Prevention of the current quench phase of a major disruption in a tokamak reactor

The 2-D Tokamak Simulation Code written by the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory was joined to a 3-D eddy current code, which models periodic torus sectors. The combined system was found to be an efficient and accurate method for modeling the plasma/eddy current interaction during a major disruption. For modeling large highly compartmentalized structures, artificially increasing the self-inductance and limiting the mutual inductance of current elements were necessary to enhance numerical stability. Even with these modifications, a slowly growing instability made the results unreliable after 58 ms.

This model was used to demonstrate prevention of the current quench phase of a major disruption in INTOR. The average plasma temperature was reduced to 150 eV over 3 ms. The (outboard) breeding blanket structure was constructed of CuBeNi and was electrically connected between torus sectors. Disruption recovery coils were provided inboard of the inboard shield (linking the toroidal field coils). It was necessary to supply to these coils a total of 500 MW for 0.6 s and to reheat the plasma to full beta in 6 s. The calculation shows a method of recovery from the most severe disruption probable. Determining the severity of the disruption from which recovery would be cost effective is beyond the scope of this study.