EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY ON ELECTROMAGNETIC-INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PLASMAS AND A VACUUM VESSEL DURING DISRUPTIONS IN THE HITACHI TOKAMAK HT-2

Electromagnetic interactions between plasmas and a vacuum vessel during disruptions are examined experimentally in the Hitachi tokamak HT-2. Eddy currents which flow in the toroidal direction and poloidal coil currents are determined from the measured magnetic data. The currents enable calculation of the electromagnetic force on the vacuum vessel and resistively dissipated magnetic energy. Eddy currents and electromagnetic forces are mainly due to the plasma displacement (shell effect), not decay of the plasma current. Large plasma current quench rate -dIP/dt is associated with scraping of the plasma by the inner limiter through the rapid plasma radial movement, and the decay rate in circular plasma is twice as large as that in elongated plasma. The magnetic energy dissipation is mainly due to the eddy current of the net toroidal current mode which is induced by large current quench rate. © 1990 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.