Toroidal fusion reactor design based on the reversed-field pinch

The toroidal reversed-field pinch (RFP) achieves gross equilibrium and stability with a ccxnbination of high shear and wall stabilization, rather than the inposition of tokamak-like q-constraints. Consequently, confinemoit is provided primarily by poloidal magnetic fields, poloidal betas as large as — 0.58 are obtainable, the high ohmic-heating (toroidal) current densities premise a sole means of heating a D-T plasma to ignitiai, and the plasma aspect ratio is not limited by stability/equilibrium constraints. A reactor-like plasma model has been developed in order to quantify and to assess the general features of a power system based ipcn RFP confinement. An "operating point" has been generated cn the basis of this plasma model and a relatively detailed engineering energy balance. These results are used to generate a conceptual engineering model of the reversed-field pinch reactor (RFPR) which includes a general description of a 750 Mfe power plant and the preliminary consideration of vacuui^/fueling, first wall, blanket, magnet coils, iron core, and the energy storage/transfer system.