Tokamak à configuration variable

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Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV): inner view, with the graphite-claded torus. Courtesy of CRPP-EPFL, Association Suisse-Euratom

Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV): general view of the set-up. Courtesy of CRPP-EPFL, Association Suisse-Euratom

Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV), seen from above. Courtesy of CRPP-EPFL, Association Suisse-Euratom

The Tokamak à configuration variable ("variable configuration tokamak", TCV) is a research fusion reactor (tokamak) of the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne. Its particularity is that its torus section is three times higher than wide. This allows studying several shapes of plasmas, which is particularly relevant since the shape of the plasma has links to the performance of the reactor. The TCV was set up in November 1992.

[edit] Characteristics

• Plasma height : 1,40 metre
• Inferior radius : 0,48 metre
• Superior radius : 0,875 metre
• Plasma current : 1,2 MA
• Plasma life span: 2 seconds maximum
• Toroidal magnetic field : 1,43 teslas
• Additional heat : 4,5 MWatts

[edit] Main studies

• Confinement studies
  • confinement function of the shape of the plasma (triangulas, square or long)
  • Improvement of the confinement of the core
• Studies on vertically long plasmas
• Studies with EHCR and EHCD (Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating & Current Drive)

[edit] History

• 1976 : First proposal for an elongated tokamak by the "New Swiss Association"
• 1985 : Second proposal, with a more elongated tokamak
• 1986 : Acceptance of the TCV proposal (Tokamak à Configuration Variable)
• 1992 : First plasma discharge
• 1997 : World record of plasma elongation

[edit] See also

• Minh Quang Tran

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Tokamak à Configuration Variable

• TCV official site
• Images and videos