PROPOSAL FOR A MAJOR MODIFICATION TO THE ISX TOKAMAK TO STUDY EQUILIBRIUM AND STABILITY OF EXTERNALLY HEATED HIGH β PLASMAS IN NONCIRCULAR GEOMETRY

摘要

The eventual use of tokamaks as economical fusion power generators will require the confinement of plasmas with values of β ≥ 5%. The ISX tokamak at Oak Ridge National Laboratory can be modified to study the equilibrium, stability, and transport of a plasma with β in the 3-5% range. This can be achieved by adding up to 3 MW of neutral beam injection power on the machine and by replacing the vacuum chamber and poloidal field coils. The design, cost, and schedule for the modification are covered in this proposal, in addition to the reasons for performing these experiments.