Conceptual analysis and design of NSTX vacuum vessel and support structures

Author

Fan, H.M. ; Ono, M. ; Sheffield, G. ; Bialek, J. ; Robinson, J.

Author_Institution

Plasma Phys. Lab., Princeton Univ., NJ, USA

Volume

2

fYear

1995

fDate

30 Sep-5 Oct 1995

Firstpage

1438

Abstract

The National Spherical Tokamak Experiment is a low-aspect-ratio tokamak facility currently in the conceptual design phase. The vacuum vessel, in addition to provides a high vacuum chamber for plasma experiments, also serves as a load-carrying element for supporting the center stack, the external poloidal field coils, and the toroidal field coils. Design requirements and structural considerations for the vacuum vessel and its support structure were described in the paper. Structural responses were calculated using the finite element method. Various loading conditions including in the analyses are dead weight, static electromagnetic loads, plasma disruptions, bakeout thermal effects, vacuum pressure, seismic excitations, and simultaneously occurrence of such loadings

Keywords

Tokamak devices; fusion reactor design; fusion reactors; vacuum apparatus; NSTX vacuum vessel; National Spherical Tokamak Experiment; bakeout thermal effects; conceptual analysis; conceptual design phase; dead weight; external poloidal field coils; finite element method; high vacuum chamber; load-carrying element; low-aspect-ratio tokamak; plasma disruptions; seismic excitations; static electromagnetic loads; structural considerations; support structures; toroidal field coils; vacuum pressure; Assembly; Coils; Costs; Finite element methods; Leg; Plasmas; Ribs; Safety; Stress; Tokamaks;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Fusion Engineering, 1995. SOFE '95. Seeking a New Energy Era., 16th IEEE/NPSS Symposium

Conference_Location

Champaign, IL

Print_ISBN

0-7803-2969-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/FUSION.1995.534495

Filename

534495