Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma
From WOLFE@CMOD2.PFC.MIT.EDU Thu Oct 20 11:53:31 1994
Organization: MIT
Subject: Alcator C-MOD Weekly Highlights

Alcator C-MOD Weekly Highlights
October 20, 1994

The maintenance period is continuing this week. We continue to make excellent
progress toward our scheduled October pump-down.

All bus and coax connections to the coils in the upper half of the machine
were completed. The curved busses were connected to the main copper bus at the
bus tunnel. Insulation of the bus is complete. Hi-potting and ringing of the
coils and cold bus has been carried out.

The cryostat, including the transition to the bus tunnel, has been installed
and sealed. Gas purge of the cryogenics system will begin today. We now have
two PC's monitoring the CRYO PLC; response time to the PLC has been improved.

Working on the vacuum system is progressing well. All the main horizontal
flanges have been installed, with the exception of the two left open for
manned access. The pumping station has been installed and the turbopumps are
operating. All upper vertical teardrop adaptors have been installed, and the
upper and lower vertical port cross assemblies are going on.

In-vessel work is also proceeding well. The halo current shunts on the outer
divertor modules are being re-installed, following modifications to improve
their performance and reliability. The E-port ICRF antenna has been installed,
and the final installation of the D-port antenna is in progress. Baffles for
the Thomson scattering have been installed in the G-port verticals. The
divertor gas gauge cables have been hooked up.

Connection of the vessel heaters and thermocouples is in progress. All of the
lower heaters and TC's and most of those at the horizontal ports are now
connected. Checkout of the HEAT system is proceeding.

Routing of cables around the outside of the cryostat has been completed. Power
and lighting under the machine have been connected. The Northeast stairway to
the diagnostic stand is back in place. Re-installation of diagnostic systems
is underway.

All of the igloo blocks, except for those near the bus tunnel, are now in
place. The remaining blocks should be installed today.

Checkout of the power systems has begun in preparation for high-power testing
and operation.

Doug McCune of PPPL spent two days at Alcator this week, consulting on our use
of the TRANSP code. A mechanism has been established for PPPL to support the
modifications we have made to TRANSP including the interface to MDSplus and
the user interface. This will also facilitate the use of TRANSP at other
institutions, such as TCV, which also use MDSplus.