page_title: T-15 (reactor)
hierarchical_section_title: T-15 (reactor)
caption_attribution_description: English: A USSR stamp, Science in USSR. The stamp displays the Tokamak T-15[1], built 1983-1988 and operated 1988-1995 in Moscow. It was the first installation to use superconducting niobium-tin conductors. Later in 2010 it was refurbished as T-15MD and may come back to life in 2019. Date of issue: 25th November 1987. Designer: A. Kernosov Michel catalogue numbers: 5774-5776. 5 K. sepia and olive-grey. Tokamak thermonuclear system Русский: Марка СССР Изучение проблем управляемого термоядерного синтеза (1987, ЦФА №5891).
context_page_description: The T-15 is a Russian nuclear fusion research reactor located at the Kurchatov Institute, which is based on the tokamak design. It was the first industrial prototype fusion reactor to use superconducting magnets to control the plasma. These enormous superconducting magnets confined the plasma the reactor produced, but failed to sustain it for more than just a few seconds. Despite not being immediately applicable, this new technological advancement proved to the USSR that they were on the right path. In the original shape, a toroidal chamber design, it had a major radius of 2.43m and minor radius 0.7m.
  The T-15 achieved creating its first thermonuclear plasma in 1988 and the reactor remained operational until 1995. The plasma created was thought to solve a number of issues engineers have struggled with in the past. This combined with the USSR's desire for cheaper energy ensured the continuing progress of the T-15 under Mikhail S. Gorbachev. It was designed to replace the country's use of gas and coal as the primary sources of energy.
  It achieved 1MA and 1.5MW injection for 1 second pulse. It carried out about 100 shots before closing due to a lack of funds.
context_section_description: The T-15 (or Tokamak-15) is a Russian (previously Soviet) nuclear fusion research reactor located at the Kurchatov Institute, which is based on the (Soviet-invented) tokamak design. It was the first industrial prototype fusion reactor to use superconducting magnets to control the plasma. These enormous superconducting magnets confined the plasma the reactor produced, but failed to sustain it for more than just a few seconds. Despite not being immediately applicable, this new technological advancement proved to the USSR that they were on the right path. In the original (circular cross-section with limiter) shape, a toroidal chamber design, it had a major radius of 2.43m and minor radius 0.7m.
  The T-15 achieved creating its first thermonuclear plasma in 1988 and the reactor remained operational until 1995. The plasma created was thought to solve a number of issues engineers have struggled with in the past. This combined with the USSR's desire for cheaper energy ensured the continuing progress of the T-15 under Mikhail S. Gorbachev. It was designed to replace the country's use of gas and coal as the primary sources of energy.
  It achieved 1MA and 1.5MW injection for 1 second pulse. It carried out about 100 shots before closing (in 1995) due to a lack of funds.
caption: T-15 tokamak on a 1987 USSR stamp
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