New Scalings of Energy Confinement Time of RFP Plasmas and the Extrapolation to Reactor Relevant Region.

Abstract

Data bases of reversed field pinch (RFP) plasma have been gradually accumulated by recent experiments of several RFP devices. New confinement scalings τX(X=RFPs1)E=0.024Aa2IP/P1/2heat, τX(X=RFPs2)E=0.04s(IN)Aa2I1.25P/P1/2heat which are consistent to the recent data are presented, where units are in [s], [m], [MA] and [MW] respectively and s(IN) is a correction function of IN≡IP/πa2‹ne›20). From the standpoint of new scalings, dependences among parameters of possible RFP reactors are analyzed to find the conditions for RFP reactors. Hs1 Hs2 are defined by the ratios of necessary energy confinement time for RFP reactors for burning against τX(X=RFPs1) and τX(X=RFPs2) respectively. When confinement time follows τX(X=RFPs1)E scaling, confinement enhancement factor of at least Hs1=23 is necessary for RFP reactors to be realistic. When confinement time follows τX(X=RFPs2)E scaling, data points in IP-a space of RFP reactors are within the region of target.