Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

In contrast to fission reactors, fusion reactors do not have large fuel inventory. (This is one of the reasons why fusion reactors cannot runaway.) In order to maintain burning plasma, fusion fuels have to be supplied externally to the core where fuels are needed most. The existing fueling technologies (e.g., pellet injection) are already encountering difficulties in core fueling even in the existing tokamaks. The potential inadequacy of the existing fueling methods in large fusion reactors has recently been realized at an IEA Workshop on Burning Plasmas. The expert panel recommended that an alternative technology be developed and stated that research on compact torus (CT) injection should be given serious consideration. The attractiveness of CT injection as a fueling means has been recognized for some time particularly in Canada where pioneering work was done on development of CT gun and the first disruption free injection in a tokamak.  In this application, funding is requested to bolster the CT project in the Plasma Physics Laboratory, University of Saskatchewan, where STOR-M, the only active Canadian tokamak, exists. Fueling technology for fusion reactors must meet stringent restrictions including small density perturbation and capability to control the local plasma pressure gradient in the core for the purpose of bootstrap current optimization. CT injection has a potential to meet the requirements.