Design, Simulation, Analysis, Fabrication, and Testing of Toroidal Field Power Supply (TFPS) for Simple Tight Aspect Ratio Machine Assembly

A simple tight aspect ratio machine assembly (STARMA) device has been developed at the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), India. Design and development of toroidal field power supply (TFPS) for STARMA device is the main focus of this article. A super capacitor-based power supply is developed for toroidal field (TF) coil. Thyristor-controlled charging circuit is used for the super capacitor bank charging. The sizing and selection of super capacitor bank depends on the required pulse duration, current rating, and maximum allowable current droop for TF coil. High current inverter-grade thyristors are used as switching device in the discharge circuit. D-type commutation circuit is used to achieve the required pulse duration. The simulation results, fabrication details, and test results are discussed in this article.