STRUCTURAL SUPPORT DESIGN METHOD FOR MINIMIZING IN-PLANE TORODIAL FIELD COIL STRESSES.

An analysis procedure is presented for minimizing the in-plane bending stresses in toroidal field (TF) coils through design of the center support structure. While maintaining the usual conceptual design assumptions of homogeneous thin beam theory and ignoring the effects of the out-of-plane support structure, the present effort focuses upon the in-plane electromagnetic load restraint system, thus complementing earlier works which considered coil shape as the primary design parameter. A simple method for determining the central support stiffness distribution, which greatly reduces the in-board TF coil stresses, is developed. Two numerical examples are given to demonstrate this method for future TF coil conceptual designs. This magnet is for use in tokamak devices.