The central post is one of the critical components for the low aspect ratio tokamak, which endures not only a tremendous ohmic heating because it carries a rather high current, but also a large neutron heating and irradiation owing to the plasma operation. The DS copper alloy Glidcop AL-25[8] was chosen as the conductor material for its adequate mechanical properties and physics properties. The central post has a cylindrical structure with lots of cooling channels. The length of the central post for the next generation of nuclear fusion spherical tokamaks will be more than 10 m or 20 m. The structural stability is very crucial. When the applied load is larger than the structure critical buckling load, the device will lose its stability and collapse. In order to calculate the critical buckling load, a 1/6-segment finite element model was used and the force acting on the central post was simulated. The results showed that the vertical compressive stresses mainly affect the stability of the central post. The linear buckling analysis results with finite element method based on small deformation theory were given in this paper. The relation curves and functions for buckling factor, depending on the different lengths and the radius of the central post, the diameter of cooling channel and the maximum allowable current density, were also shown.
EAST （experimental advanced superconducting tokamak） is an advanced steadystate plasma physics experimental device, which is being constructed as the Chinese National Nuclear Fusion Research Project. During the plasma operation the vacuum vessel as one of the key component will withstand the electromagnetic force due to the plasma disruption, the Halo current and the toroidal field coil quench, the pressure of boride water and the thermal load due to 250℃ baking by pressurized nitrogen gas. In this paper a report of the static and dynamic mechanical analyses of the vacuum vessel is made. Firstly the applied loads on the vacuum vessel were given and the static stress distribution under the gravitational loads, the pressure loads, the electromagnetic loads and thermal loads were investigated. Then a series of primary dynamic, buckling and fatigue life analyses were performed to predict the structure＇s dynamic behavior. A seismic analysis was also conducted.
Modal analysis and seismic response analysis were carried out for the equatorial diagnostic port plug of international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER). The aim of the theoretical analysis is to verify structural strength and reliability of the device. The working condition includes one-dimensional seismic wave and two-dimensional seismic wave. Modal analysis of the device shows that primary vibration is inclined to occur in low-order modes. The horizontal (X-direction, Y-direction) maximum vibration appears at the first and the fourth eigen modes, with the natural frequency of 70.59 and 215.88 Hz respectively, and the vertical (Z-direction) primary vibration appears at the second eigen mode with the natural frequency of 82.85 Hz. According to the results of the finite element analysis (FEA) program, the weak portions of the device are distributed in the joint of port body with blanket shielding module (BSM) and inner side wall of ribbed plate for lifting flange, the maximum von Mises stress is 14.8 MPa with the Y-direction seismic wave. In accordance with the design criteria, the destructive effect is far below the failure boundary, and the structural reliability of the equatorial diagnostic port plug can meet the requirements of the design specifications.
