Enhanced performances for long pulses on Tore Supra

Among the large tokamaks in operation around the world, Tore Supra has the unique feature of a superconducting magnet which provides a permanent toroidal field. Its main axis of research are therefore concentrated on the control of multi-megawatt plasmas during long duration, with the steady-state as ultimate goal. Both lower hybrid and fast waves are used to drive the current. Enhanced performances related to current profile shaping have been intensively studied. Injecting several megawatts during several tens of seconds necessitates handling considerable levels of power and energy. Consequently, the Tore-Supra inner vessel is equipped with several water cooled elements which interact with the plasma. A world record in injected energy was achieved in 1996 with 280 MJ during a two minute shot. Very long evolution times are then put in evidence in plasma wall interaction physics.