A simple model of a tokamak with an illuminated plasma.
The model can either just be used as a dimmable light, or it can replay the Dα light emissions from experimental tokamak discharges:
All parts can be 3D printed without support with a standard 0.4mm nozzle. The segmented parts (plasma & divertor) need to be glued together, the remaining parts can simply be plugged together. Ideally, the plasma should be printed with transparent/diffuse filament to get the best illumination effect.
The driver circuit can be soldered together on a small breadboard and should be wired according to the schematic. Space inside the central column is fairly constrained so the board should not be much larger than the microcontroller itself.
The software can be installed on a circuitpython capable microcontroller by copying the content of the software folder. New discharges to replay can be added by adding files similar to the ones in the data folder containing brightness data for the discharge and adding them to config.py.
| Part | File | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Toroidal Field Coil | TF_coil.FCStd | 16 |
| Polpodal Field Coil 1 | PF_coil.FCStd | 2 |
| Polpodal Field Coil 2 | PF_coil.FCStd | 2 |
| Polpodal Field Coil 3 | PF_coil.FCStd | 2 |
| Structural Base | Base.FCStd | 2 |
| Battery Holder Upper | Battery.FCStd | 1 |
| Battery Holder Separator | Battery.FCStd | 1 |
| Battery Holder Lower | Battery.FCStd | 1 |
| Divertor | Div.FCStd | 3 |
| Plasma | Plasma.FCStd | 3 |
| Part | Amount |
|---|---|
| 5V LED Strip (~40cm) | 1 |
| N-Channel MOSFET (e.g. BS170) | 1 |
| 5V Voltage Regulator (eg. MCP1700) | 1 |
| Small form factor Microcontroller (e.g. RP2040 Zero) | 1 |
| Push Button (⌀ 7mm) (e.g. PBS110) | 2 |
| DPDT ON-OFF-ON Toggle Switch (⌀ 6mm) (e.g. MS-500H-B) | 1 |
| Resistor 220Ω | 1 |
| Resistor 10kΩ | 1 |
| Capacitor 1μF | 2 |
| AA Battery | 4 |