Operation of cryostat vacuum vessel of HT-7 superconducting tokamak

The superconducting tokamak HT-7 has been in operation for over 10 years. The safe and reliable operation of its cryostat vacuum vessel, which contains the superconducting coils is essential for each experimental run since the superconducting toroidal field coils are contained inside the vessel. In this paper, the operation is reviewed with the emphasis on the analysis on anomalous pressure rises and the corresponding solutions. It is shown that under close monitoring and timely handling, the cryostat vacuum vessel could still satisfy the requirements of the experimental operation despite of the material aging. This provides guideline for vacuum operating of HT-7. The experiences should be valuable for other superconducting projects as well, including a whole superconducting tokamak under construction, EAST.