Abstract For use in a tokamak fusion reactor having a midplane magnetic coil on the inner wall of an evacuated toriodal chamber within which a neutral beam heated, fusing plasma is magnetically confined, a neutral beam armor shield and plasma limiter is provided on the inner wall of the toroidal chamber to shield the midplane coil from neutral beam shine-thru and plasma deposition. The armor shield/plasma limiter forms a semicircular enclosure around the midplane coil with the outer surface of the armor shield/plasma limiter shaped to match, as closely as practical, the inner limiting magnetic flux surface of the toroidally confined, indented, bean-shaped plasma. The armor shield/plasma limiter includes a plurality of semicircular graphite plates each having a pair of coupled upper and lower sections with each plate positioned in intimate contact with an adjacent plate on each side thereof so as to form a closed, planar structure around the entire outer periphery of the circular midplane coil. The upper and lower plate sections are adapted for coupling to heat sensing thermocouples and to a circulating water conduit system for cooling the armor shield/plasma limiter.The inner center portion of each graphite plate is adapted to receive and enclose a section of a circular diagnostic magnetic flux loop so as to minimize the power from the plasma confinement chamber incident upon the flux loop.
In a tokamak fusion reactor having a plurality of coils including a midplane coil for generating a magnetic field within an evacuated toroidal chamber having an inner wall and wherein is confined a toroidal plasma into which is directed a beam of high energy neutral particles for energizing said plasma, said tokamak reactor further including a midplane diagnostic magnetic flux loop for analyzing said plasma, an armor shield and plasma limiter for shielding said midplane coil from said neutral particle beam and for forming said plasma into an indented, bean-shaped configuration comprising: a plurality of plates mounted to the inner wall of the plasma chamber about at least a portion of the length thereof and positioned immediately adjacent to and around the outer periphery of the midplane coil along at least a portion of the length thereof, wherein each of said plates is positioned in lateral abutting contact with at least one other plate so as to form a generally planar, closed structure around at least a portion of the length of the midplane coil, wherein each of said plates includes: an upper section having upper and lower end portions and including a generally one quarter circular outer portion directed toward the plasma chamber and an inner recessed portion directed toward the inner wall; and a lower section having upper and lower end portions and including a generally one quarter circular outer portion directed toward the plasma chamber and an inner recessed portion directed toward the inner wall, wherein the lower end portion of said upper section is positioned in abutting contact with the upper end portion of said lower section along the midplane of the tokamak rector so as to define a channel between said upper and lower sections within which is positioned the diagnostic magnetic flux loop and to form a generally semi-circular plate having an outer circular portion in contact with the plasma and an inner recessed portion within which is positioned the midplane coil for shielding from the neutral particle beam.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
335 words
In a tokamak fusion reactor having a plurality of coils including a midplane coil for generating a magnetic field within an evacuated toroidal chamber having an inner wall and wherein is confined a toroidal plasma into which is directed a beam of high energy neutral particles for energizing said plasma, said tokamak reactor further including a midplane diagnostic magnetic flux loop for analyzing said plasma, an armor shield and plasma limiter for shielding said midplane coil from said neutral particle beam and for forming said plasma into an indented, bean-shaped configuration comprising: a plurality of plates mounted to the inner wall of the plasma chamber about at least a portion of the length thereof and positioned immediately adjacent to and around the outer periphery of the midplane coil along at least a portion of the length thereof, wherein each of said plates is positioned in lateral abutting contact with at least one other plate so as to form a generally planar, closed structure around at least a portion of the length of the midplane coil, wherein each of said plates includes: an upper section having upper and lower end portions and including a generally one quarter circular outer portion directed toward the plasma chamber and an inner recessed portion directed toward the inner wall; and a lower section having upper and lower end portions and including a generally one quarter circular outer portion directed toward the plasma chamber and an inner recessed portion directed toward the inner wall, wherein the lower end portion of said upper section is positioned in abutting contact with the upper end portion of said lower section along the midplane of the tokamak rector so as to define a channel between said upper and lower sections within which is positioned the diagnostic magnetic flux loop and to form a generally semi-circular plate having an outer circular portion in contact with the plasma and an inner recessed portion within which is positioned the midplane coil for shielding from the neutral particle beam.