Cryogenic Considerations for Superconducting Magnet System Design for the Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX)

Abstract

The Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX) has been proposed as a facility to address plasma material interaction knowledge gaps to qualify and develop materials and technologies that surround plasma environments for future fusion reactors. Utilizing different radio-frequency (rf) heating technologies, MPEX is a linear plasma device that will generate fusion reactor–like plasmas with energies and particle fluxes at the target materials with electron temperatures of 1 to 15 eV, electron densities of 10 20 to 10 21 m −3 , and ion fluxes greater than 10 24 m −2 s −1 . Starting with the MPEX requirements with respect to magnetic fields between 0.1 and 2.5 T and warm bores of either 0.65 m or 1.56 m, conceptual designs for a superconducting magnet system have been developed that utilize multiple NbTi windings distributed across seven cryostats to accommodate rf heating, water cooling, and vacuum systems needed for MPEX. While the cryogenic and magnet technologies relative to the field and space requirements are mature, the integration of these technologies across multiple cryostats presents several technical and logistical challenges. An analysis of the preferred refrigeration approach, modular recondensing liquid helium cryocoolers, was performed. Utilizing a design margin of a factor of two, this approach is feasible within the current design requirements for MPEX with some considerations related to its implementation within the thermal shields and the magnet subsystem geometries.