Design and construction of Alborz tokamak vacuum vessel system

The Alborz tokamak is a D-shape cross section tokamak that is under construction in Amirkabir University of Technology. At the heart of the tokamak is the vacuum vessel and limiter which collectively are referred to as the vacuum vessel system. As one of the key components for the device, the vacuum vessel can provide ultra-high vacuum and clean environment for the plasma operation. The VV systems need upper and lower vertical ports, horizontal ports and oblique ports for diagnostics, vacuum pumping, gas puffing, and maintenance accesses. A limiter is a solid surface which defines the edge of the plasma and designed to protect the wall from the plasma, localizes the plasma–surface interaction and localizes the particle recycling. Basic structure analyses were confirmed by FEM model for dead weight, vacuum pressure and plasma disruptions loads. Stresses at general part of the VV body are lower than the structure material allowable stress (117 MPa) and this analysis show that the maximum stresses occur near the gravity support, and is about 98 MPa.

► The Alborz tokamak is a D-shape cross section tokamak that is under construction in Amirkabir University of Technology.
► As one of the key components for the device, the vacuum vessel can provide ultra-high vacuum and clean environment for the plasma operation.
► A limiter is a solid surface which defines the edge of the plasma and designed to protect the wall from the plasma, localizes the plasma–surface interaction and localizes the particle recycling.
► Structural analyses were confirmed by FEM model for dead weight, vacuum pressure and plasma disruptions loads.