1 IC/P6- 49 Experimental Study on a New Spherical Tokamak Configuration Scheme Employing a Spherical Snowplough S. Sinman 1), A. Sinman 2) 1) Middle East Technical University, Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department, Ankara, Turkey 2) Turkish Atomic Energy Authority, Nuclear Fusion Laboratory, Ankara, Turkey e-mail address of main author:
[email protected] Abstract. The aim of this study is to identify the physical bases of an alternative self-organization mechanism that exists on the STPC-EX machine and to determine complementary features with respect to present compact toroid concepts. Here, simplified operational properties of STPC-EX and the demonstration of spherical tokamak plasma (STP) creation using the spherical snowplough (SSP) by dual-axial z-pinch (DAZP) and/or self- reversed field pinch combined with DAZP are presented. The spherical tokamak plasma in the envelope of SSP is shaped relating to the m = 0 mode of DAZP. In this procedure, the basic objects to be characterised at the conventional STP are controlled by the principal structural geometry of the STPC-EX setup and previously selected reference data of the current-launcher. The main points achieved in this study are: aspect ratio = 1.2 - 1.6; averaged beta = 0.46 - 0.62; elongation = 4 - 6; triangularity = 0.42 - 0.58; sustainment time = 4.3 - 6.5 ms; energy confinement time = 45 - 136 ms; plasma temperature = 118-177 eV (irreversible heating by adiabatic compression); electron density = 1020- 1022 m-3. From the conceptual point of view this study has given a possible approach to the fission-fusion hybrids. 1. Introduction The issues related to a spherical tokamak plasma are similar to the fundamental themes of a classical tokamak such as transport, turbulence, equilibrium, MHD activities, configuration, effects and so on.