MEPhI scientists are upgrading the small spherical tokamak MEPHIST-0. According to them, it allows providing remote research works, including students from other universities. The tokamak is a toroidal chamber for magnetic confinement of hot plasma. The device creates conditions for the flow of controlled thermonuclear fusion that can be an inexhaustible power source in the future.
According to Stepan Krat, Researcher of Department of Plasma Physics, Institute for Laser and Plasma Technologies MEPhI, the MIFIST-0 tokamak is controlled “by the switch." at the moment. There is no remote control system (via the Internet), part of data collecting is also performed on devices that do not allow direct data output to remote storage.
“For tokamak control, we are developing, creating, and testing multichannel synchronization and charging units controlled by network protocols. We are developing a network architecture for connecting to a software environment for the development and launch of distributed control systems for scientific and experimental EPICS installations, used to control ITER. We are implementing digital remote control of equipment that does not have it by default (for example, it has analog outputs)," he commented.
The scientist noted that the developed device - the MIFIST-0 tokamak - helps to transfer the educational process to a completely new level. "Until recent times, related to controlled thermonuclear fusion (CTF) lectures and seminars were not supported by laboratory sessions. The creation of this tokamak gives an invaluable experience to researchers and allows including this equipment in the educational process”, Stephan Krat said.
Students who participate in the modernization within the framework of educational and research work are acquainted with the methods of diagnostics of the TCF plasma, the principles of tokamaks operation, and its construction. In the future, they will be able to work on international project ITER, as well as enterprises and instituted involved in the federal project "Technology of controlled thermonuclear fusion and innovative plasma technologies".
Besides, scientists noted that after upgrading the tokamak science intensity will increase dramatically: it will be possible to obtain fundamentally new data on plasma physics on it. “We are working on the upgrading of a toroidal solenoid (toroidal field coils) which is necessary to achieve higher, potentially record-breaking for this class of tokamaks, magnetic fields. In turn, it gives hope to obtain new results on plasma parameters. A system for heating plasma by electromagnetic waves is also being developed, and we are working on the creation of the second tokamak MIFIST-1 ", Stephan Krat commented.
It is planned to create an educational and scientific center on the subject of TCB at the international level. Potentially, tokamak can go into production in a small series and be delivered to universities in Russia and other countries.
Tokamak MIFIST-0 was created by a team of young scientists from MEPhI, the leadership of the Department of Plasma Physics and the Institute of Laser and Plasma Technologies (LaPlaz) MEPhI, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and State Corporation ROSATOM represented by AO Science and Innovations.
Source: RIA Novosti (In Russian)
