TIBER: Tokamak ignition/burn experimental research

As part of a continuing effort by the Office of Fusion Energy to define an ignition experiment, a superconducting tokamak has been designed with thin neutron shielding and aggressive magnet and plasma parameters. By so minimizing the inner radial dimensions of the tokamak center post, coil, and shielding region, the plasma major radius is reduced, with a corresponding reduction in device costs. The peak nuclear-heating rate in the superconducting TF coils is 22 mW/cm, which results in a steady heat load of 50 kW to the cryogenic system. Fast-wave, lower-hybrid heating would be used to induce a 10-MA current in a moderate density plasma. Then pellet fueling would raise the density to achieve ignition as the current decays in a few hundred seconds. Steady-state current drive in subignited conditions permits a 0.8 MW/m average wall loading to study plasma and nuclear engineering effects.