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International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
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Latest News
Argonne’s METL gears up to test more sodium fast reactor components
Argonne National Laboratory has successfully swapped out an aging cold trap in the sodium test loop called METL (Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop), the Department of Energy announced April 23. The upgrade is the first of its kind in the United States in more than 30 years, according to the DOE, and will help test components and operations for the sodium-cooled fast reactors being developed now.
Yuichi Ogawa et al.
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 47 | Number 1 | January 2005 | Pages 63-70
Technical Paper | Open Magnetic Systems for Plasma Confinement | doi.org/10.13182/FST05-A609
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Self-organization related with relaxation phenomenon is playing an important role in various aspects of magnetic confined plasmas. Recently a relaxation theory including the plasma flow has been developed by Mahajan-Yoshida, and a new relaxation state has been identified. The two-fluid relaxation condition is given by + (V/VA)2 = const. To study a self-organized structure with strong plasma flow, we have introduced an internal coil device. By inducing a radial electric field with appropriate methods, we could drive a toroidal plasma flow, and confine a high beta plasma in a core region. The internal coil device Mini-RT with a high temperature superconductor(HTS) coil(Rc=0.15m, Ic=50kA) has been constructed. The vacuum chamber is 1 m in diameter and ~0.7 m in height. The magnetic field strength near the internal coil is around 0.1 T, and a radio-frequency wave of 2.45 GHz is applied for the plasma production. We have started ECH plasma experiments with the coil supported mechanically. The electron density, which has a peak near the internal coil, is of order 1016 m-3, reaching the cut-off density of the microwave. While, the electron temperature is of order 10 eV with a broad profile. Estimated energy confinement time is of order 10-(5-6) sec. The levitation experiment of the HTS coil has been carried out. The position of the HTS coil is measured with laser sensors, and is feedback-controlled with the levitation coil current. We have succeeded to levitating the HTS coil during one hour with an accuracy of less than 20 m. A preliminary experiment for the plasma production at the floating condition of the HTS coil has been initiated. It is affirmed that the levitation system works well and plasma with separatrix configuration is produced.
