FIRE, A Next Step Option for Magnetic Fusion

The next major frontier in magnetic fusion physics is to explore and understand the strong nonlinear coupling among confinement, MHD stability, self-heating, edge physics, and wave-particle interactions that is fundamental to fusion plasma behavior. The Fusion Ignition Research Experiment (FIRE) Design Study has been undertaken to define the lowest cost facility to attain, explore, understand, and optimize magnetically confined fusion-dominated plasmas. The FIRE is envisioned as an extension of the existing Advanced Tokamak Program that could lead to an attractive magnetic fusion reactor. The FIRE activities have focused on the physics and engineering assessment of a compact, high-field tokamak with the capability of achieving Q approximately equal to 10 in the ELMy H-mode for a duration of about 1.5 plasma current redistribution times (skin times) during an initial burning-plasma science phase, and the flexibility to add Advanced Tokamak hardware (e.g., lower-hybrid current drive) later. The configuration chosen for FIRE is similar to that of ARIES-RS, the U.S. Fusion Power Plant study utilizing an Advanced Tokamak reactor. The key ''Advanced Tokamak'' features are: strong plasma shaping, double-null pumping divertors, low toroidal field ripple (<0.3%), internal control coils, and space for wall stabilization capabilities. The reference design point is R subscript ''o'' = 2.14 m, a = 0.595 m, B subscript ''t''(R subscript ''o'') = 10 T, I subscript ''p'' = 7.7 MA with a flattop time of 20 s for 150 MW of fusion power. The baseline magnetic fields and pulse lengths can be provided by wedged BeCu/OFHC toroidal-field (TF) coils and OFHC poloidal-field (PF) coils that are pre-cooled to 80 K prior to the pulse and allowed to warm up to 373 K at the end of the pulse. A longer-term goal of FIRE is to explore Advanced Tokamak regimes sustained by noninductive current drive (e.g., lower-hybrid current drive) at high fusion gain (Q > 5) for a duration of 1 to 3 current redistribution times