Recent progress on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX)

Recent upgrades to the NSTX facility have led to improved plasma performance. Using 5MW of neutral beam injection, plasmas with toroidal {beta}{sub T} (= 2{mu}{sub 0}<p>/B{sub T}{sup 2} where B{sub T} is the vacuum toroidal field at the plasma geometric center) > 30% have been achieved with normalized {beta}{sub N} (={beta}{sub T}aB{sub I}/I{sub p}) {approx} 6% {center_dot} m {center_dot} T/MA. The highest {beta} discharge exceeded the calculated no-wall {beta} limit for several wall times. The stored energy has reached 390kJ at higher toroidal field (0.55T) corresponding to {beta}{sub T} {approx} 20% and {beta}{sub N} = 5.4. Long pulse ({approx}1s) high {beta}{sub p} ({approx}1.5) discharges have also been obtained at higher B{sub {phi}} (0.5T) with up to 6MW NBI power. The highest energy confinement times, up to 120ms, were observed during H-mode operation which is now routine. Confinement times of {approx} 1.5 times ITER98pby2 for several {tau}{sub E} are observed during both H-Mode and non-H-Mode discharges. Calculations indicate that many NSTX discharges have very good ion confinement, approaching neoclassical levels. High Harmonic Fast Wave current drive has been demonstrated by comparing discharges with waves launched parallel and anti-parallel to the plasma current

通过 3-D 建模分析 Wendelstein 7-X 启动情景的螺旋刮层中的热通量特性

International audienceA crucial topic for the stellarator W7-X is the power dissipation by impurities for future island divertor scenarios. The investigation of the related heat flux distribution and profiles including the radial power fall-off length λq in the 3D stellarator SOL is less straight forward as in toroidally symmetric tokamaks. Studies with the 3D plasma edge transport code EMC3-Eirene predicted a modulation of plasma parameters with LC and correlated heterogenous heat and particle loads onto the limiters during start-up operation. The relative simple start up geometry at W7-X allows for a detailed analysis of the heat fluxes in separate helical transport channels featuring different ∥ to ⊥ transport ratios. It is shown that the SOL has two characteristic fall off domains - a near SOL and a far SOL domain which both have different power decay lengths. An increase of λq with LC in the order of ~1-1.5cm in the near SOL and ~1.8-2.8cm in the far SOL for a power scan in the range of P=0.5-2MW at nLCFS=2×1018m−3 has been found. First comparisons with IR camera data will be discussed.Un sujet crucial pour le stellarator W7-X est la dissipation de puissance par les impuretés pour les futurs scénarios de divertor insulaire. L'étude de la distribution et des profils de flux de chaleur associés, y compris la longueur de chute de puissance radiale λq dans le SOL du stellarator 3D, est moins simple que dans les tokamaks à symétrie toroïdale. Des études avec le code de transport de bord de plasma 3D EMC3-Eirene ont prédit une modulation des paramètres du plasma avec LC et des charges de chaleur et de particules hétérogènes corrélées sur les limiteurs pendant le démarrage. La géométrie de démarrage relativement simple à W7-X permet une analyse détaillée des flux de chaleur dans des canaux de transport hélicoïdaux séparés présentant différents rapports de transport ∥ à ⊥. Il est montré que le SOL a deux domaines de décroissance caractéristiques - un domaine SOL proche et un domaine SOL lointain qui ont tous deux des longueurs de décroissance de puissance différentes. Une augmentation de λq avec LC de l'ordre de ~1-1,5 cm dans le SOL proche et de ~1,8-2,8 cm dans le SOL lointain pour un balayage de puissance dans la plage de P=0,5-2MW à nLCFS=2×1018m−3 a été trouvé. Les premières comparaisons avec les données des caméras IR seront discutées

通过 3-D 建模分析 Wendelstein 7-X 启动情景的螺旋刮层中的热通量特性

International audienceA crucial topic for the stellarator W7-X is the power dissipation by impurities for future island divertor scenarios. The investigation of the related heat flux distribution and profiles including the radial power fall-off length λq in the 3D stellarator SOL is less straight forward as in toroidally symmetric tokamaks. Studies with the 3D plasma edge transport code EMC3-Eirene predicted a modulation of plasma parameters with LC and correlated heterogenous heat and particle loads onto the limiters during start-up operation. The relative simple start up geometry at W7-X allows for a detailed analysis of the heat fluxes in separate helical transport channels featuring different ∥ to ⊥ transport ratios. It is shown that the SOL has two characteristic fall off domains - a near SOL and a far SOL domain which both have different power decay lengths. An increase of λq with LC in the order of ~1-1.5cm in the near SOL and ~1.8-2.8cm in the far SOL for a power scan in the range of P=0.5-2MW at nLCFS=2×1018m−3 has been found. First comparisons with IR camera data will be discussed.Un sujet crucial pour le stellarator W7-X est la dissipation de puissance par les impuretés pour les futurs scénarios de divertor insulaire. L'étude de la distribution et des profils de flux de chaleur associés, y compris la longueur de chute de puissance radiale λq dans le SOL du stellarator 3D, est moins simple que dans les tokamaks à symétrie toroïdale. Des études avec le code de transport de bord de plasma 3D EMC3-Eirene ont prédit une modulation des paramètres du plasma avec LC et des charges de chaleur et de particules hétérogènes corrélées sur les limiteurs pendant le démarrage. La géométrie de démarrage relativement simple à W7-X permet une analyse détaillée des flux de chaleur dans des canaux de transport hélicoïdaux séparés présentant différents rapports de transport ∥ à ⊥. Il est montré que le SOL a deux domaines de décroissance caractéristiques - un domaine SOL proche et un domaine SOL lointain qui ont tous deux des longueurs de décroissance de puissance différentes. Une augmentation de λq avec LC de l'ordre de ~1-1,5 cm dans le SOL proche et de ~1,8-2,8 cm dans le SOL lointain pour un balayage de puissance dans la plage de P=0,5-2MW à nLCFS=2×1018m−3 a été trouvé. Les premières comparaisons avec les données des caméras IR seront discutées

Progress on the FRX-L FRC plasma injector at LANL for magnetized target fusion

The FRX-L Field Reversed Configuration plasma is now operational at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The goal of the project is to demonstrate the production of suitable FRC target plasmas for later MTF (Magnetized Target Fusion) implosion experiments which will first be carried out at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in a few years' time. Expected plasma parameters in the 4 cm diameter, 30 cm long FRC are ne{approx}1017 cm-3, T{approx}100-300 eV, at 4-5 Tesla fields, with a lifetime of {approx}20 microseconds. The system includes a 0.5 T bias field, 70 kV 250 kHz ringing pre-ionization, and a 1.5 MA, 200 kJ main-theta coil bank. Maxwell rail gap plasma switches are used to start the PI bank, the main theta coil bank, and to crowbar the main bank. Initial results using the first diagnostic set of excluded flux loops, B-dot probes, visible light diodes, a fiber-optically coupled gated intensified visible spectrometer, and a 3.3 micron quadrature interferometer are presented. Future diagnostics include end-on bolometry, Thomson scattering, and a multi-chord fanned HeNe side-on interferometer. Multi-turn cusp and guide coils will be added later this year, to enable translation experiments into a cylindrical metal liner

High-density FRC formation studies on FRX-L.

FRX-L (Field Reversed configuration experiment - Liner) is a magnetized-target injector for magnetized target fusion (MTF) experiments. It was designed with the goal of producing high-density n-1017 cm3 field reversed configurations (FRCs) and translating them into an aluminum liner (1-mm thick, 10-cm diameter cylindrical shell) for further compression to fusion conditions. Although operation at these high densities leads to shorter FRC lifetimes, our application requires thlat the plasma live only long enough to be translated and compressed, or on the order of 10-20 ps. Careful study of FRC formation in situ will be done in the present experiment to differentiate between effects introduced in future experiments by translation, trapping, and compression of the FRC. We present current results on the optimization of the FRC formation process on RX-L and compare the results with those from past experiments