Operational procedures for the fusion ignition experiment IGNITEX

The proposed IGNITEX device is an ohmically heated, high-field (20 T), single-turn-coil tokamak. The principal objective of the experiment is to produce and control ignited plasmas for scientific study in the simplest and most cost effective way possible. In this paper we discuss the operational procedures and experimental program planned for the project. The IGNITEX device will operate is a pulsed mode with each discharge lasting a total of 10 seconds of which five seconds will be the flat-top of the discharge. The magnetic fields will be supplied by homopolar generators driving single-turn coils. The coils will be precooled with liquid nitrogen prior to the pulse and there will be no active cooling during the pulse. Approximately two hours will be required between each shot for re cooling of the magnet structure. The proposed experimental program is divided into three phases over a three-year time period. A detailed description of the experimental program is included in this paper