Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma
From IRBY@CMOD2.PFC.MIT.EDU Tue Jun 11 22:19:05 1996
From: IRBY@CMOD2.PFC.MIT.EDU
Organization: MIT
Subject: Alcator C-MOD Weekly Highlights

Alcator C-MOD Weekly Highlights
June 11, 1996

The up-to-air continues. Progress has been made on the outer
divertor, diagnostics, RF systems, and alternator.
The remaining work on the outer divertor is now mainly a cleanup
and reassembly activity in preparation for final installation of the
ten modules. Fitups of the newly machined plates indicate that the
final installation will go smoothly. The divertor cryopump is being
re-installed in the vacuum test stand for high pressure pumping
speed tests. Installation of the pump in C-MOD is scheduled for early
next week following installation of its associated divertor module.
We have received the phase shifter and stub tuner for the new
RF transmitters. The stand for these new components is being designed.
The cavities from transmitter #3 and #4 have been removed in preparation for
installation of the tunable cavities when they arrive from PPPL. High voltage
stress cones are being installed in the high yard for the new RF systems.
The pressure transducers for the new TF upper arm cooling manifold
were finally delivered and are now installed. Paragon programming for the
new manifold is complete.
Strain gauges are being installed on the vessel inner wall. This
installation follows an intensive period of development and testing that was
required to produce gauges capable of operation during very high dB/dt
conditions. This new diagnostic will greatly enhance our ability
to understand the effects of disruptions on the vacuum
vessel (an ITER relevant activity).
A test of a prototype discharge cleaning electrode went well.
The electrode was run at full current for several hours in our vacuum test
stand. It remained at an allowable temperature, and provided a uniform glow
throughout the chamber. Two electrodes are planned for installation
during this break. A test fitup of the electrodes invessel also went
well, and the vacuum feethrough has been leak checked and is ready for
installation.
The startup procedure for the alternator has been completed
to the point of running the rotor at low speed. Full speed operation should
be obtained in a few days.
Joe Bartolick, Boris Grek, and Dave Johnson are here from PPPL working
on the edge Thomson scattering system (PPPL collaboration). The fiber
links for the computer and GPIB are installed and working. The
polychromator detector system has been operated, and the signal fibers are
being installed. The fiber bundles have been checked for broken fibers and
orientation inside the machine. The final laser mirror mount is installed
and the alignment beam has been brought as far as the internal input aperture.
The fast alignment fibers are installed and have been checked.
Bill Dorland, from the IFS at the University of Texas, spent two days
here to begin a collaboration on transport modelling. C-MOD data will
be compared to results of the IFS-PPPL transport theory.
Earl Marmar was at Berkeley last week at a review on inertial
confinement heavy ion beam drivers. Yuichi Takase attended the third
meeting of the Alternate Concepts Panel (sub-committee of FEAC SciCom)
in San Diego. Vinny Bertolino, Joe Bosco, and Sergey Andreyev visited
PPPL last week to discuss diagnostic neutral beam power systems and controls,
and the RF components due to arrive at MIT next month as part of the
PPPL collaboration. Tom Fredian and Josh Stillerman are at the Korean
Basic Science Center upgrading the center's MDS data system to MDSplus
and providing training for the new system.