PHYSICS BASIS FOR A REVERSED SHEAR TOKAMAK POWER-PLANT

The reversed shear plasma configuration is examined as the basis for a tokamak fusion power plant. Analysis of plasma equilibrium and ideal MHD stability, bootstrap current and current drive, plasma vertical st ability and position control, divertor physics and plasma power balanc e are used to determine the operating point parameters that maximize f usion power density and minimize the recirculating power fraction. The final plasma configuration for the ARIES-RS power plant obtains beta of 4.96%, plasma driven current fraction of 91%, plasma current of 11. 3 MA, toroidal field of 8.0 T and major and minor radius of 5.5 and 1. 4 m. The current drive system utilizes fast wave, lower hybrid and hig h frequency fast wave current drive to obtain maximum current profile flexibility, requiring less than or equal to 80 MW of power. A diverto r solution is found which employs neon impurity injection to enhance t he radiation in the scrape-off layer (SOL) and divertor and results in a combined particle and heat load in the divertor of less than or equ al to 6 MW m(-2). The plasma is driven with a Q of 25 and is at a ther mally stable operating point. The plasma is assumed to be in an ELMy H -mode, with low amplitude and high frequency ELMs. (C) 1997 Elsevier S cience S.A. All rights reserved.