[en] This paper describes and details the design, the tasks, and the considerations for the mechanical and electrical installation of the TFTR Tritium Purification System (TPS) at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). Canadian Fusion Fuels Technology Project (CFFTP) designed, fabricated, assembled and tested the Tritium Purification System in Ontario, Canada. After system tests were accepted by Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, the assembled components were disassembled into a set of subassemblies and were shipped to PPPL. The subassemblies were reassembled at PPPL and installed primarily in the Decon Facility. The original site selection was within the TFTR tritium processing area and that selection impacted the column design. The Decon Facility was later chosen to permit a better layout of equipment and improved access for installation personnel. Selection of the Decon Facility site resulted in longer line runs for most of the process streams including the tritium product line. The initial review of the proposed installation was conducted during September of 1994 and the System Integrated Test began during April 1995, subsequent to a successful Operational Readiness Assessment conducted during March of 1995

[en] The Tomamak Fusion Test reactor has performed initial high-power experiments with the plasma fueled with nominally equal densities of deuterium and tritium. Compared to pure deuterium plasmas, the energy stored in the electron and ions increased by ∼20%. These increases indicate improvements in confinement associated with the use of tritium and possibly heating of electrons by α particles created by the D-T fusion reactions

[en] A peak fusion power production of 9.3±0.7 MW has been achieved on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) in deuterium plasmas heated by co and counter injected deuterium and tritium neutral beams with a total power of 33.7 MW. The ratio of fusion power output to heating power input is 0.27. At the time of the highest neutron flux the plasma conditions are: T_e(0)=11.5 keV, T_i(0)=44 keV, n_e(0)=8.5x10¹⁹ m^-3, and left-angle Z_eff right-angle=2.2 giving τ_E=0.24 s. These conditions are similar to those found in the highest confinement deuterium plasmas. The measured D-T neutron yield is within 7% of computer code estimates based on profile measurements and within experimental uncertainties. These plasmas have an inferred central fusion alpha fraction of 0.2% and central fusion power density of 2 MW/m³ similar to that expected in a fusion reactor. Even though the alpha velocity exceeds the Alfven velocity throughout the time of high neutron output in most high power plasmas, MHD activity is similar to that in comparable deuterium plasmas and Alfven wave activity is low. The measured loss rate of energetic alpha particles is about 3% of the total as expected from alphas which are born on unconfined orbits. Compared to pure deuterium plasmas with similar externally applied conditions, the stored energy in electrons and ions is about 25% higher indicating improvements in confinement associated with D-T plasmas and consistent with modest electron heating expected from alpha particles. ICRF heating of D-T plasmas using up to 5.5 MW has resulted in 10 keV increases in central ion and 2.5 keV increases in central electron temperatures in relatively good agreement with code predictions. In these cases heating on the magnetic axis at 2Ω_T gave up to 80% of the ICRF energy to ions. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

[en] The final hardware modifications for tritium operation have been completed for the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) [Fusion Technol. 21, 1324 (1992)]. These activities include preparation of the tritium gas handling system, installation of additional neutron shielding, conversion of the toroidal field coil cooling system from water to a Fluorinert^TM system, modification of the vacuum system to handle tritium, preparation, and testing of the neutral beam system for tritium operation and a final deuterium--deuterium (D--D) run to simulate expected deuterium--tritium (D--T) operation. Testing of the tritium system with low concentration tritium has successfully begun. Simulation of trace and high power D--T experiments using D--D have been performed. The physics objectives of D--T operation are production of ∼10 MW of fusion power, evaluation of confinement, and heating in deuterium--tritium plasmas, evaluation of α-particle heating of electrons, and collective effects driven by alpha particles and testing of diagnostics for confined α particles. Experimental results and theoretical modeling in support of the D--T experiments are reviewed

[en] Peak fusion power production of 6.2±0.4 MW has been achieved in TFTR plasmas heated by deuterium and tritium neutral beams at a total power of 29.5 MW. These plasmas have an inferred central fusion alpha particle density of 1.2x10¹⁷ m^-3 without the appearance of either disruptive magnetohydrodynamics events or detectable changes in Alfven wave activity. The measured loss rate of energetic alpha particles agreed with the approximately 5% losses expected from alpha particles which are born on unconfined orbits