The ARIES-III D-3He tokamak-reactor study

A description of the ARIES-III research effort is presented, and the general features of the ARIES-III reactor are described. The plasma engineering and fusion-power-core design are summarized, including the major results, the key technical issues, and the central conclusions. Analyses have shown that the plasma power-balance window for D-³ He tokamak reactors is small and requires a first wall (or coating) that is highly reflective to synchrotron radiation and small values of τ_ash/ε_e (the ratio of ash-particle to energy confinement times in the core plasma). Both first and second stability regimes of operation have been considered. The second stability regime is chosen for the ARIES-III design point because the reactor can operate at a higher value of τ_ash/τ _E/τ_E≃2 (twice that of a first stability version), and because it has a reduced plasma current (30 MA), magnetic field at the coil (14 T), mass, and cost (also compared to a first-stability D-³He reactor). The major and minor radii are, respectively 7.5 and 2.5 m