S-1

The S-1 was a spheromak located at PPPL. Its main objective was to study confinement and MHD stability of the spheromak concept. It began operations in September 1983, after two operational prototypes were tested: Proto S-1A and Proto S-1C. During its operation, the toroidal plasma currents reached approximately 600 kA and maximum plasma electron temperatures up to 500 eV. The vacuum vessel was made of two stainless steel domes with a large viton seal between them. Its base pressure was around 10^-8 torr.

In 1987 S-1 was shut down for budgetary reasons. The studies of the effects of spheromak plasma compression could not be completed before the project ended.