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(ICP/04) Experimental Results on STPC-E Machine with an Alternative Non-Inductive Current Drive

A. Sinman¹⁾, S. Sinman^1)
 
1) Middle East Technical University, Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department, Inönü Bulvari 06531 Ankara, Turkey

Abstract.  At the Maastricht Conference, A Paramagnetic Spherical Tokamak with Plasma Centerpost (STPC) machine consisting of the conceptual design and the computational experimental results, as well as the cross-sectional layout of the constructional properties of the STPC machine were presented. In this study, the preliminary experimental results and their assessment obtained from the STPC-E (experimental set-up version of STPC) machine whose building has recently been completed is given. In order to form and control the plasma core of a spherical tokamak in the STPC-E machine, a novel non-inductive current drive method is applied. In this method, an energetic pulse forming line and its direct coupling open circuit transverse termination have been connected to form the plasma core of a spherical tokamak. The measured basic plasma parameters of the STPC-E machine are: rms electron density, n_e^rms = 10²⁰ - 10²²m^{- 3} in confinement time, t_conf = 45 - 60ms, electron temperature, T_e = 30 - 45eV, average plasma current, $\langle$I_pl$\rangle$ = 1.5 - 1.8kA in helical form, maximum toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields B_t^max = 1.2kG, B_p^max = 0.8kG and sustainment time, t_st $\cong$ 10ms. Increasing the number of STPC-E machine's modules, it is possible to extend the sustainment time up to 100-120 ms orders.

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