, NJ

An inductive method and apparatus for forming detached spheromak plasma using a thin-walled metal toroidal ring, with external current leads and internal poloidal and toroidal field coils located inside a vacuum chamber filled with low density hydrogen gas and an external axial field generating coil. The presence of a current in the poloidal field coils, and an externally generated axial field sets up the initial poloidal field configuration in which the field is strongest toward the major axis of the toroid. The internal toroidal-field-generating coil is then pulsed on, ionizing the gas and inducing poloidal current and toroidal magnetic field into the plasma region in the sleeve exterior to and adjacent to the ring and causing the plasma to expand away from the ring and toward the major axis. Next the current in the poloidal field coils in the ring is reversed. This induces toroidal current into the plasma and causes the poloidal magnetic field lines to reconnect. The reconnection continues until substantially all of the plasma is formed in a separated spheromak configuration held in equilibrium by the initial external field.

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-02-3073
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4436691
• OSTI ID: 864912
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

method
apparatus
formation
spheromak
plasma
inductive
forming
detached
thin-walled
metal
toroidal
external
current
leads
internal
poloidal
field
coils
located
inside
vacuum
chamber
filled
density
hydrogen
gas
axial
generating
coil
presence
externally
generated
sets
initial
configuration
strongest
major
axis
toroid
toroidal-field-generating
pulsed
ionizing
inducing
magnetic
region
sleeve
exterior
adjacent
causing
expand
reversed
induces
causes
lines
reconnect
reconnection
continues
substantially
formed
separated
held
equilibrium
plasma region
chamber filled
toroidal magnet
toroidal current
field generating
major axis
toroidal magnetic
located inside
field coils
field lines
hydrogen gas
vacuum chamber
magnetic field
toroidal field
poloidal field
field coil
current lead
spheromak plasma
poloidal magnetic
axial field
coils located
metal toroidal
external field
thin-walled metal
external current
field configuration
detached spheromak
current leads
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