M.V.A. amplifier for plasma position control by vertical magnetic field

The radial plasma position in the WEGA torus is controlled by a power amplifier, acting on the vertical magnetic field. Up to now the feedback loop contains, as amplifying elements, two 90 kW DC-transistor amplifiers, acting in push-pull operation. As increased plasma stability and lifetime is desirable, we have to increase the power amplifier to about 1 Megawatt. Industry offered a thyristor rectifier, operating at 50 or 300 Hz, and alternatively a thyristor chopper amplifier at a few kHz frequency response. Theses offers did not correspond to our demand, as far as response time, price and primary power requirements are concerned. We have implemented a bipolar switching-type amplifier (also called H-bridge converter) with the characteristics: time response < 0,05 ms., pulsed power = 1 MW (400 V, 2500 A), primary power = 2,5 kW. As power switch, a network of parallel high voltage transistors, driven by three transistor stages, has been chosen, to control a vertical magnetic field or +/- 180 G, with a precision of about one per cent. Precautions for transistor switches concerning mainly critical voltage, current, instantaneous power and selfoscillating behaviour have been taken. This systems corresponds to our demands