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Events on Monday, April 15th, 2019

Overview of TAE Technologies’ Norman/C-2W Field-Reversed Configuration Experiments
Time: 12:05 pm
Place: 2241 Chamberlin Hall
Speaker: Hiroshi Gota, TAE Technologies
Abstract: TAE Technologies (formerly named “Tri Alpha Energy”) is based out of state-of-the-art plasma research facilities in California. Over the last 20 years, TAE has continued to build on our early technology and evolve our advanced beam-driven field-reversed configuration (FRC) approach to realize/develop a commercially competitive clean fusion energy. An FRC is a prolate compact toroid (CT) that has many attractive features such as extremely high β value, simple axisymmetric geometry, unrestricted natural divertor, and potentially enabling the use of advanced, aneutronic fuels. The newly constructed C-2W experimental device (also called “Norman”) is the world’s largest CT device and has the following key system upgrades from the preceding C-2U device: (i) higher injected power, optimum and tunable energies, and extended pulse duration of the neutral-beam injection (NBI) system; (ii) installation of inner divertors with upgraded edge-biasing systems; (iii) fast external equilibrium/mirror-coil current ramp-up capability; (iv) installation of trim/saddle coils for active feedback control of the FRC plasma; and (v) extensive upgrade/expansion of plasma diagnostic capability. C-2W has produced dramatically improved initial FRC parameters (good target for effective NBI), thus producing better FRC performance overall compared to C-2U; e.g. higher temperatures (initially and later in a discharge), longer lived plasmas. This talk will review highlights of the C-2W program as well as recently obtained experimental results.
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