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Fusion Science and Technology
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A year in orbit: ISS deployment tests radiation detectors for future space missions
The predawn darkness on a cool Florida night was shattered by the ignition of nine Merlin engines on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The thrust of the engines shook the ground miles away. From a distance, the rocket appeared to slowly rise above the horizon. For the cargo onboard, the launch was anything but gentle, as the ignition of liquid oxygen generated more than 1.5 million pounds of force. After the rocket had been out of sight for several minutes, the booster dramatically returned to Earth with several sonic booms in a captivating show of engineering designed to make space travel less expensive and more sustainable.
P. N. Maya, S. P. Deshpande
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 80 | Number 6 | August 2024 | Pages 741-765
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2023.2247854
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Parameter space for spherical tokamak reactors is explored quantitatively to elucidate the main constraints for spherical tokamak design choices. Using a constant plasma current Ip search constraint, a set of four Ip scenarios (5, 10, 15, and 20 MA) is first explored in a wide parameter space. Considering modest but gradually increasing auxiliary power, a set of four machine configurations (major radius = 1.25, 1.75, 2.25, and 3.5 m) is explored next, optimizing the Ip and the bootstrap fraction. Constraints that narrow down the vast parameter space are elaborated along with critical assumptions, such as current drive efficiency, H-mode enhancement factor, nuclear shielding efficiency, and confinement scaling. Limits on the current density of the center post and how it affects the shielding are quantitatively indicated, thereby setting a lower limit on the aspect ratio.