INDUSTRIAL VISIT REPORT
Place Visited: INSTITUTE FOR PLASMA RESEARCH, BHAT,GANDHINAGAR,
INDIA-382428
Date: 10th February 2012 Time: 10.00 a.m to 2.30 p.m
Accompanying Faculty: Mr. S.C. Katiyar , Mr. Santhosh Kumar Sir,
Persons Met : Dr. C.V.S. Rao, Mr. Mitun
Significant Learning:
Im really grateful to PM Dimensions for having conducted an Industrial
Visit to INSTITUTE FOR PLASMA RESEARCH, BHAT, GANDHINAGAR.
I had a great time in the industry watching all the operations going on. In our
one day trip, I have seen all the sections in the industry.
They were:
Radioisotope Laboratory
Neutron Detection Room
Tritium Control Room
Gamma Spectroscopy
Neutron Generator Hall
Chiller
Particle accelerator
Vaccum System
Isolation Transformer
Ion guide and Tritium Target
Aditya Tokamak (Studies on high temperature magnetically confined
plasmas)
About IPR
The Institute for Plasma Research can trace its roots back to early 1970's when a
coherent and interactive programme of theoretical and experimental studies in
plasma physics with an orientation towards understanding space plasma
phenomena was established at the Physical Research laboratory. The early
studies were on simulation of E x B instabilities characteristic of the equatorial
electrojet, plasma-neutral gas interaction with relevance to the cometary
plasma-solar wind interaction and single particle confinement in non-adiabatic
magnetic mirrors. Experiments on non-linear ion acoustic waves and double
layers were added later. High power plasma experiments using intense electron
beams to form compact toroids and electron rings in toroidal devices started in
1978 reflected a re-orientation to fusion-relevant experiments..
With the decision to build the second generation superconducting steady state
tokamak SST-1 capable of 1000 second operation in 1995, the institute grew
rapidly and came under the administrative umbrella of the Department of
Atomic Energy. Major new programmes in pulsed power, advanced diagnostics,
computer modelling, development of RF and neutral beam heating systems etc.
also came into being. The industrial plasma activities were reorganised under
the Facilitation Centre for Industrial Plasma Technologies and moved to a
separate campus in Gandhinagar in 1998.
IPR is now internationally recognized for its contributions to fundamental and
applied research in plasma physics and associated technologies. It has a
scientific and engineering manpower of 200 with core competency in theoretical
plasma physics, computer modeling, superconducting magnets and cryogenics,
ultra high vacuum, pulsed power, microwave and RF, computer-based control
and data acquisition and industrial, environmental and strategic plasma
applications.
Projects Going On:
ADITYA,
ADITYA is the first indigenously designed and built tokamak of the
country. It was commissioned in 1989. ADITYA, a medium size
Tokamak, is being operated for over a decade. It has a major radius of
0.75m and minor radius of the plasma is 0.25 m. A maximum of 1.2 T
toroidal magnetic field is generated with the help of 20 toroidal field coils
spaced symmetrically in the toroidal direction. The major subsystems and
parameters of the machine have been described elsewhere.
ADITYA is regularly being operated with the transformer-converter
power system. ~100 msec 80 - 100 kA plasma discharges at toroidal field
of 8.0 kG are being regularly studied. During this period experiments on
edge plasma fluctuations, turbulence and other related works have been
conducted. Standard diagnostics have been employed during these
measurements
ADITYA has been upgraded. Upgradation has been in different fronts. Vacuum
system has been upgraded interms of more cleaning facilities. As found earlier,
successful breakdown and startup require compensation of the error magnetic
fields in the first few milliseconds. This is accomplished using the four fast
feedback coils connected to give a radial magnetic field. Recent measurements
of the magnetic fields due to the TR coils and BV coils also indicate the need
for compensation of the error fields. The compensation also helped in
improving the operating pressure range, which has the beneficial effect of
reducing hard x-rays during the discharge. Plasma current feedback on the loop
voltage and vertical field also is implemented.
Some more diagnostics have been integrated and made on-line. Some are in the
design/fabrication phase. To increase the plasma energy content during the
discharge, auxiliary heating systems have been integrated. A 20 - 40 MHz, 200
KW Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ICRH) system has been integrated to
ADITYA vacuum vessel and successfully operated in the last campaign. A 28
GHz, 200 KW gyrotron based electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH)
system has also been successfully commissioned on ADITYA tokamak. Some
neural network analysis to predict disruptions and density limit on ADITYA
have also been performed.
Super State Superconducting Tokamak,
A steady state superconducting tokamak SST-1 is under design and
fabrication at the Institute for Plasma Research. The objectives of SST-1
include studying the physics of the plasma processes in tokamak under
steady state conditions and learning technologies related to the steady
state operation of the tokamak. These studies are expected to contribute to
the tokamak physics database for very long pulse operations. The SST-1
tokamak is a large aspect ratio tokamak, configured to run double null
diverted plasmas with significant elongation (k) and triangularity (d).
Superconducting (SC) coils for both toroidal field (TF) and Poloidal Field
(PF) are to be deployed in the SST-1 tokamak.An ultra high vacuum
(UHV) compatible vacuum vessel, placed in the bore of the TF coils,
houses the plasma facing components (PFC). A high vacuum cryostat
encloses all the SC coils and the vacuum vessel. Liquid Nitrogen (LN2)
cooled thermal shield between the vacuum vessel & SC coils as well as
between cryostat and the SC coils reduce the radiation heat load on the
SC coils. Normal conductor ohmic transformer system is provided to
initiate the plasma and sustain the current for initial period. A pair of
vertical field coils is provided for circular plasma equilibrium at the
startup stage of the plasma. A set of saddle coils placed inside the vacuum
vessel provide fast vertical control of the plasma while PF coils are to be
used for shape control. Other subsystems include radio frequency (RF)
systems for pre-ionization, auxiliary current drive and heating, neutral
beam injection (NBI) system for supplementary heating, cryogenic
systems at liquid helium (LHe) and LN2temperatures, chilled water
system for heat removal from various subsystems. A large number of
diagnostics for plasma and machine monitoring will be deployed along
with a distributed data acquisition and control system.
Basic Plasma Physics Experiments
A number of basic plasma physics experiments are operational in IPR.
Some of the major experiments are Large volume plasma device (LVPD),
Free-Electron Laser (FEL) Experiment, Non-neutral toroidal plasma,
Dusty plasma experiments, plasma nitriding studies, plasma immersed
ion implantation, anode arc studies, radio frequency experiments etc.
In the LVPD experiments, detailed studies are being carried out on
excitation and propagation of whistler waves. In the FEL experiment,
sheet relativistic electron beam is propagated through a fifty period
electromagnet wiggler and radiation in microwave ferquency range is
observed. Study of dicotron instability and electron cloud behavior in
toroidal magnetic field is done in non-neutral plasma experiment.
Excitation of dust acoustic waves, formation of coulomb crystal etc is
studied in dusty palsma experiments. Physics of plasma -surface
interaction and wave-particle interaction is studied in plasma nitriding
and rf experiments respectively.
Facilitation Centre for Industrial Plasma technologies
The Facilitation Centre for Industrial Plasma Technologies links the
Institute for Plasma Research with the industry. The knowledge base in
plasma sciences and associated technologies is exploited to generate
advanced plasma based technologies for material processing and
environmental remediation.
FCIPT has a multi-disciplinary team of scientists and engineers with
expertise in plasma physics, plasma chemistry, metallurgy, material
sciences, power electronics and instrumentation.
Radio isotope laboratory
Working with non-encapsulated radioactive sources requires specific facilities
and equipment to ensure adequate safety and radiation protection for personnel
and for material and/or the environment and always within the legal regulations.
The radioisotope laboratory is authorized for handling and use of following
radioactive isotopes and maximum activities.
Laboratory of emitters: Room specially designed in terms of construction
materials and safety systems, equipped with furniture in stainless steel,
with peripheral rim taps and gerontology, showcases extracting gas for
working with beta and gamma emitters, armored cabinets for storage of
radioactive sources at 4 C and -20 and air handling unit separate from
the rest of the building.
Changing Room: Room for changing clothing and for the control of
radioactive contamination. It is equipped with lockers, "Feet and Hands"
personal monitor for radioactive contamination, eyewash emergency
shower and a system of containment of radioactive liquid effluents and
the required means to carry out personal decontamination.
Room Scintillation spectrometry: Room where they are located liquid
scintillation spectrometers and solid.
Radioactive waste storage: Room equipped with cabinets and shelves
with proper shielding to issuers present for temporary storage of
radioactive waste.
Neutron Generator Hall
In the hall of neutron generator there is the unique facility for on-line samples
analysis of various kind on the content of any kind hydrogen isotopes
and determination of hydrogen concentration profile in near-surface layer of
arbitrary materials.
To implement works on activation analysis of short-lived radionuclides has
been mounted the tube transfer system for transferring samples
after irradiated by neutrons in measuring instrument.
A laboratory for analysis using the neutron generator.
Laboratory for programming mathematical data processing.
A laboratory for processing the results of physical research using the
neutron generator.
ADITYA Tokamak
ADITYA is the first indigenously designed and built tokamak of the country. It
was commissioned in 1989. ADITYA, a medium size Tokamak, is being
operated for over a decade. It has a major radius of 0.75m and minor radius of
the plasma is 0.25 m. A maximum of 1.2 T toroidal magnetic field is generated
with the help of 20 toroidal field coils spaced symmetrically in the toroidal
direction. The major subsystems and parameters of the machine have been
described elsewhere.
ADITYA is regularly being operated with the transformer-converter power
system. ~100 msec 80 - 100 kA plasma discharges at toroidal field of 8.0 kG are
being regularly studied. During this period experiments on edge plasma
fluctuations, turbulence and other related works have been conducted. Standard
diagnostics have been employed during these measurements. Figure below
gives a view of ADITYA with the auxiliary heating systems attached to it.
ADITYA has been upgraded. Upgradation has been in different fronts. Vacuum
system has been upgraded interms of more cleaning facilities. As found earlier,
successful breakdown and startup require compensation of the error magnetic
fields in the first few milliseconds. This is accomplished using the four fast
feedback coils connected to give a radial magnetic field. Recent measurements
of the magnetic fields due to the TR coils and BV coils also indicate the need
for compensation of the error fields. The compensation also helped in
improving the operating pressure range, which has the beneficial effect of
reducing hard x-rays during the discharge. Plasma current feedback on the loop
voltage and vertical field also is implemented.
Some more diagnostics have been integrated and made on-line. Some are in the
design/fabrication phase. To increase the plasma energy content during the
discharge, auxiliary heating systems have been integrated. A 20 - 40 MHz, 200
KW Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ICRH) system has been integrated to
ADITYA vacuum vessel and successfully operated in the last campaign. A 28
GHz, 200 KW gyrotron based electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH)
system has also been successfully commissioned on ADITYA tokamak. Some
neural network analysis to predict disruptions and density limit on ADITYA
have also been performed.
Research areas:
The research areas can be broadly categorized into three activities :
Studies on high temperature magnetically confined plasmas (Current
work on high temperature magnetically confined plasmas is being
conducted in tokamak Aditya.)
Basic experiments in plasma physics including Free electron laser, dusty
plasmas and other nonlinear phenomena.
Industrial plasma processing and application
Conclusion:
It was a good experience altogether and contributed to a part in
understanding the course better. Some of which I had only learnt about in
lectures and never actually seen. It is easier to visualise and hence understand
the testing techniques, now I have seen some. this may not be directly linked to
my course but is still fascinating and added to my general knowledge. On a
personal level, it improved my relationship with my existing friends and also
got to know other students whom I never actually had a proper conversation
with.
It was really an exhilarating day for me in IPR. I once again express my
gratitude for PM Dimensions for conducting such a stupendous industrial visit
to INSTITUTE FOR PLASMA RESEARCH, BHAT,
GANDHINAGAR, INDIA.
Many Thanks to Dr.S.C.Katiyar, Mr.Santhosh, Mr.Vishal Agrawal
who were wonderful!
