Design of the quasi-poloidal stellarator experiment (QPS)

Abstract The Quasi-poloidal stellarator (QPS), currently in the early design phase, is a low-aspect-ratio (R/a=2.7), concept exploration experiment with a non-axisymmetric, near-poloidally-symmetric magnetic configuration. The QPS design parameters are 〈R〉=0.9 m, 〈a〉=0.33 m, B=1 T, and a 1 s pulse length. The QPS device will be located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Lyon et al. [ http://qps.fed.ornl.gov/pvr/pdf/qpsentire.pdf , 2001] describes the physics and engineering features in detail. The QPS device is estimated to require 4 years from start of design to first plasma in 2007.